basic lighting question

105man · 09-27-2003, 10:02 PM

What lighting would you recommend for a reef and fish tank, only corals being soft, hardy mushrooms, leather, polyps?

It is a corner tank. I currently have a blue and white flourescent in the two-strip fixture and everything has always done well. I was thinking I might upgrade but don't want to get into halide, or anything else that throws off heat.

squid · 09-27-2003, 10:29 PM

Most of your NO (normal output) flourescent lamps put out about 40 watts of lights. ANY type of upgrade is going to generate heat.

Custom Sea Life, Jalli, and several other companies make a light hood which holds 2 - 3 or 4 lamsp, some even more light hoods, but remember you will be going from maybe 80 watts of light to (depending on the length of the light) 110+ watts.(2 - 55 watt lamps) It just depends on the length of the hood you need

hth

Imaexpat2 · 09-27-2003, 10:42 PM

You got some options. T-5's that are out are kinda new and getting good reviews in Europe. There are Power Compacts and There are VHO's

I cant really speak for the the PC's as I havent used them. Got two buddies that do and one is considering a change as he is not that thrilled with it. The other thinks they are decent. I have used VHO's alone and with Halides. Personally...I like them. But thats just me. Bulb wise between VHO -VS- PC's...bulb cost a year is about the same. The VHO's are half the price of PC's but last only 6 months or so before they need to be changed. PC's on the other hand last about a year, or so I am told and cost about twice as much.

The one thing I will whole heartedly suggest, regardless of which way you go, get Electronic ballast. They run so much cooler than the standard tar type. They are suposed to use less electricity too, but I can neither confirm or deny that. I do know that I dont have to run a fan on my ballast anymore to keep them cool! They are considerably smaller, and lighter and leave more mounting options as I have mounted mine under the tank.

So far I have used the VHO retrofit kits. I used a Hamilton with a standard ballast and a system from Hello Lights with electronic ballast. I like the wiring that came on the Hamilton system more than Hello Lights. But Hello Lights system was about 50.00 bucks cheaper too and came with the electronic ballast which usually will cost you more.

If I had a fairly tight space restrictions on lights, but needed max wattage, I would probably go out on a limb and use the PC's. If space wasnt an issue and/or I thought I would later upgrade to Halides, I would use the VHO's. The T-5's do sound promising but the bulbs seem to run about as much as VHO's. I dont know what size tank your dealing with so its kinda hard to recommend something specific or express what I would personally do. Just my thoughts on this subject, but this is a topic that can generate some really heated debates, and I really dont want to go there! Unless you got a "deep" tank, almost any route you take will sufice as long as you can get roughly 3 watts a gallon as a very vague rule of thumb. At least I would think.....

Doug1 · 09-28-2003, 03:52 PM

What are the dimensions of the tank, and are you stuck with strip lights or is a canopy in the future. Also whats the depth of water, above the sandbed.
Due to the odd shape of a corner tank, I am thinking that PC lights might be your best bet, the 95watt are about 3' long so the 55watt will be shorter. Gives you some flex in aranging them.
IME PC bulbs need replacing at about 9 months where as my URI bulbs go a year or more on an Icecap ballast.

105man · 09-30-2003, 10:07 PM

The tank may be 54gal. It is the bowfront All Glass corner tank. From the sand to the light fixture is about 21 inches, depth. The length of the tank sides that are flat along the walls are 27inches.

It has a two-strip floursecent fixture, each 23 inches.

The LFS that I got the setup from outfitted it with a white bulb which is thin, and a blue bulb actinic which is fatter.

Doug1 · 09-30-2003, 11:18 PM

are we talking fat like a reg Flo bulb 1.5" and thin, about 1"?

Ray1214 · 10-01-2003, 08:22 AM

Something that I will mention that never seems to be mentioned that much is that Lisa uses a 220 watt fixture and a 136 watt fixture on her 29 gal. She doesn't run into the same heating problems that I do. I think since her lights are elevated above the water and isn't enclosed like mine are, there is enough air flow to keep heating a non issue. However i will mention that I have sps growth that blows hers away, but she likes softies anyways.

Ray

105man · 10-01-2003, 09:08 PM

Yes, blue is about inch and a half diameter, and white about an inch.

tims · 10-01-2003, 10:33 PM

i am running a hex and it has a 3 bulb lighting system . sounds like yours is almost what i have, you should have a flo and actinic running now.. you will have to change the blue ( actinic) about every 5-6 months or earlier. i do not seem to have any problem running 2 flo lights with actinic, i have a nice buch of srooms and polyps growing now. althought i will be asking the samw questions would i get the 90 up and running