Lights

[dobz55]

Morning all,

if I am setting up an FOWLR tank do I require a marine blue glow light or is the power glo(white) sufficient, I will hopefully have an Anemone in the tank as well

[leebca]

With an anemone in the tank, you are not technically setting up a FOWLR system. You are setting up a reef system. You will get better guidance in the Reefland Reef Forum. They will probably want to know the kind of anemone you want to keep in order to provide good guidance. ;)

[dobz55]

thanks leebca I am confused now? I thought if I were to get a clown fish I would need an anemone

[leebca]

Anemonefishes do not need an anemone to live and thrive quite happily in an aquarium. In fact, an Anemonefish with an anemone poses quite a few problems with regards to the anemone and fish health.

Although in nature there is a symbiotic relationship between the two, the anemone is irritated by the presence of an Anemonefish. This is a constant stress to the anemone. The feeding of the anemone by the Anemonefish doesn't payoff for the anemone -- it can get its own food.

The fish health may suffer, too. An Anemonefish can be hurt by its host anemone stings. This provides a possible constant stress to the fish.

"That cute fish in the anemone looks so happy" is a human thing and not the reality of the situation/relationship between the two.

So having the two together actually poses downsides to both. Not to mention of course that you'll have to provide proper lighting and better water quality (these mean more expensive) for the aquarium just for the sake of the anemone.

[dobz55]

Thank you very much Lee the longer i,m here the more I learn in this case I shall avoid an anemone particulary as this is my very first effort at marine fish,so back to my origional question what light/lights shall I require for live rock, clowns, tangs, and damsils

thank you
dobz

[leebca]

The fish won't care (unless they are deep-water fishes that aren't used to much light), as Ninong already mentioned. It is whatever is good for your own viewing pleasure. Coralline will need nothing totally special.

You may wish to have a mix of actinics with brighter/hotter fluorescents.

Have you gone through: Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium for ideas and what to be on the lookout for?

[CSeaSee]

Depending on what fish you stock the tank with, different lighting spectrums will give your fish drastically different appearances. For instance, under actinic (blue) lighting, a strawberry basslet looks purple, but under a whiter light, it is bright pink!