[Samper]

Just bought this light from Tattooedlife
260w. 48" Coralife PC with legs.
A few months old. 2 Actnic and 2 10000k. Perfect shape. and will throw in the mounting legs.

I have already ordered the 1 watt moonlight to go with it and plan on lighting my 20 g with it until I move and upgrade tanks. Will these be too hot to use the mounting legs above my 20g or too bright to start out that close? If so how high will I need to mount the light and what sort of setup would you recommend? What sort of lighting cycle at first would you recommend? Also with the moonlight is there any limitations to how often you can run it? Can I run it nightly when the main bulbs go off?

[Sueet]

Originally Posted by Samper

Just bought this light from Tattooedlife
260w. 48" Coralife PC with legs.
A few months old. 2 Actnic and 2 10000k. Perfect shape. and will throw in the mounting legs.

I have already ordered the 1 watt moonlight to go with it and plan on lighting my 20 g with it until I move and upgrade tanks. Will these be too hot to use the mounting legs above my 20g or too bright to start out that close? If so how high will I need to mount the light and what sort of setup would you recommend? What sort of lighting cycle at first would you recommend? Also with the moonlight is there any limitations to how often you can run it? Can I run it nightly when the main bulbs go off?

Hmm... a 4 foot fixture for a 20gal tank? Seems a bit like overkill, but I guess it would work until you get a bigger tank... It shouldn't be too hot with the legs, unless there is little or no air circulation in the area where you will have it, but if that is an issue, a small house fan will take care of it no probs. Can't really recommend a lighting cycle without knowing what lights you are running now..... and also what all you have in the tank.

As for the moonlight, I just leave mine on all the time (you can't tell it's on when the pc's or VHO's are on)... the LED bulbs last a really REALLY long time, and don't put out any noticable heat, so it's more a preference thing I think. If your moonlight is not LED, then disregard

[Samper]

Here is the moonlight I ordered.



http://store.yahoo.com/lamps-now/1wablmoglled.html

All I'm keeping now is a frogspawn, some shrooms, yellow polyps, xenia and an anemone. I am using a 50/50 28 watt coralife. Been running it 12 on and 12 off. Not a good light I know. I am hoping to soon get a hammer coral and start researching a few others. When I upgrade I'm gonna go with a 75 gallon I think

[Reefland]

You should slowly acclimate your corals to the new light intensity by starting the fixture well above the surface of the water and slowly lowering it over the course of a month or so. You will also want to reduce the photo period to maybe 8 hours and work it back up to 12 over the acclimation period.

[Samper]

I'm not sure how long the legs are for the fixture but I know that I won't be able to hang it.....might have to rig up some sort of shelf.....dont know but I'll figure it out. Does this lighting setup get the approval of most of you guys? Will I be limited at all to what i can keep?

[Reefland]

You'll still have limitations on most Acropora sp. and Tridacna clams but a PC lighting arrangement is a fine choice for Soft Corals and LPS corals. If your interested is some SPS corals under this lighting, you might try out a Montipora digita.

[Samper]

When you start talking sps, lps .....I'm still lost. Before I take the plunge and spend 50 bucks or so on a coral are there any last minute checks that I might not have thought of such as some weird water parameter that I havent had to worry about until now or ........I dont know. Point me in the right direction.
I try to read up on it but really have no clue what I'm doing or talking about.
Are most of the LPS photosynthetic only or how does this all work. With my softies its easy, they eat the brine I feed and what little light I've had they seem to do fine with. I'm also very interested in getting only tank raised inverts. If you or anyone you know sells frags of something you think I might enjoy watching and learning about then please by all means send me their way also.

[Reefland]

Samper,

LPS - Large Polyped Stony Corals (ie. Frogspawn and Torch, Brains, etc.).
SPS - Small Polyped Stony Corals (ie. Acropora, Montipora, Anacropora, etc.)
All of these are photosythetic corals that require light certain level of light intensities; SPS being the most light demanding.

There are no weird parameter that you need to look at other than the basics you have already been monitoring; ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, calcium, alkalinity, SG, Temp. You do however need to make sure any coral you are purchasing is going to be captive in a suitable environment and is not an impossible coral to grow in captivity. The best way to do that is to resist impulse buys and research any coral that strikes your eye, before purchasing it!

[Ninong]

Samper,

I'm really confused here. How are you going to light your 20-gal with a 48" long fixture?


And before you spend a bunch of money on corals, spend a little on this book: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...A18829%3A21526 I am dead serious about that. You really, really need to do this before spending money on corals. You will really like this book. Take my word for it.

