i just dont know what lighting i should get....i keep getting different info

[seahorseguy]

i am so confused about lighting......if i plan on getting mushrroms,bubble corals, leathers,brian mushrooms, polyp, Ricordea, XENIA , and after alot of experience i would like to eventually get clams as well.....what lighting system should i get for a 75 gallon tank.......thanks

 

[bdhough]

If you want to keep some clams get a dual 175 or dual 250 halides one for each side of your tank. You also need 2 vho tubes to supplement actinics.
Now heres the thing. Everything you WANT to keep except the clams need half the light of the halides. Sooooo you could just get 3 or 4 four foot vho bulbs for your tank. Essentially for the vho bulbs youll need a ballast to run them. You can build your own canopy or light holder for that....
Your other option is to buy a bunch of pc bulbs. Four 96 watters would be nice 2 on each side of your tank. Its really up to you whichever you want. Both have their own respective prices and setups.

 

[crustytheclown]

I'm personally running 130w of PC's (10k & Actinic), and have another 64w of NO Actinics (2 x 32w CoralSun T8's) to intensify the blues and stimulate coral growth. I'm also running a 65w 50/50 PC for my fuge.
My total system is 389 watts, broken down as follows:
194w Actinics (130 PC & 64 NO T8's)
130w 10k PC
65w 50/50 PC

 

[seahorseguy]

so if i get the haildes lights will it kill my corals.....it is actualy to much light for the corals..........i was looking at 2 175 haildes for my tank.........thank you

 

[bdhough]

No it won't kill them persay. But when you intitially get your corals you can't just place them full under the halides. You will have to start them in shady spots on the bottom of the tank and work them up over a couple weeks to where you want them.

 

[dreeves]

Each coral type requires a different intensity of lighting. You need to try and balance out the different types of lighting with the different types of corals you aim to keep.
As with my scenario...I don't want any SPS corals..so I am not looking into any metal halide lights. If that changes then I will look into some.

 

[michaeltx]

if you get halides you have to be careful on coral placement some of the lower light corals will need a shady spot under a ledge or at the bottom of the tank. If you take it slow getting the corals usta the light then all should be fine. most everything will thrive even more under halides than the other type lights.
Mike

 

[cindyski]

you will definatly get different opinions! check my thread on lighting. i think i am going to stick with the VHO. i have changed my order 3 times already and i am sick of it. i personally saw a tank with VHO's (the one in my posts with a pic) and it has been thriving for a very long time. even with clams. i will have 6 160w (1/2 actinic) on a 125gal
(these people on this board are hating me right now )

 

[michaeltx]

not at all cindy there are many many different opinions and results of all the different lights. until you understand the pros and cons of each and why its hard to make a decsion. there are many different ways to do things in this hobby so you have to have an open mind when dealing with it. the only that is diffenate to me is
bright color clams and SPS corals will not keep those bright colors under anything less than halide that doesnt mean that they wont live but they wont thrive and thats what we as hobbiest want. and then some things just shouldnt come out of the ocean
mike

 

[cindyski]

thanks mike,
all us newbies have questions & decisions to make, in the end its our decision. whether we will reget it or not is the question
hopefully not.....

 

[spsfreak100]

If you're planning on keeping tridacna clams, you should buy metal halides. Flourcent lighting does not give you the best results when keeping tridacna clams, esspecially T. maxima and T. crocea (which tend to be the most colorful and most light loving). Halides will be cheaper in the long run, as the bulbs (most bulbs) only need to be replaced every 12-13 months. Watt for watt, they release the same amount of heat as flourecent lighting. They also use the same amount of energy as flourcent lighting, watt for watt. Same goes for evaporation. There are many ways to go with halides.
As far as your other corals come, they should do perfectly fine under halides. Actually, the corals listed will usually do best under halide lighting. If you purchase any coral from a place that has kept them under low amounts of lighting, it would be smart to slowely aclamate them to the "mega watt" lit tanks, by either decreasing the photo period, placing the corals at the bottom of the tank (may work on some tanks, if the tank is deep enough), or using a type of screen mesh to block the lighting.
It would help if you could tell us how deep your tank is, how much you're looking to spend and what color preference you prefer (IE:, A bluish tank, a crisp white tank with a hint of blue, yellowish tank, etc.)
Take Care,
Graham