Another lighting question

[kalvoda]

Ok...right now i am trying to decide between 2 different types of lighting..I have a 30gallon tank and want anemones and soft corals (brain?,leather?,Mushroom?)..i was planing on getting a 175 MH however my parents were less than excited when i wanted to hang a light above the aquarium...anyway i saw a 110w PC light and was wondering if these are kept right ontop the aquarium or if these are also hung the picture looked like it sits ontop...Would 110w be enough power and can the light sit ontop the aquarium and also do i need any type of barrier between the water and the light itself...Thanks for the Help

 

[hondo]

yes the 110 will be enough for what you want to keep. It can sit on the aquarium if you have a glass top to set it on but this is not the best system. You should look into buying or building a canopy and mount the lights inside the canopy. It not only makes your tank look better but it hides the lights. If you do build a canopy make sure you make it tall enough (10") so that if you want to retro to MH lighting in the future you can.

 

[jay1]

Hey,
This is my advise! Don't compromise when it comes to lighting. It sounds like you find Metal Halide lighting more pleasing or desireable, so find a way to use it! Why not build a canopy and install a retro-fit kit, many have done this before you. Plans are not hard to find. IMO the aesthetic value given to a reef tank by metal halide lighting is well worth the cost, fight, trouble, to get it installed.
Good luck, Jay1

 

[keitho]

i agree with jay1. power compacts and vhos CANNOT replicate the light intensity of metal halide lighting. while it's true that you could match wattages, the intensity will ALWAYS be greater for metal halides of the same wattage. also, metal halides have the unique property of being "single point" sources, meaning that you will get a glistening, pool-like effect in your aquarium which only enhances the natural beauty of a reef setup. hope this helps

 

[striker]

I just upgraded my 30gallon 2-30watt no with a 2-95 watt vho icecap and fan+abs hood. Took off my old hood and placed the lights right over the tank without glass in-between. Everything looks great, oxygen exchange is better and it's so much brighter. The entire set-up cost me 420.00, which is steep but I didn't have the time to do it myself(too much overtime). I would have liked to get mh+pc but price was too much and I thought it would have been overkill for a 30 gallon. Shop around and read about lighting before committing yourself. If you have the time go to different lfs and compare the lighting systems. I've also heard that anemone's require alot of light. You don't want to skimp and find out you want to put hard corals or clams in your tank in the future.

 

[coraltrapper5020]

If you have the money and the space get a MH. its not over kill one your tank. I want mh on my 30 but don't have the cash. If you make your own canapy leave 12 inchis for the mh. Or you tank will get to hot.