DIY Lightning Question

[pcgeek]

Hello all, newbie here so go easy on me...
I have a 75g freshwater tank that I bought used. It was used for saltwater for the ppl that had it before me. I decided to make it a saltwater tank. It's 4' long and a 48" light will fit perfectly. Since I don't have the $600 it cost at the LPS I have to do it myself.
My question is:
1)Can I buy a commercial 48" strip lamp (like the ones at Lows)?
2)Will a Lows'/Home Depot 48" "day light" 10,000K be ok?
It's this 10,000K same as HOB lamp, what other lamps do I need? It will have 2-lamps. But I can get the 4-lamps one as well if needed.
It will be Fish Only for now. But soft coral it's my goal.
Thank you!!

 

[wangotango]

For a fish-only tank standard fluorescent bulbs will be fine. The shoplights that you would normally find at Lowes or HD or whatever are generally for ******** use, so I don't think that the fixture would hold up to the salt. You can always use the stock lighting hoods that usually come with the tanks. I'm sure that most stores will carry those. A twin-bulb unit will work fine.
-Justin

 

[saltfan]

2 Mogul Sockets on _-___ $15 shipped.
2 Metal Halide Bulbs 14k $40 shipped (150w-175w)
2 M75 Ballasts $50 shipped.
Not $600

 

[pcgeek]

Oh BTW the $600 is for a 72" Power Compact CF Light Fixture not 48"
Like this one http://www.***********.com/ps_ViewIt...ILTFIPCST.html

 

[saltfan]

Originally Posted by pcgeek
http:///forum/post/2950513
Oh BTW the $600 is for a 72" Power Compact CF Light Fixture not 48"
Like this one http://www.***********.com/ps_ViewIt...ILTFIPCST.html
Ok, if thats what your going for then how about this one. You can get 2 36" PC lighting fixtures with Lunar lights for $90 a piece.

Oh, by the way, it puts out 384 watts together. Each fixture has 2 96watt lamps.

 

[saltfan]

Originally Posted by pcgeek
http:///forum/post/2950513
Oh BTW the $600 is for a 72" Power Compact CF Light Fixture not 48"
Like this one http://www.***********.com/ps_ViewIt...ILTFIPCST.html
Great then, thats just what I just put on mine 2 months ago. Less than $250 for 3 bulbs and ballasts. Wire from Home Depot. And if you want special reflectors, you can get them as well.

 

[pcgeek]

How about this one?
http://www.marineandreef.com/Nova_Ex...p/rcu01126.htm
How many Watts for my 75g?
Will I need anything else?
Thanks again!!

 

[saltfan]

75g 6' tank??
Should be ok with 3-150w lamps.

 

[saltfan]

Originally Posted by pcgeek
http:///forum/post/2950597
How about this one?
http://www.marineandreef.com/Nova_Ex...p/rcu01126.htm
How many Watts for my 75g?
Will I need anything else?
Thanks again!!
This fixture is only 48". And not much light.

 

[bigleman]

Originally Posted by SaltFan
http:///forum/post/2950502
2 Mogul Sockets on _-___ $15 shipped.
2 Metal Halide Bulbs 14k $40 shipped (150w-175w)
2 M75 Ballasts $50 shipped.
Not $600

thats what i did for both my tanks
cant beat DIY Metal Halides for less that $100
(except last night when i set a new personal record on the amount of voltage i've sent through my body

)

 

[scrombus2]

It's a 75......4' long, not 6'.

 

[pcgeek]

Originally Posted by scrombus2
http:///forum/post/2951121
It's a 75......4' long, not 6'.
Yep! It's 4'. So, how many watts I need for the 75g? I wont have anything fancy. Just Live Rock basically and fish. Im just trying to find out what setup/what bulbs/power I need to keep soft corals happy.
Thank you for the replies!

 

[pcgeek]

Originally Posted by SaltFan
http:///forum/post/2950616
This fixture is only 48". And not much light.
What you mean with its just 48"? I can't do any longer than that.

 

[saltfan]

Originally Posted by pcgeek
http:///forum/post/2951150
What you mean with its just 48"? I can't do any longer than that.
My bad, I never saw a 72" 72gallonn tank before. Sorry. And if your jsut going fish and rock, jsut go with a PC set up. But by chance that you have a hood, I would really really go with Metal Halides.

 

[saltfan]

Originally Posted by bigleman
http:///forum/post/2950959
thats what i did for both my tanks
cant beat DIY Metal Halides for less that $100
(except last night when i set a new personal record on the amount of voltage i've sent through my body

)
YIKES

 

[bigleman]

Originally Posted by SaltFan
http:///forum/post/2951883
YIKES

yup, all 400 Volts
burned me in 4 little spots, but i've finally got the feeling back in the rest of my hand

 

[pcgeek]

OK, First sorry for my mistake when I said my goal was soft coral. I meant Live Rock. It will have just few fishes and LR, nothing else.
Now, I was reading and found in one thread that someone said that you don't actually need lights for LR?

Is this true? Will Live Rock be ok with just the regular lightning? Or at least with a 6500K for the 29g?
I decided to make my 29g SW and leave the 75g alone since it will be more expensive. My LPS has a 30" system for my 29g for $108. It's a one double bulb with a 10K and Actinic lamp and a single lunar light integrated.

 

[pcgeek]

Originally Posted by pcgeek
http:///forum/post/2953249
OK, First sorry for my mistake when I said my goal was soft coral. I meant Live Rock. It will have just few fishes and LR, nothing else.
Now, I was reading and found in one thread that someone said that you don't actually need lights for LR?

Is this true? Will Live Rock be ok with just the regular lightning? Or at least with a 6500K for a 29g?
I decided to make my 29g SW and leave the 75g alone since it will be more expensive. My LPS has a 30" light system for my 29g for $108. It's a one double bulb with a 10K and Actinic lamp and a single lunar light integrated.

Any comments on this?

 

[culp]

Originally Posted by SaltFan
http:///forum/post/2950502
2 Mogul Sockets on _-___ $15 shipped.
2 Metal Halide Bulbs 14k $40 shipped (150w-175w)
2 M75 Ballasts $50 shipped.
Not $600

where did you get the ballast from?

 

[pcgeek]

I was reading and found in one thread that someone said that you don't actually need lights for LR? Is this true? Will Live Rock be ok with just the regular lightning? Or at least with a 6500K for the 29g?