Lighting

[tcarlisle]

I am going to purchase lights for my tank and knew they were a large expense however now that I am researching them I wonder where my money should go... Do the "fancy" lights with timers and weather simulators really make a difference in the fish and corals? I know the lights are important and am wondering if any of you have some lights i should steer clear of. Any tips are welcomed.

A local fish store told me to use the canopy I have for my tank to focus the light on going into the tank instead of lighting the whole room up. Is this something to worry about or can i forge the canopy?

 

[pegasus]

Personally, I think lights with all the bells and whistles, such as sunrise, sunset, clouds, lightning, etc, is for show, and I believe these lights are catered to people that have more money than sense. I'll apologize in advance if I offended you. Your livestock will do just as well with the (proper) standard lighting and photoperiod. I am a fan of ON/OFF timers, though. As far as canopies go, I have a tank with, and one without. The canopy does help reduce the amount of light spilling into the room from above the tank, but the tank without the canopy doesn't spill much light either. Canopies don't focus the light going into the tank... the reflectors on the lamp do that, so I recommend you use what you think looks best.