Lighting Debate

[Paligues]

So now I have a question to all the seasoned reefers out there. I have been on the site for quite some time. I try to read as many posts and threads as possible to learn and I appreciate all the knowledge that all you have passed onto me. However, the one thing that I have come to realize is that the lighting 'Requirements' to house corals and anenomes. Everyone that I have come across on the site seems to think that you need 3-8 watts per gallon to keep anything that isn't fish.
This is not the case.

There are currently two tanks that are in my life. Both marine tanks and both are currently on good old fashion t8 fluorescent lighting. Both of which have been successfully keeping coral and anenomes for years (one for 23yrs and the other for 1).
Given that there is nothing amazingly exotic, but lets be honest. Between the two tanks there are over seven species of coral and two types of anenome being kept with less than 1.3 watts per gallon.

Why are we able to keep so much coral and anenome if they need more light than that?

I just want new reefers to know that you don't need crazy expensive lighting to keep corals.

 

[Bifferwine]

7 different types of corals is not a lot. What kind of corals and anemones are they, specifically?

If you have had success keeping things with low light, that's great for you, but I can assure you, it would be very difficult for anyone else to replicate that success. I have tried with two different tanks to keep low-light corals under small amounts of light (200 watts of T5 over a 90 and more recently, 70 watts of MH over a 30), and mushrooms, leathers and zoanthids withered away in a matter of weeks.

I don't think it's correct to say "I want new reefers to know you don't need crazy expensive lighting to keep corals" because 99 out of 100 will fail if they try. I think you're lucky, and perhaps you are just keeping low-light animals. But I can't say for sure unless you tell us what corals you have.

I think maybe that you may able to keep things alive under low light, so that they are surviving. But they won't necessarily thrive, spread, grow or reproduce. And they're not going to look their best either.

It's the combined experiences of hundreds and thousands of reefers with years of experience that set that threshold for minimum lighting requirements. What is recommended is the average of what everyone has experienced. Of course there will be outliers, like you, but overall, that little amount of light is not going to work for most people.

 

[markymark]

I agree with bifferwine, also why have the the lowest requirement rather than just something better or something of more sustenance; then not having to worry at all.
Thats just my opinion, if you had to run a race and you had a full glass of water and one 1/3 full which is best for you to finish the race? Even if you could finish it with the1/3 which would you most likely pick.

Mark

 

[PRC]

Why don't you post some pictures of your corals and let us be the judge of your lights:D

Just being honest, it's a little irresponsible to just toss a thread out into the forum that completely flies in the face of everything the forum knows about keeping corals.

You may be having luck keeping corals with low lights, but your specific corals may be "low light corals" such as mushrooms, etc.

However, there are thousands of different corals on the planet. If a person just getting into the hobby reads your post, he may kill alot of coral due to mis-information.

 

[Piratefish]

Well you know what they say Pics or it didn't happen:mrgreen:

 

[Jmck]

+1 pirate, but your corals are probably low light, im guessing you dont have ANY SPS at all.

The anemones are really wierd, sometimes they dont need high light, mine lives in a small cave I made, whereas another one has moved himself higher in the tank for full facing light and another is very low. They place themselves where they are happy.

Your anemone could just have found a good spot, how high is he in the tank?

 

[Zissou]

Absolutely irresponsible.

 

[stagofdoom]

There are currently two tanks that are in my life. Both marine tanks and both are currently on good old fashion t8 fluorescent lighting. Both of which have been successfully keeping coral and anenomes for years (one for 23yrs and the other for 1).

So you have been running a marine tank for 23 years and the first thread you started here in september of last year is a thread asking for advice for a newbie. Something doesnt add up, if it isn your tank then the person must have some amazing luck with the anem or they are not giving you accurate information on the lights.

 

[Jmck]

Hrmm, makes sense stag, im waiting for biffs senses to go off for this one :P

 

[fastrd400]

I'm sorry bro, but I have to call BS on this. I just looked through your threads. If you have 23 years of marine fish/reef keeping experience, why are you asking this?

https://www.livingreefs.com/its-finally-time-t29213.html

Or this:

https://www.livingreefs.com/featherdusters-t28975.html

this:

https://www.livingreefs.com/serious-newbie-question-you-all-t28898.html

and then there is this little beauty:

https://www.livingreefs.com/new-hobby-and-looking-advice-t28873.html


Lucy.................................I think you got some splaining to do! :chair:

 

[Dana42078]

LOL fast! Somethin is fishy here and i been drinkin

This one is for real, pix or ban =)

 

[PRC]

If you have 23 years of marine fish/reef keeping experience

On one fateful summer day a little over 23 years ago, our friend found himself at the county fair. As luck would have it, while walking toward the concession stand to buy an elephant ear and a soda for himself and his highschool sweetheart, they happened upon a mysterious new game.

As legend has it, the game involved a ping pong ball and an accurate throwing arm. You see, this was not just any sideshow game, this was the "toss the ping pong ball, and win a goldfish game".

Well, there he was standing there with an elephant ear in one hand and a giant pink teddy bear in the other. Clearly, our hero had a decision to make, and make it he did.

