Actinic and 10k lights you need correct, with about a 4 watt per gallon Minimum. I also have seen alot of ballist with "moon" light but a friend of mine who is only in fresh water set ups says you can't even see in the tank with those lights.
Here are some lights i was looking at for my 55 gallon tank:
also i was wondering if you guys go with over 400 watts of light, does your light bill tend to go up a lot?
So pretty much, i have a 55 gallon tank that will be a reef setup.. if these lights are not what you use and you have a light system that you just love please let me know. I want to research this because its expensive and very important.
onefish, the partial answer is very confusing, so if I could get a why from you that would be very helpful in gaining even more knowledge on this subject to better prepare me to make a good solid decision.
I also would like to know, as your suggestion out of the 3 lights doesnt have the lunar lights what are they for, and do you need them. I think I would very much like them.
I also wanted to know if you could have to many watts, and if these lighting systems hurt the wallet when it comes to monthly electric bill.
I also would like to know from other people what they have setup on there tanks, and if there is a certain company made light they like the most from hard lessons.
well they say fish should never see total darkness but if you have a sump light on reverse cycle (meaning when the main lights are out the sump lights are on to help with ph swings) they should get just enough light were the tank isnt pitch black. moonlights also simulate actual conditions better giving corals a better chance to spawn sexually. you can always add in low watt LEDS esp in a retrofit because basically you build the lights yourself. i built my lights, it doesnt look pretty like the store bought versions but you'll save money for one and you can add addtional bulbs. looks wont matter when its mounted up inside a hood ( that is if you have one) but i personally have an icecap 4 bulb retro that i built and soon ill be going to 6 bulbs. it may not be for you but its just another option to look into.
Fish should not be in total dark? Is this in regards to saltwater fish or all fish? (My tank is fresh) I'd love to leave my moonlight on all night but I thought my fish needed the dark *down time*??
onefish its a good thing you patrol these forums, cause if it wasn't for your post i wouldn't ever get any. I guess people dont care to help people just getting in. :-?:|:-cry:
On the subject of moon light, I personally like them. I have moon lights on my reef and enjoy watching the aquarium at night. It gives a "moonlight" type glow to the aquarium. A very gentle blue color light, very dim. But it is enough to watch the life move about and see the aquarium in a manor that you wouldn't see otherwise.
I am not a lighting expert by any means, so i've left these topics to others. However, I can tell you that all 3 of your options are name brand commonly used fixtures. I would personally feel comfortable ordering any of these units for my aquarium.
in my personal experience ive used PCs before and hated them. thats just my opinion and experience, i personally would go for t5s because it will open more options in what corals you can keep.
when it comes to a reef tank you dont want to cut yourself short on lighting or a protein skimmer, really you dont want to cut anything short but out of everything those are the 2 most important.
if you dont mind spending $650 on lights then i think it would be a good fixture. however there are cheaper options though, again one being the retrofit DIY.
well you can make any of the lights PCs, T5s, Halides
basically your just buying the ballast, reflector(s) bulbs, endcaps yourself and mounting them in your hood, they generally arnt "pretty" unless mounted in a hood/canopy
you can also get packages that come with the parts. im not saying retrofitting is the way to go and im not saying its not, im just letting you be aware of your options. i would hate to see you dish out a few hundred on a light then decide you want something better or if you buy something and a month (or few) from now want to upgrade, you dont have to get the biggest baddest thing but get something that works for you (and your budget) that you will be happy with instead of buying one now and 4 months from now buying something better. i hope that makes sense. just take your time and find that perfect fixture that fits your needs.
i dont have a link on how to build one, really its pretty straight forward, endcaps reflectors, hook up ballast, screw it up into your hood and your done.
i think better yet you should decide what kind of corals you want to keep and what kind of lighting you want to use, then this will help people offer their opinions on what fixture to buy
One of the things you must consider is that, whith PC lights, the only part that is getting all the light is the part of the tank that has the light over it. While yes you may have 4bulbs, but only 2 are over half and 2 over the other half, while with T5's it goes the length accross the tank. So you'll need more PC just to equal that of the T5's.
Ok i would like a torch coral which will probably be the highest required coral I'll have, I think maybe a mushroom or two, some sponges, yellow tonga, orange tree ( or some tree) Coral, red sun coral, and a polyp would be nice.
Ive not researched into coral a ton, meaning im not sure how dense your population can be, if there are rules to go by having a 55 gallon tank. I haven't yet because im still months away if i do things slow and right from having my first coral.. and i dont want to get excited to soon
that is excellent. i am very impressed with you attitude on wanting to go slow and do things right, in the long run your going to have an outstanding tank and your hard work will pay off!
sun corals actually do not need light and prefer dark/shady areas. they have to be fed daily by hand.
and as for prior your edit, yes you can have too many watts per gallon. for example 250watt metal halides on a 10 gallon is just going to bleach everything out. with the lights your looking into getting you shouldnt have a problem.
that lamp would be 10 watts per gallon, and pretty much leave me as far as light open to any coral. My problem is the freakin moon lights. ( i may also down the road move up to 75 gallons.. and that can move over also ) back to moon lights.. i dont know how many i would need to get that really nice glowing effect in my 55gallon.
see what i mean by wanting to upgrade, its great that your planning the upgrade now so you can keep that in mind. thats what i did with my 46, i knew i was going bigger so i put 4 t5s on it now and actually they stick out off the tank alittle bit but i knew this would be temporary and smarter then buying a fixture now and then a new one when i upgraded. since mine is a retrofit its not going to be a problem to add an aditional 2 bulbs which i already have the ballast and reflectors for. i honestly do not have moonlights. my sump is open so just enough light "escapes" to make sure the tank isnt in total darkness. ive wanted moonlights so that will prob. be something i include in the next tank, you dont want too much light in a moonlight where it effects your fish's downtime or causes bad algae growth, its really for a really low light soft glow. im going to make up numbers here but 1 watt (x3) LEDS in blue would make decent moon lights in a 55 you can buy LEDS and retrofit these yourself too which is way cheaper then buying a moonlight setup by itself.
this light could meet all demands of a 55 gallon or 75 gallon set up, with coral, fish, sponges (spong bob) lil toy submarines, really hot sexy 5'10 green eye red hair mermaids, and jaws.
10watts per gallon is alittle on the strong side
i think thats a good light fixture and it would work with the 55 and 75 as both are 4 foot tanks.
sponges are filter feeders meaning they feed off of small particles in the water. i would skip the submarines, mermaids and jaws decorations.
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