I have an idea for people who can't splurge on Expensive lighting but ...

keonia

keonia

Member
Okay, I got an idea at the lfs, they have a 30 gallon tank that is more wider and shorter then the typical 30 gallon tank. they use fluroscent lighting.
Their mushrooms and other corals are kept in it when they first come in before it is sold. The depth of the tank is shorter and they are just using standard lighting.
Would it be worth a try to set up a 30 gallon wide and shallow tank with 50 / 50 to see if I can house anemone's and shrooms?
the light doesn't have to travel far, but
will the power and shorter distance be enough for an anemone and shroom to survive???
I'm just really wanting to get some but can't spend $$$ now -- still in college!!!
 
djcanis

djcanis

Member
I hear the broke college student part, I don't know how it works n saltwater for but light output is based on lumonisity, the measure of how much energy the light puts off. SO I don't think the distance matters, it doesn't for gardening
 
monalisa

monalisa

Active Member
I just got my first zoos this weekend, branching and pink (yesterday), by the time I had them acclimated, it was time for lights out. I held my breath this morning, but with my PCs, all was well and they all looked happy...hope this continues. Just going with what I know (and HOPE) will be the best for my critters.
Oh yeah, my tank is a 37gal deep...
Lisa :happyfish
 
S

sinner's girl

Guest
Sinner had an anemone in 20long, that did great untill my mother-in-law killed it. I'm not saying it will work...just saying that it did for him. This was before he found this site, the lfs said the clown needed it...so he got the clown and an anemone...did great, but I don't remember how long he had before she killed it.
 
keonia

keonia

Member
Thanks for the responses.
I just thought about this after seeing the shrooms perk up to fluroscent lights!! then based on what I've read on these threads, you need stronger lights to reach the bottom of the tank. I am going to try this because I already have a 30 gallon wide and if I use 50/50 actinic lighting.. I may be able to invest in an anemone for my percula's (leaving the Maroon back in the big tank!!) he's a meanie.
Anyone else had any experience with a wide tank that's not quite deep and how the non metal halides and power compact lighting ordeal can be used w/o spending $$$$$$
 
salty cheese

salty cheese

Active Member
You have to remember lfs dont plan on keeping the corals in their tanks for many months or even years.
Mushrooms would be fine with that lighting.
 
keonia

keonia

Member
Hey salty, neat aviator!!
I thought about that, it's just that they had a gigantic pinkish type shroom that perked up after being aclimated and 2 days post.
Just thought this would work and want to see if the short wide tank would be an alternative so i can keep these!! I'm glad to hear it worked for you -- yippie, I guess it's worth a try!!!
I can't decide on the lighting and will possibly get a bigger tank soon! so more so don't want to buy a light and have to upgrade it when I get a bigger tank!!! :jumping: :jumping:
 
birdy

birdy

Active Member
There are plenty of corals that will do okay in a shallow tank under NO lights (just be sure you use proper saltwater bulbs, 10k daylight and 03 actinic). But I would not recommmend anemones, clams, LPS, or sps. ricordea.
mushrooms would do fine, some polyps, some leathers, maybe zoanthids.
 
keonia

keonia

Member
Congrats Mona .. How much money have you invested in your PC ??????? and how much Money on zoo's etc?
 
jjlittle

jjlittle

Member
**Illegal Site Reference** MH Lighting starting at $149 full set up not sure about the Odyssea brand yet but the price are best I have ever seen for full deal.Also there pumps are lowest price I have ever seen just not sure on teh brand / quality.
 
rstiles

rstiles

Member
might br wrong but percula will only host carpet anemone,30 to small for that kind of anemone as thay can get quit large.
 
keonia

keonia

Member
jjlittle,
Thanks for the info, i'm looking into it.
rstiles -- perculas attempt to host a variety of things.. someone on this site I think Teresaq had one try to host a mushroom!!! I went to the lfs and saw one there too!!
I'm currently cycling my short wide tank and can't wait to add an anemone!!
:happyfish
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
Don't get an anemone with just regular flourescents, that's far from enough lighitng. The depth of the tank has little effect, it's a matter of how far the animal is from the light. Bare minimum of 2x65 watt PC and 3-4 times per week feedings, even if the anemone is 1" from the lights. The mushrooms will be ok but might not retain their vibrant color, but the anemone will be dead in a matter of weeks. The mushroom you saw expand so widely was probably because there wasn't enough light. It needed to expand much more to get light. Here's a bit that I wrote from another thread:
I think it may be useful to tell you what happened to my first anemone. I bought a perfectly healthy 6" rose bubble tip anemone after my tank had been setup for 5 months after the cycle. I had a 2x65 watt PC fixture over my 36 gallon, and fed the anemone 3 times weekly. After a few months it still became weak and it was only 3" fully expanded. If I hadn't bought my 150 watt double-ended MH when I did, it would've probably starved to death. That was about 8 months ago, and now it has regrow to it's full 6" and about two weeks ago it split so now I have two. I spent a total of $350 for my lights, and it consists of a 150 watt DE MH + 2x65 watt PC.
And just some extra info, about 90-95% of anemones die within the first year in an aquarium because of bad husbandry (e.g. unstable water cond. and/or insufficient lighting). I think that's very sad, since they can virtually live forever in an ideal environment, free of predators, stable conditions, sufficient lighting, etc. Since they can regenerate any part of their body and organs, I believe they cannot die of old age, but I doubt anybody has tested this theory.
 
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