LR without lights...

[toddpolish]

Planning on starting out with a FOWLR tank - say for about 6 months. Then I'll start in on the reef.
Would it be stupid to not rush into buying the whole reef-Lights-setup just yet? I still feel clueless about lights and I would need to build a new canopy to hold the MH setup.
But, I'm ready to add my LR now. So, is it dumb to have the LR without a reef-lighting setup in place???

 

[thomas712]

Todd - Think of it this way. If you add your liverock now and it bleaches, recedes, dies off, and you don't have the right lighting now, then it will take months to recover from it. Unless your current lighting is enough, then it would be ok.
Make sure you have enough water movement, and calcium and alkalinity supplies to keep it healthy.
Can't remember what is your current lighting?
Thomas

 

[kris]

Are you talking about no lights at all or just normal lighting until you can afford the good reef type lighting?
I think lr is just fine under normal output lights, true it won't grow much NEW color, but it won't die off or bleach out either.
Trust me there are plenty of awesome FOWLR tanks with great looking rock (mine for example) running with standard lighting.

 

[toddpolish]

I'm saying I have no lights at all. However, I haven't added the LR yet.
just trying to search for opinions out there. it's helping. keep it coming...
thx

 

[toddpolish]

I was told this advice too
" i tell you what ,,this is what you should do so you are not throughing money out the window ,,buy youself a ice cap vho 2 bulb retro kit ,,this will make it so you do not waste your money ,if you are going to go to a reef in the future you will need it any way for the atinics so you will be set ,,just go wiht 1 atinic bulb and 1 aqu sun or atinic white either one will work wiht the atinic bulb"
comments???

 

[hookedonreefs]

I don't know what you're $$ situation is, nor do I want to, but if you can afford it I have a neat setup that should work for you. I noticed you have a 90 AGA, my 75 AGA is the same size just shorter. You can purchase the modern series canopy and a 36" MH/VHO retrofit. The retrofit fits well under the canopy with about 5" to spare. I also bought two 4" fans that cool it well. The verdict on topless reefs is still up in the air, and I chose to put the versa tops on. No worry about water splash and the water stays fairly cool. I'm going to try to post my first pic.s tonight. Let me know if you want more info. on this setup.

 

[toddpolish]

I've got the modern series canopy already. from what I've learned cause the canopy isn't that tall (maybe 6"), this means I can't have MH.
So, I'm looking at the VHO IceCap RetroKits. now, my tank is 48"...should I go with the 46" or the 36" to fit???
Down the road I think I'll purchase some MH - when I get a better canopy. why have MH for a FOWLR right now, right?

 

[hookedonreefs]

I agree, there's no reason you should set up MHs for a FOWLR. One thing to check is how tough it will be to add MHs later. I have a retrofit with VHOs and MH in the modern canopy. As long as the fans are there and you put versatops on there shouldn't be a problem. Keep in mind I have VERY little experience but lots of book knowledge, so take everything with a grain of salt-water. If you have the $$ and want to go reef some day I would buy the MH VHO retrofit and just not plug in the MHs yet. You'll still spend the money some day, just something to keep in mind.

 

[hookedonreefs]

Sorry, as for the size, I'm pretty sure the 48" waterproof won't fit in a 48" canopy. There's a 1/2" leeway for for the waterproof endcaps. That's why I went with 36". There's still some "light splash" outside the tank even with the 36" so you should be good.

 

[slick]

Wow your getting all kinds of ideas here. And here is mine. If it's going to be a fowlr for a long time over 6 mts. I would just go to home depot or something like that and buy a shop light. You know the whit ones. They are cheap. Then go buy the right colored bulbs for it and you have temp lighting for cheap. There is no need to run VHO, PC, or MH lighting right now. All you will be doing if you use them is wasting energy.

 

[hookedonreefs]

One more thing to think about....
If you are going to change your lighting over time, and want to keep the modern canopy looking good, buy a 1/4" piece of plywood and "line" the canopy door with it. Use only four bolts and screws to keep it in place.(Brass screws match the canopy very well) Then you can attach any lighting to the plywood rather than the canopy. If you change the lighting too many times, you can get a new piece of plywood cheaper than a new canopy. I wish I had thought of this sooner. Oh well.
And, in case you haven't noticed, you'll have to do something with the center brace. You can carefully remove it and turn it upside down. You still have good support and more space for lighting. Just make sure you can still use the versa tops, if you have them.

 

[toddpolish]

whatever life I get on the LR will be ok with the Home Depot cheap/temp lighting???

 

[slick]

It depends on what you get. But you have to realize most of that stuff wil die anyway because your water levels will be very toxic to anything in the tank.

 

[dburr]

I agree w/ slick. When he said "get the cheap lights" he means the fixture. You will need to buy/order the lights for it.
Any die off from the rock will happen no matter what lights you get. You need to cycle the tank anyway. Thats good for you. Everything wont die off. Some, yes, all, no way. Normal output will be just fine for a FOWLR tank.
BTW, I use NO w/ my MH.
IMO, HTH
DBurr

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

The CHEAP lighting will work just fine.
As far as losing most of the life on the Rock - stop.
Put your tank together based on simplicity (I'm starting to sound like a salesman) but you are better off going with a Deep Sand Bed Euro/American filtration system versus a Live Rock filter.
Use the Live Rock for display and the animals - don't use it for filtration.
e-mail me if your interested in the technique

 

[dattong]

I've noticed that lr do fine with NO bulbs, but the coraline will grow faster if you use PC. if you buy PC now, it's helpful still when you wanna go for reef (PCs make your tank look better than NO IMO). For your 6" tall hood, I think you can use MH retrofit kit as long as you have enough fans to cool it off. That what I did on my hood.

 

[waterwolf]

Don't waste the money on power compacts. Use normal outputs for temporary lighting(10,000k, 50/50 or actinics would work just for the basics). But definately get VHO! If your tank is deep and you plan on keeping clams and hard corals then get MH. VHO has an awesome actinic.

 

[toddpolish]

thanks for all the responses. I took all your advice into consideration. Ultimately I went with the 36" IceCap retro kit VHO. I didn't feel like dealing with the temp lighting for now. I'd like to get an idea of what the VHO look like. I am probably going to get MH at some point in the future. I do plan on getting some aquacultured gulf LR, so the VHO may not be a waste right off the bat.
hookedonreefs - I took your advice and got some plywood screw into the canopy like you said. I'm planning on painting it white. Do I just need to get some polyurythane??

 

[y2says]

You can always squeez Mh between the VHO bulbs. Just put them closer together or remove one or two of them.