Raising Reef Tank with one bulb?

[new2salt2]

is it possible to have a reef tank and just run it with on single floressant type bulb? i would like to start up something on my live rocks, but $$$ is an issue with lighting

[tendar]

You would be able to have a fish only with live rock tank but there is no corals you can keep with a single bulb other than non-photosynthinec corals but they are hard to keep and really require expert care to keep.

[Poseidon]

ucould get away w/ 2 normal Output but not a single bulb, other then the non photsynthetic as already mentioned, Sun Polyps are pretty cool, but they to be Fed, along with the Gorgonians... they are filter feeders, and like plankton foods...

Good luck, u may want to look for a used set up, or check out u'r Local fish store maybe they have a used twin tube fixture for cheap from All Glass....

[new2salt2]

ok thanks.. now if i were to find a 2 tube unit what type of bulbs do you reccomend? and wit a 2 tube unit i should stay away from the photo coral?


Is there any way to modify my 48" single floressent bulb hood to be fitted with another single floressent bulb? I wanted to keep lighting cost down for now and just run 2 48" bulbs one 10k and on atinic/ Any ideas?

[Poseidon]

Cheapest thing I can think of that my Friend Matt and I used to do is buy a Shop light from Home Depot or Lowes for around 7-10 bux then get 2 Uri bulbs, 1 Actinic White, one Actinic 03 (blue) and this should be enough to keep some Mushrooms, Anthelia and some other Softies that like low light. (2 whites would give a brighter tank but the blue really gives the glow effect)

Down fall to this approach..... IT IS UGLY!!! to have a shop light sitting on top of the tank. but u could always build a canopy to hide the fixture, but then you are spending more money on wood and hinges and stain and poly and and and and....

this idea including bulbs from a LFS should cost u around 50-60 bux....

the canopy another 40-50 in materials...

you get the idea....

this hobby is just not cheap, I wish it were.... LOL

Good luck,

Mike

[new2salt2]

ok hear me out on this then. I got a 50 gal tank. if i bought a 48" light fixture (actual made for tank light fixture) and it had only 2 powercompact lights in it would this be fine. I think the one i saw was like a 50/50 bulb and the two are about 24" long. Would this be fine for my tank? I know idealy would be a 48" 4 bulb unit but i just dont have the 299 for it.

[Valclore]

Do you know how many watts there would be all together on the new hood w/2 pc's?? two to three watts per gallon would be good for the lower light corals but four to six wpg would be excellent for most everything else.....

[new2salt2]

if i am not mistaken i believe they are 65watt 50/50 PC lights, but only two of them in a 50 gal tank that is 48" long. will this be sufficiant to raise coral? i know ideally 4 PC lights is best , but not in the budget right now.

[Valclore]

2 x 65w = 130watts total; 130w ÷ 50 gal = 2.6watts per gallon, good enough for low light corals.

[Poseidon]

watts per gallon can be decieving but the 2 PCs are much better then my previous suggestion of a shop light...

But the bulbs need to be in good shape, do you know how old they are???

Corallife makes a good 50/50 bulb.


Mike

[new2salt2]

well i am looking at a new lighting unit that came out made by aqualife i believe. It is a 50/50 2 bulb unit. real cheap like 100 bucks