Help me decide on Lighting

[deadeye]

Hello, my name is Patrick and I am new to keeping saltwater fish tanks. I started with a 24 gallon nano-cube and have seahorses in it and have been successful so far. I just set up a 30 gallon salt tank and I have been looking at lighting fixtures for it. Right now i have 2x65 watt power compacts on it, with just live rock in it. However, I want to do metal halides so I can do an anenome and really bright corals, I also wanted to put a couple perculas in it and clams.
Anyway I need a fixture that has docking mounts cause I cannot drill into my ceiling. I also want to avoid needing to buy a chiller, but will if necesary. So far all I have considered was Current USA's sunpod with 2x150 watt 14000K powerpaq metal halides, then it has 9 white and 9 blue lunar lights. I also looked at the Current USA's outer orbit with 1x150 10,000K watt metal halide, and 2x96 watt PC's and 4 lunar lights. Both I found on ***********, anywhere else cheaper?
Basically, I am open to suggestions, I am looking to spend around $500 or less. I want the most bang for my buck that will get the best colors out of the corals and clams. I need some good input, I plan on ordering something definitly on the 15th.
Thanks,
-Patrick
PS - There is no way I am buying Odyssea and having my apartment catch fire.

 

[sign guy]

hello fellow Patrick,
have you thought about the hang on pendent from coralife or there aqualight pro

 

[deadeye]

I want to do more than just a pendant. Coral life I hear is good, but it seems like I'd get more for my buck with Current USA.

 

[deadeye]

I'd like to do a 80 gallon also, but I live on a second story apartment. What do you guys think? Would it fall through the floor?

 

[sign guy]

Originally Posted by Deadeye
I'd like to do a 80 gallon also, but I live on a second story apartment. What do you guys think? Would it fall through the floor?
I am on the 4th with about 65g in the corner of the app
just check with the biulding owner

 

[deadeye]

Thanks, I think I got my answer from http://www.african-cichlid.com/Structure.htm
and I think I'll stick with the 30 gallon for now until I can get a house or bottom floor apartment.

 

[sign guy]

sorry to hear

 

[deadeye]

Originally Posted by sign guy
sorry to hear

No worries, I think I found my next toy
edit: outer orbit fixture 2 HQI's, 4 T5's, 16 lunar lights.

 

[sign guy]

nice
but try not to post links to sites that sale things the mods will delite your link soon
I am not crazy about orbit but that looks like a nice setup

 

[deadeye]

Ah, thanks, I removed the link and posted what it was.
Have you run into issues with them? I want something that will last me a very long time and do well. This would get me more then 15 watts a gallon.

 

[sign guy]

no its just a silly prefrence thing
I have actually been looking for a t5 mh combo. The coralife pro has cought my eye though

 

[sign guy]

15 whatts a gallon. hmmm you might want to buy a fan so you dont over heat with the mh. but im not shure

 

[deadeye]

Well the fixture has a fan in it. If the tank gets to hot I will buy a chiller. I am hoping that I can have the metal halides on for a certain amount of time then leave the T5s on longer, to balance out the temp. maybe? I will take off my glass tops of course so the there is nothing over the tank but the lights.

 

[sign guy]

umm chillers are realllllly exsensive. Do you have a canopy?

 

[deadeye]

No, I was going to take the glass tops off. Then Use the docking legs so the light is going directly into the water. I saw a chiller for $199.99 that looked good... I am thinking that I might be able to get away with not needing one though. Like if I can put the HQI's on for a certain amount of time, then the T5's on the rest of the time. I don't know though, I'm new to the hobby. There will just be a lot of evaporation I will have to top off I am thinking.

What do you think of the tek 6 bulb lighting fixture?
The tek 6 bulb T5s would be about 7.8 watts per gallon. The outer orbit would be about 15 watts per gallon.

 

[sign guy]

ask franker he is a tek fan I think
make shure you top off with fw

 

[deadeye]

Originally Posted by sign guy
ask franker he is a tek fan I think
make shure you top off with fw
Hope he replys to this thread, if the tek 6 bulb T5s would allow me to do any giant clam/coral/anenome I want then they sound better, less heat, more efficient, etc. I just want to know if they will allow me to do anything I want and give me good colors etc.
I also need help on picking out the bulb combination if I decide to go with tek.

 

[deadeye]

Well, the chiller was actually 299.99 so I want to avoid needing to buy a chiller.
Anyone got any comments on what I am looking at:
Either Current USA outer orbit 2x150 HQI, 4 T5's. 16 lunar lights
or
Tek T5 fixture, 6 T5 bulbs.
I am leaning toward the current USA one again, since it's got the metal halides and T5 bulbs, plus lunar lights that the other fixture doesn't have.
Anyone ever have 2 150 watt metal halides sitting over a 30 gallon tank? Did you have temp problems?
Come on little help please :notsure:
I got all these corals I'm waiting to buy from saltwaterfish.com I just need to pick out lights.