Best lighting for a reef setup.

In the near future we will be setting up a 6x2x2 and was wondering which lights would be best for a reef setup ? Its all very confusing which are best, all i want is the best for coral and which dont take a mortgage to run.

Led is your best option by far cheap to run , huge life expectency in comparison in t5s and enough power to grow anything :)

Been looking at led's but there seems to be so many different types, would be so much easier if there were just the one so thickos like me would'nt have all this bother.

personally I prefer the t5's, tried led's and pulled them out good old bulbs back in

Think its more to do with growing coral that you need the stronger lighting. But with freshwater i prefer the t8 rather than the t5, the t5 is just a little to bright for my liking.

the new builds I bought there are all apparently for marine tanks, apparently some for coral grow I'm hoping it'll promote algae grow.  There's to many lights to choose from now I take it you'll be keeping the hood on the tank

I agree to many to choose from makes it to confusing. Hope to keep the hood on the tank but that all depends on the lighting. Im not overly fussed on the open tanks plus theres a four year old here so dear knows what would go for a swim

The Chinese are making great quality full spectrum leds that will grow everything including sps imo t5s have nothing on leds or halides for coral growth but halides cost a bomb to run lol ill see if i can get a link to the leds for you

  Cheers mate as i really am lost with the whole thing.

did you look at led tubes, just another thought you get both led and t8's then

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AQUARIUM-LED-FULL-SPECTRUM-LIGHT-55x3W-LENSES-Coral-Reef-Dimmable-120W-Dimmabar-/290852392059?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43b8274c7b these are the lights mate have spoke to a few reefers who are successfully growin sps,lps and softies under them and have said they wouldn't change for anything plus its good qaulity leds they use, each tile does 2x2x2 so you would need three but even the cost of three won't be far off a sufficient t5 setup with bulbs with the bonus of not having to replace tubes every 12 months plus has dimmers so you can control colour/intensity

They look the bizz so took your advise and ordered them so hopefully should be here next Tuesday.

I heard good opinion about T5 led cree tubes but never get a chance to try them :-/

Orlando.pf wrote:I heard good opinion about T5 led cree tubes but never get a chance to try them :-/

Are they for fish tanks ? As i said there are way too many lighting systems.

Arrived home today to find the led lights had been delivered, and i was like a child with a new toy. The leds were meant to be for a bigger tank planned for the future but i just had to get one going on the trigon. I am well chuffed with them and have been turning them up and down trying to see what looks best but gave up and just turned them up full and left it at that. Cant wait till bed time to get the moonlight going as it looks the bizz.
Plus the coral seems to enjoy them as most have doubled in size lapping up the rays.

  brilliant, grab us couple pics haven't seen these before

great going mac  

Be careful with them up full mate the corals could take time to adjust and end up bleached but glad your happy with them :) I like the fact there full spectrum so cover all colours you can also put a timer plug on the whites and blues so the blues come on first in the morning then the whites and then at night the whites will switch of befor the blues so you've a night light for a few hours with out manually switching things on and off

Nice one, hopely i will get my led lights after christmas. Yeah i was told that this tubes you can use it in fish tank, i seen in polish forum that lads using it and they recommend it, especially cree led. If I save enough money I'll let you know after christmas do ther are really so good as they say :)

The leds are expensive and i wanted to get it right first time, did'nt want paying out money just to find out later that they just aint right.