new to corals

[spkdtch]

hopefully within a few weeks, i plan on getting a few small corals to brighten up my DT, something easy and fairly cheap to practice with, like zoos
what is the cheaptest lighting i can get by with? i dont plan on having a full coral tank, so i dont need the 800buck set up, just enough for the under 20 polyps of zoos
i mean, is it possible to spend under 50bucks for light bulbs for this? i dont wanna get the zoos and then not be able to afford the lights
its a 55gal, live sand in the bottom, im removing the protein skimmer for feeding,and powerheads for flow
i have grow lights over the tank now for my anemone, but i got the bulbs at menards, sylvania 15w t8
is this the type i need? it says t5 and i hear that mentioned very often so i hope so
http://www.specialty-lights.com/901587.html

 

[jackri]

Honestly don't know much about the set ups you're talking about but a descent t-5 set up would serve you well and let you expand in a few more corals as well.

 

[spkdtch]

is the t-5 bulb a good start? like can i swap bulbs and the zoos will grow and live? or do i need the whole fixture and everything?

 

[jackri]

I'm not an expert on the "fixture" part at all.. but pretty sure you need a whole new fixture. You can really keep a lot with the t-5's and one of the better bangs for the buck in reef lighting.

 

[bpro32]

you need a whole new fixture, and you don't want those bulbs. They are 54 ho, but the 3000k temperature will just look yellow. If that's what you want then its fine but I prefer a blueish white. Do you have a canopy on your tank?

 

[spkdtch]

all i have is a fixture and grow bulbs from menards, this seems like more work and money than its worth for just 10bucks of zoos

 

[bpro32]

Either way you go those grow out bulbs don't seem like the best look even for a fowlr

 

[spkdtch]

im not looking for special lighting and cool colors, if i can see the fish and they are healthy and the water is clean, then im happy
i want stuff to live and be healthy, making it look pretty is next in line, first things first, getting it to survive and not slowly die

 

[sickboy]

Originally Posted by spkdtch
http:///forum/post/2980365
i have grow lights over the tank now for my anemone, but i got the bulbs at menards, sylvania 15w t8
what kind of anemone and how long has it been under those lights?

 

[spkdtch]

pink tip hia, been under them for a month or two, and i had a long tentacle before that under the same lights for 3 months, opens and closes as the light goes on and off

 

[cust11]

I am amazed that the anemone has lasted that long under that lighting. You also stated "this seems like more work and money than its worth for just 10bucks of zoos." There are no cheap ways out with this hobby. Everything takes lot of time, money, preperation, and research. If you are not ready to take that plunge, you may want to reevaluate.

 

[spkdtch]

im not working right now so corals arent for me just yet, cant afford all the extra equipment
but as far as my existing lights go, i bought them because they stated on the box for "plant and aquarium" which is why i got them, guess i need to go to my LFS and upgrade to keep the anemone alive, the anemone also is fed shrimp, so that might explain why its still alive, doesnt reply on the lights entirely

 

[cust11]

Originally Posted by spkdtch
http:///forum/post/2980519
im not working right now so corals arent for me just yet, cant afford all the extra equipment
but as far as my existing lights go, i bought them because they stated on the box for "plant and aquarium" which is why i got them, guess i need to go to my LFS and upgrade to keep the anemone alive, the anemone also is fed shrimp, so that might explain why its still alive, doesnt reply on the lights entirely
You are correct those lights may be for plants and aquariums but that leans more towards freshwater. Those lights are probably in the 3000k-5500k range. Which is basically a yellow/green tinge. Those lights will not offer the spectrum needed for marine inverts. If cash is an issue look into a couple of the cheaper 48" T5 fixtures like:
48 inch Current USA Nova Extreme 4x54W T5HO -$239.99
This would be a good base line
or
48 inch Current USA 6x54W Nova Extreme Pro T5HO 3-10k/3-460nm Actinics
$379.99
This will pump your tank full of light no doubt.
If you are more of a handyman you could buy a retrofit kit and individual reflectors and have a killer setup for a fraction of a prebuilt setup. Both of those above mentioned fixtures would be a great starting point for you. Although, later on down the road I would replace the bulbs with a higher quality set.
IIRC: A standard 55g is 21" tall so you would want to keep corals a little higher up in the tank unless you had individual reflectors or some 250w/400w MH lights. If you have any more questions or need any more answers to questions you may have... Feel free to shoot away. I along with many others would be more than happy to share our exp and tips with you!

 

[spkdtch]

i prefer DIY, but why not just swap in a t5 bulb in my existing fixture to benefit the anemone? and hold off on corals til i can afford a good set up

 

[cust11]

Originally Posted by spkdtch
http:///forum/post/2980525
i prefer DIY, but why not just swap in a t5 bulb in my existing fixture to benefit the anemone? and hold off on corals til i can afford a good set up
You would need a new ballast to drive the T5 lamps. I can't post any links but there are many sites around that sell retrofit kits that include: Ballast, end caps, and some even include reflectors. It is very possible to retrofit your existing canopy to accept a new T5 setup.
I am more of a MH guy but I am sure some of the T5 junkies would chime in to help me answer any more questions you might have about a T5 swap.
Do you by chance have a set of current water parameters of your tank handy?

 

[jackri]

Glad your asking in the forums.
Aquarium lighting and Reef lighting are two completely different worlds unfortunately.
I could be wrong but you I don't think you can buy the standard reef lighting components at lowes or home depot otherwise you would find these threads FULL of ways to save on lighting.
Another bad thing is going cheap as you can first can often times mean buying it twice in this hobby making it even more expensive. (guilty on a few things personally)

 

[cust11]

Oh I hear that! I speak from past exp as well. I thought I should cut corners and just get a PC fixture because it was cheaper. A year later Radium 20,000's on everything!