best lighting for my buck??????

[rlablan]

I am new to this. Just wanted to make that clear... I have a 45 high tank... I have LR and LS and at the moment I have 2 clowns and a crab. I am looking into upgrading my light. Right now it is nothing special, but I am looking into getting a few anemones and some cleaner clams. I am not 100% on the corals but I would like to buy the best light for my money, so I don't have to upgrade again down the road and spend more even more... Any suggestions, preferably based off of personal experience with your own tank??
Thanks!

 

[ibew41]

what is the height of your tank

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by rlablan
http:///forum/post/3063418
I am new to this. Just wanted to make that clear... I have a 45 high tank... I have LR and LS and at the moment I have 2 clowns and a crab. I am looking into upgrading my light. Right now it is nothing special, but I am looking into getting a few anemones and some cleaner clams. I am not 100% on the corals but I would like to buy the best light for my money, so I don't have to upgrade again down the road and spend more even more... Any suggestions, preferably based off of personal experience with your own tank??
Thanks!

It is really hard to keep more than one anemone. (serious chemical warfare) My anemone is a fish eater, it is in a 90g and all anemones will eat fish if the get the chance. In a 45g your fish won't have much room to get around more than one, they get big.
All that being said...MH lights are best for them. On a 45g I would think a pendant type would do nicely.

 

[teresaq]

Flower is right, in that size tank only one anemone.
your tank is 36 long by 25 high ???
A Tek 6 bulb T5 would prob be good. or something like this Though a 150 wattws may not be enough for your tall tank

 

[rlablan]

does it have to be a pendant light? My tank is in the atrium of my house, I would prefer not to have that over the top if I don't have to... I know my tank is 36'' but I am not sure of the length, I just know it is a deeper tank, or a "high" tank.
If I have two clones, can they host the anemone together, or will they each need their own?
Just out of curiousity, do anemones fight or try to eat each other?
Also, I thought that anemones and clowns were supposed to be friends??
Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it.

 

[teresaq]

They will host togethe.
Two anemones will have chemical warfare. They release toxins to get rid of the other
No you dont have to have a pendent, I just think they are pretty. They MH fixtures that are on legs that will fit on your tank.
T

 

[rlablan]

Thank you so much for the input. I will make sure to only get one then :0)
And that MH fixture sounds much better... What is the right wattage, or whatever that I should be getting? like color, or tint, or like... ?? Does anyone understand what I'm saying, I don't know how to say this.

 

[tdog7879]

Originally Posted by rlablan
http:///forum/post/3063833
Thank you so much for the input. I will make sure to only get one then :0)
And that MH fixture sounds much better... What is the right wattage, or whatever that I should be getting? like color, or tint, or like... ?? Does anyone understand what I'm saying, I don't know how to say this.

I would forget about the anemone. Your clown fish will bond with alot of other things such as corals. I have 2 clown fish 2 and one has bonded with my frogspawn coral and the other hangs out with my xenia colony. THIS IS JUST A OPINION! Also most anemone need really strong light (metal halide) so you can avoid this fixture and get a t-5 light fixture. My sugestion a 6 bulb one. Plus with a MH fixture might make your tank run warm which means you might have to get a chiller to maintain your water temp. Which means more money spent! but it is your tank and you can do whatever you want to do.

 

[rlablan]

Originally Posted by tdog7879
http:///forum/post/3063882
I would forget about the anemone. Your clown fish will bond with alot of other things such as corals. I have 2 clown fish 2 and one has bonded with my frogspawn coral and the other hangs out with my xenia colony. THIS IS JUST A OPINION! Also most anemone need really strong light (metal halide) so you can avoid this fixture and get a t-5 light fixture. My sugestion a 6 bulb one. Plus with a MH fixture might make your tank run warm which means you might have to get a chiller to maintain your water temp. Which means more money spent! but it is your tank and you can do whatever you want to do.
Thanks, that actually helps alot. I live in phoenix, so I did relocate my tank to a wall that is all ******** so i would not have to buy a chiller. So far, the temperature really doesn't change but by about .2 degrees on average. :0)
So I am a little confused though... :0/ So right now I have a strip light, it was like 40 bucks and was what came set up with my tank. I have feather dusters growing now out of my live rock, (yay) but I don't know if they will survive. Do they need a special light? Will that T-5 thing work for them? can I just get a higher wattage bulb for the hood I already have?? I know these are probably really dumb, daunting questions but I am very new and I am just trying to have a great tank, without going to the poor house, and I like doing things right, the 1st time. ???
Thank you everyone!!!

 

[teresaq]

Feather dusters dont need any special lights.
Do you plan on having corals??
Yes clowns will host most anything. They do not have to have an anemone to be happy. Mine host hair algea.

The 36 inch 6 bulb tek or nova pro would work fine for corals.
If you dont want corals, then what you have is fine. you cant put higher watt bulbs in the fixture you have though.

 

[rlablan]

Originally Posted by TeresaQ
http:///forum/post/3064157
Feather dusters dont need any special lights.
Do you plan on having corals??
Yes clowns will host most anything. They do not have to have an anemone to be happy. Mine host hair algea.

The 36 inch 6 bulb tek or nova pro would work fine for corals.
If you dont want corals, then what you have is fine. you cant put higher watt bulbs in the fixture you have though.
Thanks, that REALLY cleared things up for me. The people at my LFS have been helpful everywhere except lighting really. they all say different things. I am not 100% on the corals yet, I really just want a lot of color and a look of abundance to my tank, without overstocking it with fish. I would like to basically max out with like 4 or 5 fish that are fun and colorful, and then have an anemone (I think I am for sure set with getting a longer tentacle kind of guy) and then maybe the corals. I have gathered they are hard to keep? is the false? That care factor is really just the only thing keeping me from wanting them. They look fabulous But I am just afraid I will kill them or something?? Any suggestions for the types of corals that are easy and colorful, or a good anemone... P.s. I think I like the look of sea fans (??), and I already have the feather duster thing going... I like them a lot. :0)
I cannot tell you how helpful you all have been! (especially Teresa). Thank you very much for devoting your time to answering my questions, I have really learned more from this forum, than any other web page, wikipedia, or search engine, and my LFS!! Thanks again!
Rae
EDIT: I wrote sea fan, I meant gorgonians, the red octo type specifically, but it doesn't really matter.

 

[teresaq]

you are more then welcome. Ask all the questions you want
T

 

[bigtankbigfish]

Considering you want color and movement in your tank but dont want the look of a hanging light, I would do like the others have told you and get a nice T5 setup. I have this on my tank and love it.
THe best way to add color and eye candy is with corals. You dont have to get too serious into this hobby to keep things like zoa and shrooms, these are rather easy to maintain and look awesome.
And if you really want the look of something with long tentacles, I would skip the anemone all together and get a torch coral. My clowns hang out in the their tentacles all the time and it doesnt move around the tank like an anemone. Just be careful cuz they sting other corals.
here is mine, sorry for pic quality,

 

[rlablan]

Thanks BTBF. That picture is nice. I do like the look of those corals. They look rather small... could that just be the picture?