Gwen's 12 gal Nano Nonsense

[yardboy]

As I said, If you must. I've found they are more headache than useful. I think this looks fine, but would understand if you preferred a facade of wood.

http://thereeftank.com/forums/attach...chmentid=22527

[gwen_o_lyn]

OK thanks for all your help!!

[skeety]

I like the way the skeety go bump-bump-BOMP!

[Casey]

Gwen the light you were thinking about getting is awesome,I saw it the other day on a tank and it looked great,the clamp is a little cheap feeling but other than that great,little pricey, but then again im not cheap and neither is keeping a reef tank.

[gwen_o_lyn]

Originally Posted by Casey

Gwen the light you were thinking about getting is awesome,I saw it the other day on a tank and it looked great,the clamp is a little cheap feeling but other than that great,little pricey, but then again im not cheap and neither is keeping a reef tank.

Thanks Casey! I will probably have mom get that for me as a christmas present! Do you know if the light you saw was 10, 15, or 20,000k? I'm thinking of getting 15,000K.
I don't have much to add as far as a tank update goes. Took some sand back from Orient Beach when on the cruise- looks like Bermuda sand too!!
Gotta try cleaning the glass again with an acid someone suggested. If that doesn't work, I'm gonna leave the water spots there. So this weekend, hopefully I will have water in the tank. Maybe I'll put some rock from the big tank in it until I buy some more. Then in January should have the lights and maybe a skimmer.

[yardboy]

Darn! I can't believe I went on a cruise and didn't bring back at least some sand! Probably because I was holding myself on such a tight rein to keep from bringing back a piece of coral.

Beware of the XM 15,000K bulb. It has a pretty pitiful PAR, though it looks cool.

[gwen_o_lyn]

Originally Posted by yardboy

Beware of the XM 15,000K bulb. It has a pretty pitiful PAR, though it looks cool.

What exactly does that mean? Lighting is a foreign language to me! The light I want says "150W HQI 15,000K XDE 20-15015" I guess those last set of numbers is the model #.

[yardboy]

XM is a brand name. 15000K references the color temperature, some (rough) indication of the bulbs color. PAR is "Photosynthetically Active Radiation", a measure of the bulbs intensity in the important chlorophyll-stimulating wavelengths. Here's the link to Sanjay Joshi's (The "Guru" of metal halides)lighting site where he compares bulbs by many factors including PAR (his PPFD ~PAR), http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/. Suffice it to say that the XM 15000K bulbs are not as "bright" as some other bulbs, and in general you want as much intensity as you can get.

That help?
Suffice to say that I have a 175W XM 15000K bulb over a 10 gallon tank and it's not too intense. And there are other makes (AB 10000K for one) that are nearly twice as intense for the same wattage.
The bulb you want is quite low also, there are bulbs with nearly three times the intensity.
All that said, the color of a 15000 is pretty cool, you may just be limited iwth what you can keep under it. If for instance sps, they'll have to be close to the surface of the tank, and the light will have to be close to the surface also. But then, the fixture you are getting is set close to the surface, so you might be okay.
I had the XM 15000K set 12" over the surface of a 20 gallon, and the sps corals all faded. The only ones that didn't were very close to the surface.

[gwen_o_lyn]

Ok so those lights suck. Tell me what I should get. I only see a few options for lighting for a tank that small. DIY lights is outta the question!! I really don't want lights hanging either- just don't care for that look.

I found these lights too, but they look to be the same thing. Tell me what you think about em.
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...roduct=CU01060

Bottom line is that I want the BEST lights possible for this tank- I want to be able to put anything in it- SPS, a clam, anemone- anything like that. Cost is not an issue- I want the best lights on this tank.

thanks for your help,
gwen

[Casey]

Gwen it was a 10k I saw the 15k suck and the 20ks look good but par is low and to blue for some people.

[yardboy]

Yea Gwen, surely you can choose the bulb you want for that light. For best growth the 10000K would be best, don't you agree Casey? But then I know you use 20000K's. I need to change my bulbs but I'm afraid of 20000K, I just don't want my corals to fade.

[Casey]

10K would be great,your coral's will not fade mine are awesome now ,your's would just change color's on you.That's why I will not change to 10k mine would probably bleach if i hit them with that par.

[yardboy]

Gwen, here's the fixture with your choice of bulb.

http://hellolights.com/aqadhatamo.html
I'd say the 10000K, but it is personal preference, and what you want to grow.

[Casey]

Look at the blue I get with 10k in my frag tank.I cant get this with 20k I get deep purple.

[yardboy]

I don't mean to sidetrack this thread but Casey, how close are your lights to the surface. I remember you expressed surprise that mine were so close. Do you get good growth with the 20000K's?
(or would you really even want "good" growth, I know most of your colonies are already big)Are you thinking she'll be fine with the 20000K's? Do you recommend them? I've got a 400W 20000K on a 70 and I'm surprised that it doesn't look terribly blue, as I use only actinics when the MH's not on, so I guess I prefer the blue end anyway.