# Need Help With LED Light for 90 Gallon Reef Tank Please!



## Racinfan83 (Feb 24, 2012)

Hello to the forum! New to this one but not to forums in general..
I know this may be covered somewhere - if so forgive me. I only have one day a week off of work - so I have spent all the time I can spare searching the net for this stuff. Figured it was easier to just ask..

I have a 90 gallon reef tank, about 5 years old. I have a 4 bulb T5 light on it now that the fan is fried in and the bulbs need changed. Wanting to decrease my electric bill and heat on top of the tank - thinking that LED is the way to go. There is so much info on the net I can't even begin to decipher it all - and I do not have time to search for any more hours and hours then I already have. Local fish store is WAY high priced - so I do not trust much info I get from them either - especially when I find a light there for $449 that I can buy on Amazon for $149...

My tank is 48" x 18" x 22" tall. Want enough light to grow most kinds of coral. I have the timer system that controls the actinic/daylight/lunar modes that works with my T5 light. I DO NOT want to fool with a DIY system - unless someone can send me exactly what I need all in one package, and it is easy enough to build with moderate mechanical ability. I would rather just buy one that is all set up to hook to my timer system - and that it is the right lighting for my tank. Caveat is that I really cannot spend a ton of $ either. Needs to go across the top of the tank - cannot hang it from the ceiling where the tank is. 

SO - if you guys can link me to some ones that will work for what I want - I would muchly appreciate it!!! Thank You in advance!!!


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

48" 4 ft LED Aquarium Light Marine Bright Reef Cichlid 54x 1 Watt Lunar 120 cm | eBay
Reef Aquarium Lighting & LED Lights: Marineland Reef Capable LED Lighting System


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## davemedinis (Sep 10, 2011)

22inch deep, i don't think a 54W LED fixture is enough. Especially keeping corals. Higher brightness is needed.Your 48inch tank may need two pcs 250W, probably 15-18inch per one.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Only ones I know with tank legs.

And 500watts for a 90g tank?? I don't think he needs near that much light. He's replacing T-5 4 lamp fixture, and I'm guessing that 2 of those lamps were Actinics. Which means he only had 108watts of white light. I'm just taking a guess here.


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## davemedinis (Sep 10, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> Only ones I know with tank legs.
> 
> And 500watts for a 90g tank?? I don't think he needs near that much light. He's replacing T-5 4 lamp fixture, and I'm guessing that 2 of those lamps were Actinics. Which means he only had 108watts of white light. I'm just taking a guess here.


Oh,sorry, that's my fault, I calculated the wrong length, it doesn't need 500W, probably 200W is okay. But 54W is not enough.


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## Chillwill007 (Aug 20, 2010)

But o think he would be fine with 2 of those 54w lights. I got the freshwater planted version and they are only 5" wide so he could easily fit 2 of them on top and still have space.


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## davemedinis (Sep 10, 2011)

Chillwill007 said:


> But o think he would be fine with 2 of those 54w lights. I got the freshwater planted version and they are only 5" wide so he could easily fit 2 of them on top and still have space.


Than LED was good for his tank in length and width, but the power is not enough in my opinion.


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## Racinfan83 (Feb 24, 2012)

I had looked at those two 48" lights - however I _know_ the Marineland one does not have two separate cords and you have to control the actinic/daylight manually - as in you have to physically hit the switch on the side to switch it over. That just will not work with my schedule. The other light you linked looks like it is the same deal - although it doesn't specify. 
My T5 light has two actinic bulbs and two daylight. I actually posed the question to Marineland as well in an e-mail and haven't gotten a reply - if I could get two of these and run one on the actinic timer and one on the daylight timer? 
There has got to be something out there that will work for what I want...

I have to work today - so I won't be back on til this evening.. Thanks and continue with your input please :fish5:


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Racinfan83 said:


> I had looked at those two 48" lights - however I _know_ the Marineland one does not have two separate cords and you have to control the actinic/daylight manually - as in you have to physically hit the switch on the side to switch it over. That just will not work with my schedule. The other light you linked looks like it is the same deal - although it doesn't specify.
> My T5 light has two actinic bulbs and two daylight. I actually posed the question to Marineland as well in an e-mail and haven't gotten a reply - if I could get two of these and run one on the actinic timer and one on the daylight timer?
> There has got to be something out there that will work for what I want...
> 
> I have to work today - so I won't be back on til this evening.. Thanks and continue with your input please :fish5:


You ran the T-5 off of a timer, so to can you do the same with the LED Marineland fixture.


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## Racinfan83 (Feb 24, 2012)

My T5 has separate power cords for the actinic and daylights - so I can plug them into separate timers. The Marineland lights do not have this - and I have read many reviews on them. All the reviews mention that you cannot turn the blue lights on with a timer - only the switch on the light itself..


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Racinfan83 said:


> My T5 has separate power cords for the actinic and daylights - so I can plug them into separate timers. The Marineland lights do not have this - and I have read many reviews on them. All the reviews mention that you cannot turn the blue lights on with a timer - only the switch on the light itself..


So you want a LED fixture that has seperate power cords and legs for the tank? 
None that I know of. DIY only.
DIY Components ReefLEDLights | LED Aquarium Lighting ReefLEDLights | LED Aquarium Lighting
How To DIY LED ReefLEDLights | LED Aquarium Lighting ReefLEDLights | LED Aquarium Lighting


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## AZDesertRat (Apr 10, 2009)

I have two AI Sol Blues over a 100G reef and they are fantastic. The control capabilities are endless, you can control each color individually so have any combination or option you want.


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