lighting needs

[aquaman]

Hello,
I ma in the process of getting lights for my tank (info below) but have had a hard time understanding what I need. I have been reading about lights and know I need about 7 to 10 watts per gallon for hard corals and clams.
I want to get it right the first time, and not have to back track or add lights down the road. I will not say money is no object, but I am willing to send what I need to get it right.
One last thing this will be going into a canopy, so that also needs to be considered.
Thanks for the help, also, any other thing you think may help me to get it right, please say so.

 

[elan]

one thing to consider when estimating watts per gallon is that a watt is not necessarily another watt.. for example.. 500 watts of metal halide is much brighter and more powerful than 500 watts of PC or VHO.. so be careful on selecting lights based on watts.
Personally, I have no clue as to lighting, and i assume that goes for most of the people on this board. Even the best of the best seem to be able only to contribute their experience with their lights, but as of yet, i have not seen any conclusive data performed that calculates the different watts/gal in a scientific way.... or maybe someone has and i havent seen it!
Has someone ever tried putting together two tanks (same size), that share the same water, kept at same temperature, and have the same amount of rock/sand/etc?? then put on a MH fixture on one, and a VHO/PC on the other? or a 400wMH on one and two 175s on the other? That would be the true test!!
Until then, its a guessing game, just like how much calcium, iodine, etc. people put in their tank to make their tank healthier, or the RO with DI water they put in from a specific manufacturer.... There are so many variables to a tank, that nobody can be certain that their clams are just the most beautiful because they have over $1500 invested in lighting! maybe its the oversized skimmer? or their 6 inch DSB that does the trick... or forget watts, maybe their mixture of lighting such as a few VHO, a few MH, and a few PC all under one hood (which is what i am planning on doing to my tank!) the more the merrier, variety is key, and what one lacks, hopefully the other picks up.
So.. in conclusion… i would say do what makes you feel like you are helping the tank… if you end up getting 3 1000W MH bulbs for the 20gallon and realize things in the tank aren’t doing so good… feel free to pass along a couple of those bulbs and ballasts to me
Good luck!

 

[aquaman]

DvSKIN
Thanks for the help, it has helped me to think a few things out.
The heater I got is a titanium heater, and with the controller it was about $60 on line. I a, very happy with it, and it is spot on accurate

 

[aquaman]

Well, I am still in the process of picking lights, I am not sure yet as to what I will be able to get, but I always study the subject and learn as much as I can before I do.
I know this does not answer your question, but I will know what I want when I have made my lighting choices.

 

[aquaman]

I know I want to keep a clam or two, but I am not even sure what kind of lighting they need. As for corals, I have just begun looking into different kinds, but know I want some that will be a challenge, but not to the point I cannot care for them. I am not looking to kill anything. It will still be a month or two before I get any lights, (unless i find a good deal on what i need) so that is why I am looking now.
If there is anyone else that would like to weigh in I am listening.

 

[aquaman]

This is what i am looking into, is this overkill for what i have stated or do you think it will work?
72" CSL MH ACTINIC RETRO WITH 3X400W 5500K 2X40W FLUORESCENT
My other choice would be...
72" CSL MH ACTINIC RETRO WITH 3X250W 5500K 2X40W FLUORESCENT
What do you think?

 

[rhomer]

There a couple of issues with the suggested lighting, first you really aren't going to get much out of NO flo lighting, you might as well upgrade to VHO, or PC. VHO's are more expensive for the ballast, and the bulbs don't last as long, but the bulbs are cheaper than PC.
As for your MH choice in lamps, you really want to stay away from bulbs with that low of a kelvin rating (these bulbs will burn very yellow/green and will give your corals a very brown look). The best bulb for SPS for either 250 or 400 (this is obviously up for debate) is the Iwasaki 6500k bulb. This bulb is inexpensive and has an extremely good history of success for that type of coral.
If you go that route you will need a good suppliment of blue light (actinic lighting). This is where the VHO/PC bulbs come in.
A couple of other thougts, you will want to review different types of ballasts for your Metal halide lighting option.
First off you can get a Magnetic MH ballast fairly inexpensively (comparitavly speaking), but this ballast will not fire all MH bulbs of its suggested wattage. If you decide on Iwasaki bulbs, and you think this is the bulb you will stay with, a good suggestion would be a PFO ballast (this is a magnetic ballast, it also supports most american made MH bulbs). If you want to burn 10000k German bulbs you will need either an electronic ballast (much more expensive) or a pulse start magnetic ballast.
You can also review the advantages of HQI ballasts these burn the bulbs brighter, but the bulbs tend to not last as long. This is a very complicated subject, and there are many options to consider.
Rob

 

[hondo]

If price is an issue then go the DIY route and do things in steps.
Start with the VHO portion and either go with a Ice Cap 660 and install it yourself or you could go with a couple of work horse 7 ballasts. These are great little ballast and they are cheap and easy to work with. This stuff is easy to wire and install, trust me I am the worlds worst DIY person and even I had no problem wiring up two work horse 7's to work with 4 4' 110w VHO bulbs. This will provide excellent light for a FO or a softy/mushroom tank
For the MH go do some research on advance ballasts as you can buy them online or at a local graybar or any electrical warehouse. Buy two rated for 250w and mogul sockets, reflectors and your set. Once again these things are very easy to wire as I proved by installing them and not buring down my house. For specific ballast info you can do a search on this website as there have been numerous discussions about this (ignore the Mercury vapor ballast for under $100 as while it works it limits you to just one bulb type).
By going the DIY route you can probably do the whole thing for under $200 (not including bulbs) and it will all fit into your canopy no problem.