How to find hood for my 36 gallon Bow front?

[jayjay5531]

I just started a FOWLR in my 36 gallon bow front that I had previously been using for freshwater. The hood came with the tank (being a somewhat unusual shape) and it's identical to this: http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/36GallonDeluxeFluorescentBowfrontHood.aspx
It's nice because there's a plastic panel below the lighting fixture thing to prevent water from evaporating or splashing up (also preventing heating I guess).
But there's only room for one light bulb! It's a 24cm ZooMed "Tropic Sun" F17T8/5500K Daylight...well it doesn't say the wattage but from what I could tell from similar lights, I think it's only 24 watts!
Anyways, I'm not at all planning on getting corals any time soon, but fish and inverts in marine systems still need more light, right? But how could I achieve this with my current hood, or how could I modify it to make this work, OR where can I get another hood that fits more lighting but would still fit my tank ?
Thanks so much!

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jayjay5531 http:///t/395468/how-to-find-hood-for-my-36-gallon-bow-front#post_3520938
I just started a FOWLR in my 36 gallon bow front that I had previously been using for freshwater. The hood came with the tank (being a somewhat unusual shape) and it's identical to this: http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/36GallonDeluxeFluorescentBowfrontHood.aspx
It's nice because there's a plastic panel below the lighting fixture thing to prevent water from evaporating or splashing up (also preventing heating I guess).
But there's only room for one light bulb! It's a 24cm ZooMed "Tropic Sun" F17T8/5500K Daylight...well it doesn't say the wattage but from what I could tell from similar lights, I think it's only 24 watts!
Anyways, I'm not at all planning on getting corals any time soon, but fish and inverts in marine systems still need more light, right? But how could I achieve this with my current hood, or how could I modify it to make this work, OR where can I get another hood that fits more lighting but would still fit my tank ?
Thanks so much!
Hi,
SW tanks need to have the top open so it can get more oxygen, so you should not cover your SW tank with a lid or glass top. There isn't as much oxygen in SW as there is fresh. A canopy looks like a top, but it's wide open.
SW fish do not "NEED" more light, but if the lights are brighter the awesome pretty colors look better. Look into a T5HO, they don't cost much, and they make the fish look awesome. A word of advice...it's costly to upgrade, get the lights you want in the first place...or get the linkable T5HO, that way you can build up the lighting much cheaper as you go. you can Web search the linkable lights and find them, we are not allowed to post other store links.

 

[jayjay5531]

Thanks for your response! I looked at the light your recommended, but for a 24-inch-long light fixture it has two fluorescent bulbs that only have 24 watts each...Is that enough? I'm hoping to get maybe a few anemones and soft corals one day..
I was looking at other kinds of lights and I noticed that power compacts pack more watts per bulb (with respect to size), and metal halides are even more watts. (LEDs looked too expensive...)
So are fluorescent tubes really the way to go? Sorry I know I'm being confusing: I have a FOWLR right now but I hope one day to get some lower-light corals/anemones

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jayjay5531 http:///t/395468/how-to-find-hood-for-my-36-gallon-bow-front#post_3520964
Thanks for your response! I looked at the light your recommended, but for a 24-inch-long light fixture it has two fluorescent bulbs that only have 24 watts each...Is that enough? I'm hoping to get maybe a few anemones and soft corals one day..
I was looking at other kinds of lights and I noticed that power compacts pack more watts per bulb (with respect to size), and metal halides are even more watts. (LEDs looked too expensive...)
So are fluorescent tubes really the way to go? Sorry I know I'm being confusing: I have a FOWLR right now but I hope one day to get some lower-light corals/anemones
The reason I told you to check out the links was because you wanted to upgrade your lights to get corals down the road. It's cheaper to get what you want right from the start. Corals do well under the linkable lights IF YOU GET ALL THREE and link them up and build on the lighting as you can afford to. One light, fish only, two lights soft and LPS coral...all three lights and yes, you can keep an anemone (so they claim)
LEDs are expensive, but last longer then any other light on the market. Metal Halides run hot, and a single bulb costs around $70.00... which has to be replaced once a year. I have a metal halide unit sitting in my garage 2X175w MH with 2X96w actinic...if you want to make the trip to my house you can have it. I now use the T5HO linkable lighting on both of my tanks. I had the MH unit on my 90g reef. I have since changed the tank to a potbelly seahorse tank, I only use one of the link lights...the others are just left turned off.
Anemones are just beautiful fish killers, what they don't eat they sting to death. People keep them...After I got rid of mine, I swore to never get another. They have no brain, and go with the flow of water...so you have to cover all your power heads, which causes the power head to clog up and become inefficient. They go where they want in the tank, and it isn't always in the ideal spot. They sting and kill whatever they get close to, and that means your prized corals as well if it should decide that spot is where it wants to be. IMO ... anemones belong in the ocean, and not in our tiny tanks. There are anemones that are nocturnal, and don't need the power packed lighting. So if you decide you still want one, you can get one. They are indeed beautiful.
The thing about SW tanks is that the phrase..."more fish in the ocean" is very true, there are so many critters to select from, that will go with what you set up...The list seems endless. There are even corals that don't require any special lighting at all. Actually they are the most beautiful in color, but they have other needs that make them hard to care for...It's all a matter of personal taste, and commitment to upkeep. LOL...and how much money you want to spend to do it.