[Samper]

The 48" has legs that go inside a mounting track. Can be mounted on any size aquarium. I'm not sure if the legs will be long enough to get the right height I'll need for my tank. I know it's overkill for the time being but I will be upgrading tank size within a year. I'll use this light for that tank plus maybe another depending on the size I decide to go with. Looking into the book you recommended. Thanks for the heads up.

[Sueet]

Originally Posted by Samper

The 48" has legs that go inside a mounting track. Can be mounted on any size aquarium. I'm not sure if the legs will be long enough to get the right height I'll need for my tank. I know it's overkill for the time being but I will be upgrading tank size within a year. I'll use this light for that tank plus maybe another depending on the size I decide to go with. Looking into the book you recommended. Thanks for the heads up.

The legs are approximately 4" or so, after they're installed... And just for the record, your Frogspawn, Xenia, and Anemone will greatly appreciate the increased light... Also, is Brine Shrimp the only thing you're feeding them? Brine shrimp is good for a treat, or as an addition with other foods, but I would strongly not recommend feeding only brine shrimp, it is nutritionally inappropriate as a base diet. Just my .02¢ worth.

[Samper]

No I also feed a food called Formula One. I make a mush out of it and the brine every other day and feed it in the evening. In the morning I use a small amount of flake food to feed and on the evenings when I don't feed the Formula one and brine mush I just feed brine.


Do you think those legs will be long enough for me to just sit it on top of my tank or do I need to look into a way to hang it.

Another thing.....Reefland mentioned that I won't be able to keep most Tridacna clams. What clams if any will I be able to supply the right amount of light for?

[Sueet]

Originally Posted by Samper

No I also feed a food called Formula One. I make a mush out of it and the brine every other day and feed it in the evening. In the morning I use a small amount of flake food to feed and on the evenings when I don't feed the Formula one and brine mush I just feed brine.


Do you think those legs will be long enough for me to just sit it on top of my tank or do I need to look into a way to hang it.

Ok, I just went and looked at the legs on mine again, and I think I over-estimated on the length, but I can't find the tape measure to be certain... they look to be more like 3 inches to me..... They work fine, but you may want to find something to hold them up higher for a week or two ... or less depending on how your corals react... just til they get used to it. Honestly, If it was me, I would go ahead and just put the unit on its legs, and just start with less time per day than the normal photoperiod, and increase based on your corals' reactions. I don't think the 4x65w bulbs will be too much for any of the critters you have, but maybe you could put a sheer bit of some kind of fabric or netting in between them and the light temporarily just to shield them somewhat..... You will know if it's a problem, your critters will respond accordingly.

[Samper]

I've never dealt with intense lighting so I don't really know what to look for. I'm sure its something like frogspawn retracting further than normal, polyps closing etc right?

[Sueet]

Originally Posted by Samper

I've never dealt with intense lighting so I don't really know what to look for. I'm sure its something like frogspawn retracting further than normal, polyps closing etc right?

Yep, you got it, pretty much. The anemone might move away, maybe under something if it were too bright, etc. ..... Honestly tho, I don't think with that setup that it is going to be an issue... Most of my softies came from some really pathetic light situations at one of my lfs', and with minimal (temp/salinity) acclimation, warmed right up to my lights... which is the same as what you have (tho I paid more for mine... lol)

Remember too, that moving the light itself isn't your only option... if something up high in the tank seems not very happy at first, move it down and then slowly back up.

[Samper]

Good advice, thanks.

[Reefland]

Originally Posted by Samper

Another thing.....Reefland mentioned that I won't be able to keep most Tridacna clams. What clams if any will I be able to supply the right amount of light for?

My wording is poor as always. I should have said you are still limited to not attempting most Acropora sp. and all Tridacna Clams; the only SPS corals I would keep would be maybe some brown and acropora frags you might see at a local shop and try to rejuvenate and Montipora digita would probably do ok.

[Samper]

Argh, I didn't want to be limited to anything. Oh well when I upgrade tanks I'll just buy another set of lights that will cover the rest of the spectrum.

[Sueet]

Originally Posted by Samper

Argh, I didn't want to be limited to anything. Oh well when I upgrade tanks I'll just buy another set of lights that will cover the rest of the spectrum.

Well, on a technicality, you will always be limited in some ways. If you want to be able to keep the highest light-needing creatures, you would necessarily need to get into Metal Halide lighting, or at least T-5's... But even then you are limited, because some low-light corals would burn up under those, so ultimately, which lights you get have to be based upon which corals/clams you intend to add to the tank.

[Samper]

Obviously to me ....I need to learn and read a whole lot more. I've finally started understanding water params and how to keep them, now it seems I'm entering a new phase of the hobby, uncharted territory to my mind.