adam & jeanne
Member
i need to know if anyone out there has any ideas on retrofit bulbs for a 55 gallon reef tank i am starting. i need to be as economical as possible while not settling for a subpar lighting system. thanks!!
lighting
- Thread starter adam & jeanne
- Start date
mr . salty
Active Member
You should look into VHO(very high output)flourescent lighting.You get alot of light for the buck,and it will fit well over a 55.
blackdog
Member
I was going to post a similar question, so I'll ask it here. I have a new 55 gal tank/base/hood standard package. After buying it, I started doing more reading and realized how much light (and $) is required to do a true reef setup.
I'm wondering if I will be able to start a tank using the current hood (single 48" bulb in the black plastic housing). I have been trouble figuring out whether it is possible to buy a different ballast and run a single VHO light (and is there a 50/50 version of such a thing) using the same hood. I'd like to be able to at least get started, then possibly upgrade lighting later if I want to get more ambitious with invertebrates.
At which point of my planned tank evolution will I need to (a)upgrade from NO single bulb to VHO using same hood (if possible) and (b) ditch my current hood and shell out for a more serious lighting system:
1. Cycling a self-contained dsb (Jaubert method?) with live sand and live rock (amounts to be determined based on recommendations elsewhere)
2. Adding cleaner crew (e.g. package deal from Saltwater.com) and 2-3 hardy fish
3. Adding macroalgae and featherduster
4. Adding 1 or 2 hardy corals (mushrooms, bubble, button or yellow polyps)
5. Adding some more fish gradually
6. Setting up a 10-20 gal sump under tank inside stand ( I may do this much earlier in the process)
7. Scallops?
8. More ambitious corals (elegant, brain, elkhorn)
Lastly, aside from keeping my species healty, will I be disappointed with the appearance of a single NO or VHO? Are the really high-intensity lights required for a hard-core reef overwhelming in a smallish tank in a very small living room?
Thanks in advance -- this place is great.
-Dave
38 gal freshwater with cichlids, where life is nasty brutish and short
I'm wondering if I will be able to start a tank using the current hood (single 48" bulb in the black plastic housing). I have been trouble figuring out whether it is possible to buy a different ballast and run a single VHO light (and is there a 50/50 version of such a thing) using the same hood. I'd like to be able to at least get started, then possibly upgrade lighting later if I want to get more ambitious with invertebrates.
At which point of my planned tank evolution will I need to (a)upgrade from NO single bulb to VHO using same hood (if possible) and (b) ditch my current hood and shell out for a more serious lighting system:
1. Cycling a self-contained dsb (Jaubert method?) with live sand and live rock (amounts to be determined based on recommendations elsewhere)
2. Adding cleaner crew (e.g. package deal from Saltwater.com) and 2-3 hardy fish
3. Adding macroalgae and featherduster
4. Adding 1 or 2 hardy corals (mushrooms, bubble, button or yellow polyps)
5. Adding some more fish gradually
6. Setting up a 10-20 gal sump under tank inside stand ( I may do this much earlier in the process)
7. Scallops?
8. More ambitious corals (elegant, brain, elkhorn)
Lastly, aside from keeping my species healty, will I be disappointed with the appearance of a single NO or VHO? Are the really high-intensity lights required for a hard-core reef overwhelming in a smallish tank in a very small living room?
Thanks in advance -- this place is great.
-Dave
38 gal freshwater with cichlids, where life is nasty brutish and short
