anemones lighting
- Thread starter a3nima21
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zanoshanox
Active Member
Halides are probably your best bet, but also expensive. What are your tank dimensions? You could try for PC...You actually have a lot of options, check out all the different styles/types and see which ones fit your requirements and specs. Probably the mostimportant thing is finding a setup giving you the most WPG (watts per gallon). Most corals usually require 3-5 WPG.
T
thomas712
Guest
To explain some lighting options ~ I'll borrow from 007's post about lighting.
Fluorescent
Normal Output (NO): These lights are the lowest on the totem pole. They are the standard lights that come with aquariums when you buy them. They are really inappropriate for most set ups as they are not powerful enought to sustain corals for long term periods. However, one potential application which may find NO lights appropriate is in a refugium. They can be bright enough to grow algae which is the purpose of a refugium. The only advantage of NO lights are that they are cheap, readily available in a variety of sizes, lengths, and kelvin ratings.
High Output (HO): These are the next step up from NO lights. These lights again are available in a variety of lengths, sizes, and kelvin ratings. These are capable of sustaining some corals for a long time and can be used in some reef aquariums. A relatively new light on the market are the new T5's which are HO lights and have so far established themselves as an acceptable light source. These bulbs require a special ballast to drive them.
Very High Output (VHO): Same as above only even more powerful. These lights are again capable of sustaining a variety of corals longterm. The bulbs are readily available in a number of sizes, kelvin, lengths, etc.
Power compacts (in my opinion) are probably somwhere between HO and VHO. I personally am not a fan of PC's because of their reputation of breaking easily and up until recently they did not have a true actinic bulb available in PC. However they do now apparently.
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Metal Halide (MH): As of now, these are the cadillac of the lighting world. These are VERY bright lights which are capable of sustaining all types of coral. They come in numerous Kelvin ratings and wattages ranging from 70w up to 1000w. The most commonly used in reef aquariums are 150w, 175w, 250w, and 400w. There are two types of MH lighting, mogul base which are large bulbs that are encased in a Glass housing that screw in to a socket similar to a standard light bulb. Then there are the HQI bulbs which are also known as double ended (DE) halides. These bulbs do not have a glass housing and thus need to be shielded before being used. They snap into a special socket. The HQI bulbs are generally brighter. Using MH bulbs will give a nice shimmering effect in the water where as fluorescents will not . . . a nice benefit in my opinion!
Now I'll make the same suggestion I did in another thread for a 30 gallon tank. First of all I'd go with a bubble tip anemone, no gaurentee that your clowns or any clown will host with it. However its going to be one of the easiest anemones to have and try. You will need to look for about 220 watts of VHO as a minimum for that size tank. I suggest something like this.
Here is also a minimum suggestion:
24" 3 Lamp VHO Retrofit Kit (w/ ARO Model 4L ballast)
Bulb1: URI Actinic White 50/50 VHO #12-20-ATW-V (+$19.50)
Bulb2: URI Super Actinic VHO #20-03-V (+$18.00)
Bulb3: URI Actinic White 50/50 VHO #12-20-ATW-V (+$19.50)
Price without shipping 212.00 (on like price)
Those are 75 watt VHO bulbs, those three would equal 225 total watts or 7.5 watts per gallon. Those bulbs are 24 inch long and would be a bit longer with endcaps. No fancy moonlights or dual timers or anything like that. There is a 2 bulb fixture and even a 4 bulb fixture if you like. The 4th bulb would give you 300 watts of lights and not cost a whole lot more. Then you also need to figure the purchase of new bulbs every year.
Or if you can afford a metal halide pendant that would be awesome.
Hope the lighting part helps you figure it all out.
Thomas
Fluorescent
Normal Output (NO): These lights are the lowest on the totem pole. They are the standard lights that come with aquariums when you buy them. They are really inappropriate for most set ups as they are not powerful enought to sustain corals for long term periods. However, one potential application which may find NO lights appropriate is in a refugium. They can be bright enough to grow algae which is the purpose of a refugium. The only advantage of NO lights are that they are cheap, readily available in a variety of sizes, lengths, and kelvin ratings.
High Output (HO): These are the next step up from NO lights. These lights again are available in a variety of lengths, sizes, and kelvin ratings. These are capable of sustaining some corals for a long time and can be used in some reef aquariums. A relatively new light on the market are the new T5's which are HO lights and have so far established themselves as an acceptable light source. These bulbs require a special ballast to drive them.
Very High Output (VHO): Same as above only even more powerful. These lights are again capable of sustaining a variety of corals longterm. The bulbs are readily available in a number of sizes, kelvin, lengths, etc.
Power compacts (in my opinion) are probably somwhere between HO and VHO. I personally am not a fan of PC's because of their reputation of breaking easily and up until recently they did not have a true actinic bulb available in PC. However they do now apparently.
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Metal Halide (MH): As of now, these are the cadillac of the lighting world. These are VERY bright lights which are capable of sustaining all types of coral. They come in numerous Kelvin ratings and wattages ranging from 70w up to 1000w. The most commonly used in reef aquariums are 150w, 175w, 250w, and 400w. There are two types of MH lighting, mogul base which are large bulbs that are encased in a Glass housing that screw in to a socket similar to a standard light bulb. Then there are the HQI bulbs which are also known as double ended (DE) halides. These bulbs do not have a glass housing and thus need to be shielded before being used. They snap into a special socket. The HQI bulbs are generally brighter. Using MH bulbs will give a nice shimmering effect in the water where as fluorescents will not . . . a nice benefit in my opinion!
Now I'll make the same suggestion I did in another thread for a 30 gallon tank. First of all I'd go with a bubble tip anemone, no gaurentee that your clowns or any clown will host with it. However its going to be one of the easiest anemones to have and try. You will need to look for about 220 watts of VHO as a minimum for that size tank. I suggest something like this.
Here is also a minimum suggestion:
24" 3 Lamp VHO Retrofit Kit (w/ ARO Model 4L ballast)
Bulb1: URI Actinic White 50/50 VHO #12-20-ATW-V (+$19.50)
Bulb2: URI Super Actinic VHO #20-03-V (+$18.00)
Bulb3: URI Actinic White 50/50 VHO #12-20-ATW-V (+$19.50)
Price without shipping 212.00 (on like price)
Those are 75 watt VHO bulbs, those three would equal 225 total watts or 7.5 watts per gallon. Those bulbs are 24 inch long and would be a bit longer with endcaps. No fancy moonlights or dual timers or anything like that. There is a 2 bulb fixture and even a 4 bulb fixture if you like. The 4th bulb would give you 300 watts of lights and not cost a whole lot more. Then you also need to figure the purchase of new bulbs every year.
Or if you can afford a metal halide pendant that would be awesome.
Hope the lighting part helps you figure it all out.
Thomas