Lighting

[vanny]

Hi, so Im 4 months into my build now and im exploring my options with sps. all my lps have flourished so far, but my newly added sps (1 month) are not doing so well except the pink birdsnest.

this a picture of my tank. and I am considering changing the lighting on it.
-just a side not:
All my tank parameters are in check, (zero nitrates with carbon dosing and chaeto algae in the fuge, phosphates are also near zero considering the all the nuisance algae is gone, and i periodically dose calcium, magnesium, strontium, and iodine (iodine not so much though).

here is a picture for comparison.

so anyways I am planning on changing my stock and DIY lighting system to something else.
-I currently have a
1 x 30 W 20000K LED
1 X 10 W 10000k/20000k LED (it has a combination of both)
1 x stock sh*tty 20 w light

reason I want to change is because my newly added acro and digitata are not growing and to make matters worse my purple digitata turned brown due to light starvation
-I would love to get metal halide, but they produce too much heat and which then require me to buy a chiller....
-LED from a factory is way out my budget
-which leaves me with T5 HO:

what would you guys recommend
- I have looked on ebay and there is

234W 3x 39W 12,000K Fluorescent Lamps 3x 39W Actinic Blue Lamps (will cost me: $210 CAD after shipping and taxes)
156W 2x 39W 12,000K Fluorescent Lamps 2x 39W Actinic Blue Lamps (will cost me: $140 CAD after shipping and taxes)

I really like the 234 as it also comes with a digital timer, but I'm not sure if Im going overboard with that much power.
any recommendations are appreciated
-CHEERS

P.S
tank is 40 gallons,
12" width , 36" length, 20" high (deep)

 

[Chad]

12" is not all that deep. The LED's you have should be able to penetrate and they don't seem all that dim.

However, for a shallow tank like that T5HO is a very good choice. I used the Nova Extreme Pro for years and could grow anything at all in my 50 gallon tank.

I currently have the AI Sol Super Blue LED's which are very strong lights but cost more than the T5HO's do.

For your tank, being only 12" deep, I think a quality T5HO fixture would be the way to go.

 

[vanny]

its 20" deep, 12" is the width of the tank.
but ya I am thinking of getting the T5HO

 

[Chad]

I see that now...well...that's pushing it...I feel 18" is about as deep as I like to go with T5's but really if you use placement you can overcome this.