light430galreeftank

[clarence miller]

what kind of light would i need 4 a 30 gallon reef tank what is the best light 2 use for best resaults and max coral grothw on all corals any info would help and if you can tell me where to get it or if i could order it of the internet

 

[byrself]

i just bought a 48" 4x55w power compact hood off of ---- from a guy who has an ---- store. i paid 220+18 shipping, and it included the bulbs in any combination i wanted. he has many setups to sell, and you can buy them outright rather than wait on a winning bid. i was very happy with mine, and judging by the prices i see elsewhere for the same wattage package, it was a steal of a deal. mine was the aluminum hood, which has 2 separate switches and ballasts. it also came with two fans, and i didn't even pay extra for the fans. he guarantees them for a year, and is no hassle about it. my roomate ordered a set up that one of the ballast went out, and he replaced it without confusion. check it out, his user id is "thecomicbroker". <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" />

 

[richard rendos]

I don't think there is any lighting better than another, just different. Depends on what kinds of corals you want to keep. SPS are going to need more light than mushrooms. So deciding what kind of corals you will keep is going to help you decide what lighting system to buy. I would say unless you are doing ALL SPS, MH are not needed on a small tank like yours. VHO or PC's are both good lighting systems...I prefer VHO, but that is personal preference. If you do SPS and decide on MH, I would say a 250 watt 10K system would be great. Bulbs make all the difference in the world. Don't get the 5500K or 6500K bulbs unless you are going to have some serious actinics to go with that. 10K and 12K bulbs are blue enough not to require addition of actinics.

 

[wamp]

I agree with rendos.... I say VHO are the best fro your tank..

 

[keitho]

i disagree..just get 1-175W 10000K metal halide and that would be adequate for ANYTHING you would want to keep (including SPS). PLUS, you wouldn't have to supplement with actinics if you use a 10000K bulb hope this helps
PLUS...
you could have a 10000K metal halide setup for less than $170 if you're willing to do a little work and shop around a little. if you need websites to look at, just let me know

 

[car guy]

i disagree with keitho, putting one 175 mh on a 30 gal tank is just plain stupidity, and no you couldn't do sps either, you probably have a 30 long so would buy a 4 by 96 watt power compact retro fit kit and build a hood for tank, and 2 actinic and 2 daylight, actinic in back and daylight in front, if you do something stupid such as 175 mh you'll end up changing the bulvs every 4 months and buying an 800$ chiller because your tank heated up to much, i'm sure keitho lost many tanks because his brain don't work to well

 

[ramey70]

Car Guy
Attitudes like yours aren't welcome in this hobby or on this board. I've known people to put MH on a 30g long and have no problems whatsoever. I myself use 2 95watt VHO but am changing to MH on my 30g long.

 

[k salt]

car guy chill out everyone has there own ideas and it works for some. relax i have seen alot of different types of set ups work . i seen a guys tank that had 2 400watt metals on it and it was a thirty. and it worked .