Flourescent on a 55

[marine fanatic]

Hello,
I have been helping a friend of mine set up her new 55g long tank and everything is just about finished now except for lighting. Her tank did not come with any lights at all and she is determined to go with flourescents since her husband gets bulbs at a really cheap price cuz he is a distributor for an electrical supply chain.
Question is...what are some suggestions for this setup? I am an idiot when it comes to proper lighting and I trust the judgements here.
Tank size...
55 gallon long 48" long 12.5" deep 18" high
Plans for livestock includes a good amount of LR and LS....cleaner crew, 4-5 fish and maybe some of the easier types of corals that are not as reliant on lighting as others.
Some thoughts on a flourescent setups for this tank???
Thanx guys

 

[sebae0]

if your going with normal output lights you better put alot! i would only try shrooms and maybe a cabbage coral but thats it in my opinion.
if you really want corals you should get a better lighting system and it will save you money down the road on dead corals.

 

[john bowell]

---- has some good deals on Metal halide lights. You might have to rig them because some of them aren't really equipped for a tank but rather a flood light, but I have one on my tank and am VERY happy with it!

 

[marine fanatic]

I think I am going to have her order a set from Hellolights for now...
4 x 65w 2 - Coralife 10,000k and 2 - Actinic 03 lamps
Total kit with hood and shield is $223
Reason for going this route is, she MAY end up not wanting the tank and therefore spending more would be a waste. As with many "new hobbyists", alot lose interest and give up. IF she sticks with it and moves up to wanting corals of any kind...I will retrofit her tank with a MH set. For now the plan is just the lr/ls, inverts and some fish (maybe 5 or so). I don't see a downfall with these compacts with the above stock list. I have an extra set of MH I can give her if she upgrades....but for now I think the kit is good for what she wants.
http://www.hellolights.com/484xcoraqpch.html
Unless I am missing something????

 

[powdertoastman]

just wondering, but, if she MAY not want the tank, then why even get anything at all if your not sure if you want to keep it? just seems like a waste of money IMO

 

[marine fanatic]

Good question..
Because if she decides she does not want to have a tank...I will buy it from her and make it a FO tank....and it will already have the lights for it.

 

[hurricanedrift]

I purchased that very same PC setup just recently and I am very happy with it. It is a well made unit.

 

[marine fanatic]

hurricane,
Let me ask you a question regarding it please......how quiet are the cooling fans? Compare them to let's say....a computer cooling fan.