Lighting/Bulbs

[Nedim]

I have a 46g that is currently undergoing cycling and although I wont have corals for a while yet, I have a few questions abot lighting. What kind of light would be adequate to allow corals to grow? I have a 25w flourescent bulb and a 30w Marine Glo bulb. The problem that I have is that the marine glo is far too "dark" and the tank is a deep blue color, which really doesnt look natural to me. Can I use both bulbs in a different fixture, or should I return the marine glo and start from scratch. Any suggestions are a huge help.

[jhnrb]

Return and start from scratch. you do not have enough wattage for corals in general and sounds like your specrum may be questionable. I would return and do some more research before purchasing lights.

[bobby]

Deppends on the corals your going to keep there are alot of choices for different applications, however the lights you have are not strong enogh for any coral. I agree with jhnrb you need to do more reserch both on the lighting and the corals you are wanting to keep, that way you can take proper care of the animale.

[Bifferwine]

A basic "rule of thumb" is at least 3-4 watts per gallon for corals. So, in your tank (46 gallon) you would want something with at least 120-160 watts. This range won't let you keep every single type of coral, but you will have a lot of choices when you stock your tank. You currently have 55 watts, so like Bobby said, that's not enough. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and there are types of corals that will grow in lower light, but the majority of them (and the kind that are easiest to buy) need a lot more. The most common types of lighting people have for keeping corals are metal halides, T5s and power compacts. (I have T5s and am very happy with them). There are pros and cons to each of them, so you might need to read up a bit to see which is right for your system.

[Nedim]

OK, I returned the bulb. Btw, whats t5, t8, t10....etc?

Im gonna see if I can get any money for my old fixture.


Is this fixture any good?

PetSmart - Coralife® Deluxe Series Aqualight Double Linear Strip Fixture and Lamps

[Bifferwine]

The number represents the diameter of the bulb, in eigths of an inch. For example, a T5 bulb is 5/8 of an inch in diameter, a T8 bulb is 8/8 of an inch in diameter (or one inch), and a T10 bulb is 10/8 of an inch (or 1 1/4 inch in diameter). So the smaller the number, the smaller the diameter of the bulb, and that's important to us because the smaller the diameter, the more bulbs you can fit in the limited space above your tank, so the brighter it will be.

If you are getting new lights, I would definitely recommend getting them from a store that specializes in saltwater, I think www.marinedepot.com and Champion Lighting & Supply are two of the best, they have very good websites. If you have any questions, they have excellent customer service that can talk you through your options and help you pick one that's best for you.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not saying don't go through Petsmart, Petsmart is a fine store too and they have excellent deals on stuff most of the time, but if you had questions about a product, I doubt the Petsmart rep on the other end of the line would be as helpful as the Marine Depot or Champion Lighting reps. Those guys seriously know their stuff, I hardly ever order anything important or expensive without talking to them about it first.

I hope I helped a little bit!

[Nedim]

You definately helped me out alot. Thanks for the links

[AndyB4784]

what type of corals do you want to keep? if all you want is softies and some LPS you PC fixtures are fine (you can also keep some SPS like montipora and some types of birdnest). however if you want to keep SPS (such as Acropora) and clams you are going to want T5 bulbs with good reflectors at the minimum (MH recomended). don't skimp on your lighting it is probably the most important piece of equipment that you are going to be purchasing for your tank.

[jessencharleyne]

Hi the coralife lights are grate but way too much money. I would sugest going to aquatraders.com they sell the odyssea lights. My wife and both have these light's she has the metal halide at 280 watts. I use the compact fluorescent 48 inch 280 watts. Hope this hlps you.

[jhnrb]

Read the forum on product and vendors before ordering from aquatraders.