lighting

[wolfe36]

hello everyone
I have a 55 with 65 lbs of live rock.
everything that I have read on-line says I need VHO or metal halide bulbs to do anenomies and corals
the folks at my local fish store said I could use a 40 watt actinic and a 40 watt 10,000k super daylight bulb. So I got them as well as a 40 watt 50/50. so I am running a little more than the fish store said to.
they said I could do anenomies and sponges, mushrooms etc. I just couldn't have any skeleton building corals
does this sound correct to everyone
thanks
wolfe36

 

[maroonclownfan]

It is still a little weak for corals, shrooms, polyps, and maybe some soft corals could survive under that lighting but they wouldn't flourish. Anenome's usually need intense lighting, depending on the type, to do well, even then the water quality has to be great also.
If those lights were VHO then you would have a very decent setup. Maybe you could add some PC's, MH's, or VHO's to the existing bulbs???
Fish only tanks don't need as much lighting, your setup would be fine for that.
I have some star polyps under 20watts of lighting and believe it or not they are growing, slowly. I have better lighting I just can't seem to find time to finish the hood.
HTH........MCF

 

[jjboods]

No. You need high output lighting...VHO's, PC, MH's. NO(normal output) fluorescents won't keep anything other than fish and some inverts. Does the LFS sell any high output lighting? If not...sounds like they just wanted you to buy from them...I'd return it.

 

[wolfe36]

they did sell some vho but they said I could run that set up and It would save me some money

 

[wolfe36]

if I were to replace the 10,000 k bulb with a vho would that be enough

 

[maroonclownfan]

You may know this or you may not.....
You can't just replace the bulb....you will need a new ballast and end caps to retro fit a vho system. Therefore, you might as well replace all the lights with VHO off the same ballast.
I don't reccommend keeping corals under your current lighting, for the best results.
MCF

 

[jonthefb]

id have to agree with all that has been said above. typically on a 55 most people on here run 440 watts of vho light, thats 4 110W bulbs on a 55, and with this you could keep just about anythign, minus some clams and a few acros. i would really try to shoot for this. get an icecap ballast, adn 4 100w bulbs with the kit and all and you shoudl be ready to rock!
good luck
jon