Lighting Question

[djskott]

Heres a question, How much lighting does a 29gal Reef need?
Im thinking of getting something new.. Ive got 40watts total... Using florescent lights, i know this isnt enough, so how much do I need, a PC 2x55watts? or what..
thanks
skott


[This message has been edited by djskott (edited 03-23-2001).]

[scubadude]

Hi Djskott [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

This will be directly relative to the inhabitants that you want to keep. let us know what animals you intend to keep in this system so we can give you are inputs Softies wont require near as much light as the LPS, where as the SPS and clams will want Very Intense light (mh's)


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[djskott]

I dont want anything major I like Mushrooms, and Polyps, might want a Brain later on in the future but for now i just want some polyps and mush's. i know the mush's dont need much light and the polyps are adaptive to a point.
what is recomended for a 29gal?

[Bruce]

On my 29 gallon reef tank, the lighting is 4 24" vho tubes (75 watts each, 2 aquasuns, and 2 actinic blues) for a total of 300 watts of lighting. In this tank, I'm growing soft corals, large polyped stonies, and small polyped stonies. The only thing I have not attempted is any type of clam. All the corals, including the small polyped stones, are doing very well. They growth rate of the SPS may very well be less than can be achieved by Metal Halide lighting, but they are growing!

Lighting your tank depends on what you want to keep in it, and the ammount of money you are able to invest in it. I would recommend spending as much money as possible on your first lighting setup, because if you dont, you will upgrade sooner or later down the line, spending more money.

While I do not currently use Metal Halide, I will say this: Dollar for dollar, watt for watt, and lumen for lumen, Metal Halides are the most intense form of lighting. If you can start off with MH, it will save you from buying a flourescent set up now, and and MH setup later.

[scubadude]

Originally posted by djskott:
I dont want anything major I like Mushrooms, and Polyps, might want a Brain later on in the future but for now i just want some polyps and mush's. i know the mush's dont need much light and the polyps are adaptive to a point.
what is recomended for a 29gal?

I would go with 4-6 watts per gallon...If your on a tight budget then yes the 2 55w PC's would work...especially if you could keep the existing 40watter....but I personally would put something like 2 110watt VHO's one actinic and one superdaylight...your open brain is gonna want a little more light then your mush's and polyps [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img] HTH


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[tendar]

I have been running a 29 with 2x55 custom sea life pc's for over a year now and just replaced the bulbs last week. I have keep both open and closed brains, mushrooms, zenia, antealia, button polys, green star polys, hammer, frog spawn, leathers and bubbles with no problems and all have grown very well. I have a 3-4" sand bed with raises it all so that noting is far from the lights. As long you dont want any sps or clams youll do very well with this lighting.

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Its never big enough.

[This message has been edited by tendar (edited 03-23-2001).]

[djskott]

How much would a 2x55 PCcost? how bout 110watt VHO?
I dont have a hood for the tank kinda dont have room for it for where it sits.. so i would have to have something that could sit on my Glass cover..
I know the lighting is one of the most expensive things in the reefing experience and well one of the major aspects in keeping a stable reef..
what is a SPS? LPS???

i really appreciate you help, my tank has been looking great lately. my next investment is going to be prob 10 more lb of LR and some better lighting, if not a bigger tank =)mmmm 125gal mmmm hehe well take care all
skott

[This message has been edited by djskott (edited 03-23-2001).]

[This message has been edited by djskott (edited 03-23-2001).]

[SKRIZ]

i have 2x55 pc on my 30g. all is doing well and growing well. i would like to have the 2x96 from www.ahsupply.com, but oh well. if you want an inexpensive 2x55 check out ahsupply, but you'll have to make your hood. if you dont want diy, try: http://www.petwarehouse.com/webstore...OpenDocumentis link
or http://www.petwarehouse.com/webstore...E?OpenDocument

the first is a 2x55 and the 2nd is a 1x96. I have the first one, for $125, it's not a bad deal. I ordered smartlamps from www.ffexpress.com for $20 each, cant beat that. HTH

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I bought a Seaclone skimmer? What the hell was I smoking?

