Help with lighting choice

[Birds Fan]

Ok, I'm cycling a 45g tank now. It's a 24" tall and need I help choosing a lighting system. I don't want to spend the $$ on MH so I'm looking at either a PC 192 watt unit vs a T5 HO 156 watts. I currently have in my 20 that will move over 1 sunflower, 1 candycane with 4 heads, 1 green mushroom (6 heads), 1 purple mushroom (4 heads), 1 mushroom leather, a few zoos and a Kenya. I would like to keep a nem for the clowns and I know I would have to place it up high.

I'm not really sure what other corals I would like to add at this point so that makes the decision that more difficult.

What are your experiences with either the PC or T5? Is there a big difference between a PC 192 vs T5 156. Given the 24" height, do I need more lighting, like a T5 250?

Thanks

 

[Phyl]

I would choose T5s over PCs any day of the week. I have PCs over one of my tanks and the bulbs change spectrum dramatically around 5.5mo and get NASTY looking in color. Which of course you don't notice until the algae starts. Then you change the bulbs, magically the algae goes away and the tank is beautiful again. T5s have better par for the same watts as PCs so you may actually find that the tank is brighter with less watts of T5 than it is with more watts of PC.

 

[Birds Fan]

so a 156 T5 should be ok in a 24" tall tank? I've read many different opinions

 

[reefsandrotts]

I have a 8x54 on my 120 (24" deep) works out great for sps on the bottom of the tank.
A question for you is long term what corals you want to keep and what is your lighting budget?

If you want just lps and softies I think the 156 should be ok you might have to move things around a little to get them happy,sps corals the 156 watts would not work out.

Pc's like Phyl said are great for a couple months then they're done, good light for a QT tank but not everyday use in my opinion.

 

[Birds Fan]

I have a 8x54 on my 120 (24" deep) works out great for sps on the bottom of the tank.
A question for you is long term what corals you want to keep and what is your lighting budget?

If you want just lps and softies I think the 156 should be ok you might have to move things around a little to get them happy,sps corals the 156 watts would not work out.

Pc's like Phyl said are great for a couple months then they're done, good light for a QT tank but not everyday use in my opinion.

I don't think I will move into SPS. Thanks all for your opinions. I'm getting a T5 today.

 

[JRWOHLER]

What everyone else said. I have the CP on my current tank and I never realized how the light changed until I swapped out the bulbs. They are really crappy after 5M. I am getting the Tek lights T5 8x54 I think for my 120. They produce less heat then CP and last longer. VHO are nice but I don't want to build a hood for them. Maybe there is something out there though.

Premium Aquatics prices are great and if you can wait for the group buy they cannot be beat.
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=SunlightT5