pick what i should buy!!!

rubberduck

Active Member
also look into lighting, good to plan for it now. if you get a 30 or a 55, gett some powerful power compacts for them. this will enable u to keep soft coral.
keep researching, travis
 
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sonicboom1

Guest
I think i am going to go with a emporer 400 for money reasons, but also the specifications on it look good at cycling more than I need.
What light setup would you recommend for a reef type setup, and not terribly expensive?
 

dmc888

Member
Mh is the best.
If you can go with a coralife 260w pc 10k and actnic combo.
Famous auction site under aqualight. Make sure its coralife.
If you are on a budget you can get an odysea/ jebo but the coralife has better quality, and better bulbs. The bulbs is what makes the difference. And it wouldn't be worth it to change the bulbs out right away on the odysea/jebo..
The coralife has great resale value too. So if you upgrade later you will have no problem selling it.
 
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sonicboom1

Guest
Im not going to be having any coral, or at least not anytime in the near future.
So what are good light/bulbs that are fairly cheap? My tank will come with a light and everything but should I get something different?
 

dskidmore

Active Member
The standard bulbs that come with most aquariums will be fine for fish. You will need to upgrade to reef level lighting to keep corals, anemones, or clams.
 
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sonicboom1

Guest
well basically live rock, live sand, smaller type of fish, maybe some anenomes. All i know is no coral.
 

dskidmore

Active Member
Anenomes would be the sticking point there. They require intense lighting, and very pure water. (You shouldn't get one at all until the aquarium has been set up for a year, even if you have all the best equiptment.) If you want to start out with anenome supporting light so you don't have to replace it later, you need to look into VHO (Very High Output florecent) PC (Power Compact Florecent) or MH (Metal Halide) lighting.
VHO is probably the easiest and cheapest for a do it yourselfer. The long bulbs give a very even lighting to the tank, which appeals to some people. If you go this route, I recomend you splurge for the Ice Cap ballast. A higher quality ballast will save you electricity and make your bulbs last longer.
PC is easier to find in complete hood kits, for people who don't want to look at wiring diagrams.
MH will give you the most intense lighting you can get in a single bulb.
I suggest you browse around for fixtures in the 300 Watt range of all three types and decide what your budget will support.
 
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