[djskott]

yeah but my prob is i cant have a hood.. My tank is in a space in the wall.. here are a lil what the tank looks like
these pics are two months old so ive added more LR and such
http://www.djskott.com/fishpics/4.html http://www.djskott.com/fishpics/7.html

[scubadude]

3 classes of corals

Softies = mushrooms, polyps, leathers, xenias, etc. etc.
LPS = Hammer, Frogspawn, Trumpet, bubbles, torch, etc etc.
SPS = Acropora, Hydnophora, Montipora, etc etc.

Softies= Light Lighting
LPS=Large polyped stoneys Med Lighting
SPS=small polyped stoneys High Lighting

this is a general guideline [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

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[djskott]

cool thanks Dude =)
the LFS closest to me has a nice Mush rock on it i think there are three types of mush, green, red, red with white stripe and another one, he said he'd sell it to me for 30 bucks.. but im just holding off a week or two before i invest in some coral life..

Lighting wise is my next step tho. I have a very tight budget right now, so i think if i got the 2x55 i would be fine..

again what kind of price range is a 2x55 PC run?
skott

[scubadude]

Originally posted by djskott:
cool thanks Dude =)
the LFS closest to me has a nice Mush rock on it i think there are three types of mush, green, red, red with white stripe and another one, he said he'd sell it to me for 30 bucks.. but im just holding off a week or two before i invest in some coral life..

Lighting wise is my next step tho. I have a very tight budget right now, so i think if i got the 2x55 i would be fine..

again what kind of price range is a 2x55 PC run?
skott

$100-$200
www.exoticfish.com
www.championlighting.com
www.ffexpress.com

[img]/ubb/tongue.gif[/img]



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[rgoryl]

I thought the light color temperature (Kelvin) rating was more important than wattage? Some types of lighting are more efficient than others so, why would the electrical energy used mean anything? Please explain!

[Bruce]

Rgory,

You are correct in that kevlin temperature of a bulb is important. For instance, I could have a 1000watt bulb over a 10 gallon tank emmitting light only in the green spectrum. While this (hypothetical) tank would have 100 watts per gallon of light, the light is accomplishing little in the area of phostosythnetic radiation.

Watts are a determination of the electricity consumed to light the bulb, and while there is a relationship between wattage and light output, try to find the measure of lumens a bulb produces, as this is far more representative of light intensity (one lumen is that amount of light emitted by one candle)

As to the kelvin temperature, please correct me if I'm wrong, but sunlight has a kelvin temperature approximately around 5,500 kelvin. It is important not only to get an appropriate amount of lumens from a bulb, but to also get a proper kelvin temperature from the bulb as well. Intensity of the lamp is very important, immediately followed by color spectrum.

Hope that helps, if I've confused you more, just let me know! [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

[rgoryl]

Bruce,

I'm confuse -- but not by your comments. I don't understand why so many people in this forum are only speaking in terms of watts? I thought 10,000 K was it! There must be a relationship between Lumens and wattage...we just need to find out what that is? I guess it's time to do our homework.

[Joaco]

Moving it to the lights forum.

Joaco

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My webpage Updated 28th February 2001

[Drew]

HI,

Watts are more important than color temp. The corals could care less what color the light is. The different colors temps are mainly for aestethics only. The corals will grow fine under any color, as long as the lighting is intense enough.

Later
Drew

[SKRIZ]

you can get the 2x55 from www.ahsupply for $65 their bulbs are high though. you can get the bulbs (2g11 base) for $20 each at www.ffexpress.com . so, with shipping, you may be already up in prcie to what it would cost for the hooded light; in that case, go with the hooded one and just take it apart. then if you evey cange setups, you have a hood [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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I bought a Seaclone skimmer? What the hell was I smoking?