Fluorescent or Power Compact???

[szesteve]

I'm running a 10gallon tank, 12 inches high.

I'll be getting lights soon and the LFS here recommended me to go with fluorescent because of the concern that the water may heat up too fast with power compact.

I was also told that because I'm using fluorescent, it will limit the type of corals I can have.

What would you all recommend? The room temperature gets to 26 degrees maximum but most of the time it hovers at approximately 24 degrees or lower.

My tank temperature now without lights is 24 degrees.

[tineng]

I'm running a 10gallon tank, 12 inches high.

I'll be getting lights soon and the LFS here recommended me to go with fluorescent because of the concern that the water may heat up too fast with power compact.

I was also told that because I'm using fluorescent, it will limit the type of corals I can have.

What would you all recommend? The room temperature gets to 26 degrees maximum but most of the time it hovers at approximately 24 degrees or lower.

My tank temperature now without lights is 24 degrees.

i think with your room temp. getting a power compact might not be a problem....without my fan on and having 2x36W on a 2 footer, my tank temp at most raise to 3 degree above room, with fan able to keep it to room temp.....and the tube is very near the water (about 4 cm off the surface)...

switch to chiller because the room temparature during the day can be as high as 30C....

[SBS_Transit]

use power compact better , and get a fan to cool the water

[JustinK]

how you maintain your temp so low? your tank in aircon room all day ah? anyway, 12 inches PL will be enough lah... when i had my PLs last time, temp never got higher than 28degrees. With the heat nowadays, better use fans to blow across your water surface.

[szesteve]

JustinK,

I'm in Canada that's why the temperature is lower.

[hammy]

wow, since u are in canada with the blessing of lower room temp, i think it will be better to get pl rather than fl... with pl u can get to keep more light demanding coral rather than just mushroom ....

but i think t5 will be the best if u worried a lot about heat problem in due time ... get a fan to blow across the surface of the water surface , temp should not be a prob...

i use 2 x 55w pl with 2 x 20w t5 for my 2 feet tank ... temp hover around 27 to 27.5 with a big fan blowing across the water surface ...

imo, fl is very inefficient.... actually depend on what u wanna keep lah...

[szesteve]

Hammy,

Thank you for your reply! It has helped alot...

What is the difference between T5 lights and PL lights? Additionally, how long should the lights be on?

[tineng]

You will need a High Output T5 in order to beat PL in terms of brightness, and thats still debatable...dunno about there, but the HO T5 here is many times more expensive then a PL....

[szesteve]

it's pretty hard to get T5 here and even if i can get it, i think it'll be more expensive...

i think i'll go with a set of 28W PL lights. is this enough?

[tineng]

dunno the prices there, but I feel that the prices of 28w,36w and 55w tubes are quite close......I would go for 55w if possible as you are now in a place that is cold.....

[ryz]

steve... think you can get a better lighting than t5 there.... VHO tubes... aka Very Highh Output tubes... It's not available in SIngapore but they should have it in the staets and canada...

[hammy]

er , i on my light for min seven to eight hours a day .... and all my corals are doing fine ....ya i think i will be better if u get the 55w pl instead of 28w ... brighter better

[szesteve]

Thanks for all the replies guys!

I've decided to get the coralife powercompact 1 x 96W 50/50 lights with 2 built in fans.