help me see the light!!!

[horhey]

HI GUYS,
I WANT TO BEEF UP MY LIGHTING, IT IS WAY OVER DUE. I HAVE A 55long 48*12.5*20. RIGHT NOW I HAVE A SINGLE 48" 50/50 BULB AND 2 18" 50/50 BULBS. RIGHT NOW I HAVE MUSROOMS, LEATHERS, YELLOW AND BUTTON POLYPS, EVERYTHING IS DOING WELL. BUT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM CORALS THAT I REALLY WANT LIKE TORCH OR HAMMER, BUBBLE, MAYBE XENIA, AND A CLAM. I KNOW THE LIGHTING I HAVE NOW WILL NOT DO THE JOB. I,VE BEEN CHECKING DIFFERENT LIGHTS AND HOODS OUT, DOING SOME RESEARCH AND I'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION, POWER COMPACTS. I HAD TO WEIGH EVERY THING OUT AND THEY SEEM TO BE THE BEST FIT FOR ME. NOW HERE IS THE QUESTION. DO I WANT TO GET 4*55w LIGHTS, 4*96w LIGHTS?? IS THE XTRA $100 WORTH IT FOR THE 4*96w LIGHTS, OR WILL THE 4*55w DO THE JOB WELL ENUF?? MY TANK IS NOT THAT DEEP NOR WIDE, DO I STILL NEED TO SPEND THE XTRA $ FOR THE 96w?? THE XTRA MONEY DOSN'T BOTHER ME, BUT SPENDING MONEY NOT NEEDED TO BE SPENT, THATS MY CONCERN. SO WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS POWER COMPACTS, AND PEOPLE WHO DON'T. YO ROCK, REEFRANGER WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK??

 

[freddie]

Horhey, i have the same tank with just 2 40 watt floursent lights in it, and i want to replace with halide or power compacts. Can you give me the web site for the power compacts? do you have to construct them yourself? will they fit in a canopy? I am with you, ihate to spend 400 dollars on lights. my budget is not that big. But i would like the corals too, and i think that the live rock probably do better with more light. Wish we could use halogen lights from Menards or HOme depot.

 

[harris]

I am trying to build my hood.
But for my application it will be different.
I have designed a flourescent hood for my 30 gallon tank.
It consists of 4 36" strip lights with ballast. 2 day bulbs, 2 blue's this would give me 4 watts per gallon, and I think that that would be plenty for most corals.
Not including bulbs, i have priced it to be $60- 70. Not too bad.
It is also designed to never fall in my tank, my perfecto hood jobby, fell in when I bumped it with both hands in the tank. It stayed lit the whole time. go figure-someone likes me.
if you have skill and some know how try to create it, unless you guys think differently

 

[horhey]

Originally posted by Freddie:
Horhey, i have the same tank with just 2 40 watt floursent lights in it, and i want to replace with halide or power compacts. Can you give me the web site for the power compacts? do you have to construct them yourself? will they fit in a canopy? I am with you, ihate to spend 400 dollars on lights. my budget is not that big. But i would like the corals too, and i think that the live rock probably do better with more light. Wish we could use halogen lights from Menards or HOme depot.
YO FREDDIE, NICE TO HERE FROM YOU. ALTHOUGH I'M AFRAID I DON'T HAVE GOOD NEWS, UNLESS YOUR VERY GOOD WITH YOUR HANDS, AND I AM NOT. PC'S AND MH ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. THE POWER COMPACTS I'M GETTING IS $520 BIG ONES. BUT ITS WELL WORTH IT TO ME. WHY WOULD YOU GO OUT AND BUY $40, $50, $60, $70 CORALS WITH OUT HAVING STRONG ENUF LIGHTING TO HOUSE THEM. THATS LIKE THROWING YOUR MONEY AWAY. ANY WAY THE LGHT FIXTURE I'M GETTING WILL FIT PERFECT OVER MY TANK SO I'LL ALSO USE IT AS MY HOOD. YOU COULD BUY A RETRO KIT AND MAKE YOUR OWN HOOD WHICH WOULD SAVE YOU MONEY, LIKE $100 OR MORE. IF YOUR LOOKING TO GET HARD CORALS SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE I WOULD WAIT AND GET VHO'S AND MH OR POWER COMPACTS(96w). THATS WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD. MAKE SURE YOU RESEARCH IT ALL THE WAY AROUND IT. HERE'S A SITE THAT SELLS CUSTOM SEA LIFE AND HAMILTON. REEFFANATIC.COM, CUSTOMSEALIFE.COM, HAMILTONTECHNOLOGY.COM, FOR METAL HALIDES TRY THEHIDDENREEF.COM(CHECK OUT THEIR DISPLAY TANK)LIGHTED BY VHO'S AND MH). I KNOW I RAMBBLED BUT I HOPE I HELPED A LITTLE. TELL ME HOW EVERY THING GOES.
P.S. REEFFANATIC HAS A BOARD TOO, SOMEONE IS SELLING A LIGHT FIXTURE(4*55w) POW.COMPACT BRAND NEW STILL IN THE BOX. $100 LESS THAN THAN THE STORES ARE SELLING THEM FOR. CHECK IT OUT.
HORHEY