Lighting

nipper

Member
I have a 45G tank w/20 lbs of live rock and 4 damsels. I have just begun cycling. I was wondering about lighting for the live rock. Right now I have one 20 watt bulb that was given to me as a "bonus" by the tank vendor. I can't find anywhere what kind it is, so I assume it is basic flourescent. Suggestions and advice are appreciated! :)
Tina
 

fat_ed

Member
It all depends on what your intentions are for the tank, and your budget. There are essentially 4 options with regard to lighting -- 1) NO (normal output) flourescents (which is what you have); 2) VHO (very high output) flourescents; 3) PC (power compact); and 4) metal halide.
NO bulbs are suitable for FOWLR setups, but not for reef setups. The latter three will work on reef or FO setups, will improve the look of the tank cosmetically, and will better promote growth on your live rock. The drawback is that an upgrade to any of these setups will run you $250-400. If you do want to upgrade, check out the Equipment/DIY page and get a read on what people have to say about the various setups. If you have the opportunity to see each of these systems at work at a LFS, that will no doubt help you form your opinion.
If you want to stick with NO flourescent, you should buy a hood that will support at least 2, and ideally 4 bulbs for your size tank. I have jury-rigged a couple of Perfecto reflector strips together to permit 4 20 Watt bulbs of various spectrums. I have two 10,000K, an Actinic, and a 50/50 (all Coralife). Each strip runs on a separate timer with the blue-spectrum bulbs coming on an hour earlier and shutting off an hour later to better simulate dusk/dawn conditions. I have no idea how accurately this works, but it makes me feel clever.
I would check the make of the "throw-in" bulb and toss it if it is generic. Opt instead for brand names.
If I had to do it over again I would have bought the Icecap VHO set-up from the start. I might do that anyway once I can convince my wife that it's worth $300 to overhaul the lighting. Hope this helps.
 
with 20 watts of light on a 45 gallon tank i dont think there would be enough light to turn diatoms into green algae, i had 20 watts on my 20 gallon and i dident have any green algae
im not saying that you have to get top of the line halids or even anything very expensive but i would go with something a little more, i went with a 55 watt smart light that is a retrofit kit so i can keep the same fixture and it works more than well
i like the color and it provieds good color lighting
if anything i would spend a few bucks and upgrade the lighting a little(you dont need to spend tons of money because its gonna be a fish only with live rock) but live rock does require more lighting than .4 watts per gallon
 

nipper

Member
Thanks for the info. I have purchased one more light strip, and have added a Coralife actinic blue. My other light is a full-spectrum triton? by interpet...I know nothing about this. I don't really like the color that this puts off...too much blue, but I will have to play with the set up some...any other suggestions are appreciated.
Tina
 
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