lighting again

cichlidguy22

cichlidguy22

Member
im having serious problems trying to get the lighting figured out.. ive done all kinds of readying on fish corals iniverts etc but i have only seen little tid bits onlighting.. im looking for lighting for my 125 would it be better for me to go with 2 36" set ups or 1 72" setups...i also would like to be able to do this as cheap as possible. id like to be able to keep corals and maybe an anenome. is there any way i could build my own system yet still get the right amount of lighting i would need??? if not can any one suggest a few lighting set ups???im gonna start of with fish lr and ls but id like to be able to get my lighting so that i wont have to upgrade latter and can slowly add corals and all as i find ones i like??? any help would be great thanks
PS african cichlids are so much easier...but i knew i was in for a challenge with saltwater
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
You're best bet would be to get a canopy type setup where you can get as much lighting in there as possible---or at least facilitate enough room for future upgrades. Not sure why you would be limited to only 2-36" or 1-72"? If you are talking about using stripe lights, then that will limit your options.
Are you wanting to use PC, VHO's or MH's?
I'm not a lighting expert. I'd suggest you might want to see if you can get brommer's attention. He just built his own lighting setup.
 
cichlidguy22

cichlidguy22

Member
id probably like to do vho but really what ever is the cheapest but does a good job..
the sizes i was stating was for the length of the set up posiible be going with numerous bulbs i saw a 36" set up with 4 bulbs and a 72 with 3 i was just asking if i should just et one big system or two smallerones..
who do i get a hold of broomer..
id really like to build my own light as i feel it would be cheaper
 
krishj39

krishj39

Active Member
A problem you will run into with "cheaper" is that it might end up costing more over time. For example, I was tempted to buy a VHO tar ballast and use it instead of an electric ballast. However, tar ballasts will die sooner, and your bulbs will age faster, so it would quickly cost more money.
However, you do have a good idea. I would buy 2 Icecaps 660 ballast kits (or you can try a Hellolight setup--supposed to be good too) and figure out a way to make it look good on your tank. If you have modest carpentry skills you shouldn't have a problem making a canopy that is at least functional, if not attractive :). You are still talking about a good deal of money, but I don't think you will be able to do it any cheaper. 2 Icecap 660's would let you use 8 36" VHO bulbs. At 95w each, that gives you 760w of light, or just over 6w/gallon.
Cost for the 2 Icecap kits will be around 350$, plus 8 bulbs at 25$ a piece, gives you a total of 550$. Wow, that really is still a lot of money. Maybe you can find a way to do MH cheaper than that? I don't know because I haven't used them yet. Anyone know of a cheaper way? I'd also love to hear how, because I'm planning on adding one Icecap 660 with 4 48" VHO bulbs in the near future.
In the mean time, Cichlidguy, I'd scour the newspapers and internet for a good deal on used equipment.
kris
 
cichlidguy22

cichlidguy22

Member
you say i could use 8 36" bulds and i like that suggestion you mady but i have a 6 foot long tank so id need at least 72 inches are you talking do 4 and 4 for each half?????
 
krishj39

krishj39

Active Member
Exactly. 4 36" on each side. Most 125 have a brace in the center, but if yours doesn't you can fake it by putting a thick piece of glass across the middle to give your lights something to sit on. I was just thinking too, it might be cheaper to go with the 72" VHO's. They are a little over 30$ each. You could only put 2 on each Icecap 660 though. So if you did that you would have 4 72" bulbs over your tank for a total of 120$ for all the bulbs (instead of 200$ for 8 36"). However, you would sacrifice some watts/gallon. Your total with 4 72" VHO would be 640w (down from 760w with 8 36"). So, the 72" would be cheaper, but you also have less light.
 
krishj39

krishj39

Active Member
You would need: the icecap 660 ballasts, the special wiring harness (don't know why it's called a harness), the end caps that you actually attach the bulbs to, and the bulbs, of course. They sell cheap end caps that probably do fine, but I would spend the very small amount more to get the german made 3 piece end caps. They are water proof (in theory). Do a search on the net for "icecap 660" and you'll find all that you need. Sometimes they sell just the ballast, others sell everything you need but the bulbs. I think it would just be easiest to buy everything you need together. Let me know if you have any other Q's. I have a simple canopy setup I can try to explain to you if you want. Feel free to email me kristopherjhoffman@hotmail.com.
 
krishj39

krishj39

Active Member
BTW, Icecaps are economical for another reason. They are compatible with normal output bulbs and also PC bulbs. So, if you got the Icecaps, you could just use the cheaper NO lights you probably already have and then gradually switch them to VHO over time as you need more light or have more cash. I'll be doing the same thing. I'll start out using 2 NO's and 2 VHO's on my Icecap, once I get it.
 
krishj39

krishj39

Active Member
OT: Hey, I just noticed you are from WV. I'm thinking of doing a little backpacking trip there this winter. We are planning on going to Cheat, but that was largely just an arbitrary spot. Any recommendations on good places to go? I'm looking for something really back-country, deep in the woods where there aren't any other people or signs of people around. Any ideas?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top