LR and Lighting

[pelena]

I have a FOWLR and do not plan on getting corals or anenomes. All I have now is regular flourecent lighting. The purple colors on my LR have seemed to fade. Am I going to end up with DR (dead rock) without better lighting?
How can I keep the vibrant colors?
If I buy MH bulbs can I just put them in the fixtures (2 fixtures over a 55gal)? (will they melt the splash gaurd?)

 

[fishmamma]

Don't buy MH just for live rock. You can either try a better bulb in your currrent system or add a single PC hood w/ glass top in place of full hood you currently have. (I assume it is a full hood w/standard flour. bulb) Many sites have wattage calc's for various tank sizes and what you can accomplish with various systems. Good luck!!

 

[pelena]

55gal tanks are about 48in right? I have two fixtures, each 24in. I searched alot and it doesn't seem like lighting matters too much for coraline algea, but not much was said for how I can keep the color.

 

[dragonfli]

HEY PELENA i am noticing the same thing in my tank. i got a 48" and only one 48" bulb. would i have to change the ballists to get a higher wattage bulb? comeon you know this. or are you just a chem geek? lol maybe we need an electrician on here.
lets keep talkin and maybe one will get on sooner or later.

 

[mudplayerx]

Don't forget that all calcareous life needs calcium to live and grow. You will need a test kit for calcium, alkalinity, and ph. All of these must be kept within a certain range for the purple algae to remain healthy.

 

[pelena]

Ca shouldn't be a problem, and the rest are of good quality. Any other reasons I should be loosing color?

 

[dragonfli]

well pelena your name says it all!

 

[dragonfli]

yup im still laughing! sorry for the inside joke everyone else!

 

[puffer32]

You can not put MH or PC lighting in the standard hoods that come with aquarioms. Yes, you can retrofit a higher watt or amp?:notsure: balllast.

 

[dragonfli]

not that i know that i can i need tofigure out how and which would be the best.
puff any ideas.........you an electrician? if so please help.

 

[farmboy]

You may be able to stuff a $10.00 shop light under your hood/canopy. OR TWO. I'm not sure how much more light you need for just coraline but normal output (40 watt/ 48") flourescents of the right color spectrum should do it.

 

[farmboy]

If you existing hood has 24" bulbs, you can get different color spectrum bulbs for it also. Maybe your bulbs just need to be replaced. They lose their color after 1 year or so. . .

 

[grey_ghost]

IMO......if you going to do it , do it right. Throw the floresents out the window and spend a little more for some good lights and glass lid. Trust me you will be much happier......But, yes you can change ballest and put higher output bulbs in but i think that, that is the long way around to get what you really want. in the long run it will end up being cheaper to just go for the good stuff. Just a thought for ya.

 

[puffer32]

Sorry, i am not an electrician, wish I were. I had the same bulbs you have, and had a new ballast retro fitted into the same hood. It did work, but cost alot to do.(this was before PC lighting was used in aquariums) I don't have those lights anymore, they ran pretty hot (T bulbs I think they were) that was several yrs ago, and have since purchased PC lighting for 100.00, actually cheaper then getting my lfs salesman to retro my last set of lights. I got my PC from the classified board right here.