I am going to be replaceing my Coralife P.C. with either a P.C. 4 lamp 96 watt per bulb,a 4 lamp 39 watt T-5 or a 6 lamp Nova T-5 fixture.What would you suggest
For a three foot fixture? What are you trying to keep? PC's you can usually pickup bulbs locally and T5's usually you have to order, but I think NSA is keeping replacments.
I am keeping Leathers,Zoo's,Green star polyps and a trumpet.I would like to keep some Brains and a Clam or a Frog Spawn.Thanks Chuck
All of Nova's T5HO fixtures are solid. You can't go wrong with any of them. From what I've read, a clam would be pretty tough to keep happy under anything less that MH's. Just my two cents. =D
You could keep the clam under the t5's but you would have to keep it up high, but that means you have the risk of it falling down. Anyway, many clams like maxima and crocea live in VERY shallow water. Many times exposed to air at low tide.
t5 vs PC My 108w 2x54w t5ho odessya (cheapo) fixture has the same par meter results as my 260w 4x65w PC fixture. I still use my PC fixture because I just don't believe it but, I would buy a t5 fixture before a PC.
With PC's the bulbs run hotter, because there are two tubes right next to each other thus heating each other and causing the bulb to age faster. We have T5's over our 55Gal and we love them.
