Need some reef lighting advice PLEASE!!!!

[FishPharmD]

Hi,
Well, I've finally convinced my wife to let me turn our 55gal. into a reef tank. This tank has 2 separate hoods with 2 18" fluorescent fixtures. I'd like to eventually keep some corals and stuff. What can you suggest as a good lighting choice for this tank? I'd like to utilize the hood I already have....I can upgrade to ballasts in a couple of years maybe. Can someone suggest some 18" bulbs that would work to support your medium-light requiring corals? Obviously I can't keep any SPS or clams without metal halide or at least some VHO ballasts, but that will be in the future in a couple of years. Thanks a bunch! If you know of someone who sells the bulbs you suggest, could you include a link? Thanks again!

[Ninong]

Sorry, no can do. Two 18" normal output florescent lamps won't support any corals at all, not even low light mushrooms. About the only thing you might be able to keep lightwise would be non-photosynthetic soft corals and they are extremely difficult to keep in captivity even by experts.

If you want to set up your 55-gal tank as a reef tank, you will have to spring for new lighting. Four 4-ft long 40w normal output fluorescents would allow you to keep low light soft corals and some large polyp stony corals but no SPS or clams.

Besides VHO there are the new T-5 fluorescents available now. The electronic ballasts are enclosed in the fixture. You could get a fixture holding four 54w T-5 lamps for $249 (plus the cost of the lamps): http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...ode=SunlightT5

Something along those lines is probably going to be the cheapest you can get away with and it would give you a lot more options.

[FishPharmD]

Ok...I have a 55-gal long tank (48"L x 13"W x 20"H). I got it at Wally World, it has two hoods that hold 18" lights, and the top of the tank has a plastic divider halfway down to separate the two hoods. Could I trash those and get a 48", 4x55w PC fixture? Could I make it work even with the 2 separate hoods? I found one for a pretty good price. If I put 2 10000K 55w bulbs + 2 Actinic 03 55w bulbs in it, what kind of corals/inverts could I keep? Could I keep clams/anemones? And what kinds of coral could I keep? Polyps? Mushrooms? LPS? SPS? Softies? Thanks a bunch!!

[Poseidon]

YES!!!!

First take off the plastic hoods and replace them with glass tops. You can get those at any Local Fish Store. for Maybe $20.00. Then you put that fixture on top and Presto... LIGHT!!!

Under that fixture you can keep ALMOST any Softie of LPS (large Polyp Stony) I had Anthellia, Pulsating Xenia, Hammer Coral, several types of leather corals, Mushrooms and even Pocilliapora. (Stoney coral that requires less light then most) Green Star polyps, Yellow Polyps Prob could keep some Zoanthids, the list goes on and on...

Still No on the Clams and Anemones though, those almost REQUIRE MH. I've heard of people keeping them under VHO, but the majority use the MH to keeps Clams!!

[FishPharmD]

Mike,
I don't know which post your going to read, the one you replied to about the live rock, or this one, but they seem to have really merged and all came back to the same fundamental LIGHT. So, I bought a Halmilton 48" fixture that houses two VHO bulbs, and I've got a URI Super Actinic R + Aquasun 10,000K. Together with the ballast that powers this thing, the total wattage from this fixture is 220 watts. Compare that to the 30 watts total I had before, and I'm nearly blinded!!! Wow, that's bright!!! I'm not gonna get into corals just yet, I'm still green and need to get at least a little FO under my belt. Thanks for all your help!!! I DO want an anemone, my wife wants a Clarkii Clown, and those things look ssooooo good with a host anemone. Can I keep a hardy anemone for the Clarkii under this new light?

[Poseidon]

Woo Hoo way to go, glad you made the plunge. You bet going from those 30 watters to the VHO. I'm sure you can see why I was comparing a 4 watt night light now right? I'll bet your tank looks A LOT better. As far as anemones go, they are pretty tricky. they move around at will and can bump in to your corals and kill them. I have a pair of Ocellaris clowns that are hosting in pulsating Xenia. That is MUCH safer and easier to care for then an Anemone is. Good news is Clarkii clowns will host in a BTA bubble tip anemone. Which are relatively common in the trade and from what I've seen pretty hardy too...