He looked at his girlfriend of 3 days and said. "Hold my Teddy"

His girlfriend said, "What are you gonna do with a goldfish?"

"I'm gonna keep it for 23 years" He exclaimed.

As the story goes, he took the little goldfish home, filled a mason jar with some water, and some beads he found in his sisters room, and as they say, the rest is history.

Now, some years later our friend decided that he'd had such an ability to keep a goldfish in a mason jar, that he would set up a saltwater tank. Who knows, maybe even open a little pet shop. He obviously knew how to care for fish, he felt he should share his knowledge with the world.

So off he went to a Fish Store to buy a tank and some corals. When the gentleman at the fish store asked him if he was interested in buying some lights, he said "No sir, I'll figure it out on my own". Clearly our hero knew a little something about keeping fish, maybe more than that small town fish store owner.

Well, just like before, he took those corals home, put them in his new tank, and took the lights out of his mom's laundry room, and put them on top of the tank And guess what happened?

THEY WERE ALL DEAD WITHIN 3 DAYS

-Samuel Longhorn Clemens

 

[Piratefish]

Well in all fairness to our low light canadian friend, I dont think he said it was his tank... It was one that was "in his life" for 23 years. Whatever that means.

Come on YOU started this arent you gonna reply???

 

[14 gallon nanocube]

The way he was beat down in this forum he may never return.that's the problem with so many forums.its to bad.a lot of people think things can only be done one way.so many ways to get to the same conclusion.so many reefers on line are so intent on the wrong things.Maybe we should have found out if they are open top tanks In large sun filled rooms.or possibly they are keeping deep water low light specie.As always people shoot first then ask questions.because what someone else has achieved you can not.Has anyone ever seen a low light actinic lighting only tank every good aquarium has them.I was kinda surprised by the reactions of this group.I guess the tang police are moving into policing more and more forums? Maybe we should just hunt the bastard down and publicly water board him.Or we could possibly have learned something from person who has "this tank that's been in my life for 23 years.I mean really I myself and some of my friends have the knowledge and the ability to run U G F tanks very successfully for years at a time.And most of the refers online have not even been in the hobby long enough to have even seen one.So before we tear someone into itsy bitsy pieces and bury them alive.Lets all think how much we enjoy are tanks and try to ............ALL REEF IN PEACE

 

[AmberSunrise]

............ALL REEF IN PEACE

I have to agree, everyone seems to have taken it personally like it was an insult. Its just one persons opinon wrong or right, maybe they are new to the hobby or maybe not. Maybe 23 was a typo maybe it was 2 ir 3?

I also agree that it might have been more convincing if the poster included pictures of their happy and thriving creatures with those lights.

I dont think however that its very nice to just attack someone for their post they obviously feel like they have an arguement to make regarding the subject.

 

[dcantucson]

the way he was beat down in this forum he may never return.that's the problem with so many forums.its to bad.a lot of people think things can only be done one way.so many ways to get to the same conclusion.so many reefers on line are so intent on the wrong things.maybe we should have found out if they are open top tanks in large sun filled rooms.or possibly they are keeping deep water low light specie.as always people shoot first then ask questions.because what someone else has achieved you can not.has anyone ever seen a low light actinic lighting only tank every good aquarium has them.i was kinda surprised by the reactions of this group.i guess the tang police are moving into policing more and more forums? Maybe we should just hunt the bastard down and publicly water board him.or we could possibly have learned something from person who has "this tank that's been in my life for 23 years.i mean really i myself and some of my friends have the knowledge and the ability to run u g f tanks very successfully for years at a time.and most of the refers online have not even been in the hobby long enough to have even seen one.so before we tear someone into itsy bitsy pieces and bury them alive.lets all think how much we enjoy are tanks and try to ............all reef in peace

Bingo!!!

 

[OhNoNemo]

Bingo!!!

Was his Name O:mrgreen:
I agree ....

 

[PRC]

So before we tear someone into itsy bitsy pieces and bury them alive.Lets all think how much we enjoy are tanks and try to ............ALL REEF IN PEACE

I have to agree, everyone seems to have taken it personally like it was an insult.

You guys have obviously not seen us actually tear somebody apart.:D

We didn't tear the OP into little pieces, and I didn't take it as an insult. For me personally, I posted on the thread so that if a newbie reads this thread he doesn't take what the OP posted as the gospel, run out by cheap lights and expensive corals and end up wasting alot of money and killing coral.

 

[Piratefish]

I didnt get the feeling anyone was trying to tear him apart. The title of the thread is "Lighting debate"

Well here is the deffinition of debatede·bate (d

-b

t

)
v. de·bat·ed, de·bat·ing, de·bates
v.intr. 1. To consider something; deliberate.
2. To engage in argument by discussing opposing points.
3. To engage in a formal discussion or argument. See Synonyms at discuss.
4. Obsolete To fight or quarrel.

 

[Nanna]

Thank you 14 gallon Nanocube. I have seen several posts where newbies have been made fun of and actually called stupid. There have been times I have wanted to post a question but didn't because I was afraid the question might be considered dumb. So please remember experts, alot of us come here for advise not ridicule.