Future Lighting Advice

[robfern]

Hello All.....this is my first post, and first day as an ARC member.

I'm looking forward to meeting all of you at a future meeting.

Here is my question:

(to keep short, please ask for details)
Tank Specs: 155 Bow Front All-glass with live sand, live rock, a few corals and about 6 fish. Filtration supplied by Kent Bio Rocker and Emperors.

Lighting: 2 36" JBJ Formosa fixtures, and 2 36" dual tube florescent light fixtures with equal parts actinics and white light. 1 - 24" florescent fixture used for moon light.

All of these lights are sitting on top of the aquarium, as I have no canopy yet. I am working towards (slowly) a more reef based system, and I already have 2.5" bed of live sand, and about 200lbs of live rock established for about 2 - 3 years. Very FEW corals at the moment.

My hope is that you guys can guide me through a step-by-step upgrade of my lighting system that will help spread the cost over time, as I cannot be investing $2000 in lights right now, NOT EVEN CLOSE!

My thought would be to go with a canopy, then add an MH strip....maybe 72" that utilizes white light or sun spectrum, and continue to use Formosas but only for Actinic Blue purposes. I am used to having pre-made lights, so I have no idea how to put together ballast and caps ...etc..etc. But I am technically sound and handy around the house, so I'm sure I can pull it off.

Essentially I would eventually like the ability to keep just about any coral in my tank, and want to begin focusing on the light that is necessary. That's all I want to focus on in this thread, as I know there are many other things I need to do (filtration upgrades etc...)

Any recommendations are welcome, and certainly anyone who has stuff laying around that may help, please speak up as I am in the market.

Sorry for the lenghty post...I'm cutting out half of what I want to ask already

Thanks in Advance for any help you have to offer.

Sincerely,

Robby F.

[sitnlowdown]

welcome to the reef club

if it was me i would go with an aquaspacelight by aqua medic they are nice fixtures and have very very nice light kinda an all in one package they make them in 72in lighting and you could keep just about anything with them the bad thing is a 72in fixture cost around 1000. but i have he 48 inch dual 150watt hqis and two 24 watt pcs in mine fixture and love it and im keeping alot of diffrent corals

[GeorgeW]

Welcome Robby.

If you have no urgent need, I would say that the best idea is to start looking on e-bay and the Reef Tank groups for people selling lights.

Crazy Critters is shutting down their tank setups this Sunday. I hate to keep bringing it up in groups since profiting by their loss isn't my favorite thing, but people keep asking for stuff they have.
If you look up their number in the phone book or on bellsouth.com, you might see if they have a MH pendant or two to get you going and then replace all the blubs in your current setup with Actinics. That wouldn't be too bad a route either.

[wildemon]

You should at least talk with Doug at Aquaticco, an ARC sponsor.
He can usually custom build what you need and might retrofit in stages. Like one metal halide in a 72" fixture now and leave room for two more on either side.

[wildemon]

[I just ran across this; it may not be relevant to your question but it might interest others who have already bought lights.]

Effective immediately, Custom Sea Life (CSL) is going out of business. They are closing their doors, not because of bankruptcy or business problems, but due to a personal decision made by the owner.

Through an arrangement with CSL, Champion Lighting will honor all CSL warranties on items purchased by Champion's wholesale, service, public aquarium and retail customers. This warranty will apply to all CSL products purchased in the past and for all current inventory, including refurbished items.

As always, Champion will continue to inventory replacement parts for virtually all CSL products. This includes CSL PC ballasts, metal halide ballasts, fans, sockets, UV's, chillers, and lamps for both the Power Compact and Metal Halide fixtures.

We will continue to distribute and warrantee Velocity pumps.

In the near future we will also be carrying replacement product lines for the PC Moon-Lite, Smart Lite, Power Compact line, Power Coolers, and UV sterilizers under the "Currents USA" brand name. We will continue to carry comparable metal halide hoods, retrofit kits, ballasts, etc.

Be assured that your Custom Sea Life fixtures, hoods, ballasts, chillers, etc. are not orphans. Customers that have purchased or are planning to purchase CSL products will be accommodated by Champion Lighting in every way. Feel free to contact us with parts needs or any concerns with CSL products.

Champion Lighting and Supply Co.
www.championlighting.com
800-673-7822

[AquaticCo]

I have heard the same thing as well. It's to bad they make a real good products.

Doug

[robfern]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the replies.....I would love to get the aquaspacelight, but yeah.....that hits the old pocket. Thats what I was trying to avoid by building something up. Who knows, maybe I'll sell one of the kids and get the light! J.K.! Hey Wildemon....does Doug work on canopies as well, by any chance? Looks like All-Glass does not manufacture their own canopy for the 155 bow-front. So I'm at the mercy of a third-party...or a DIY project.

Thanks Fellas....

I'll see you all soon

[AquaticCo]

Nope sorry, but I can help with the lights.