Replacing PC Lights, I don't know what to do!!!!

beanpole12

Member
I have a 55g tank that I have just started keeping some corals in. So far I have a few different types of mushrooms, button polyps and some pulsing xenia. I would also like to keep some zoos. I want to replace the lights that came with my power compact setup. It holds 4 65w straight pin bulbs. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what type of bulbs to go with? I'm not sure I understand all the actinic, 10,000k, 6700k stuff and I want to get what will be best for my corals. Oh, and I would like to keep a bubble tip anemone if at all possible, not sure if 260w is enough though. Thanks ya'll.
 

fishgeek01

Active Member
Okay, lets see if I can help you with your questions. First the numbers 10k 6700 15k etc are all measures of the visible light spectrum that the bulb puts out. The brightest, most yellow color comes from a 6,700 or 10,000 k bulb. These will give you great growth but help very little with color. The actinic bulbs are more like 15k thru 20k and maybe even greater than that. If it were me (I used to run PC's before metal halides) I would choose 2 bulbs in the 6,700 or 10,000 k range, these will help with growth, follow that with 2 dual actinic or just actinic bulbs. The dual actinic will come in a 420nm and 460 nm, where as the single spectrum actinic will be either 460 or 420 but not both. I recommend a dual actinic that has both. These will help with your color.
My recommendation (summary) 2- 10,000k bulbs for daylight 2-dual actinic for the desired color.
The best part about it is that if you put your actinics on a timer and the daylights on a timer you can get a sunlight cycle in your tank, turn the actinics on for about 2 hours prior to the 10,000k, then run them both for 6-8 hours, then have the actinics on for about 1 hour after the 10,000k go out, simulates a dawn, daylight, dusk effect. Top that off with a couple lunar lights (typically 1 watt led's) and you can have a complete day and night cycle.
With these lights you should be fine with softies, zoos, shrooms, xenia, most leathers, and polyps. But PROBABLY NOT the anemone. Typically you need t-5 or metal halides to keep them.
 

fallnhorse

Member
that give you 260 watts, 4.7 watts per gallon. That's more than enough for shrooms. You don't want to bleach, Trust me
. That should be more than enough to make all those corals flourish. I have the same thing 260 watts with a 55 gallon. I have kenya, zoos, shrooms, and leather. They are doing wonderful. I use 10,000k half and half antic. Plus since using pc i had a coralline explosion which i love

I think that's a great setup for shrooms though. You can bleach them with halides easily.
 

beanpole12

Member
Does brand matter? I ask because I found the 10,000k and the actinics on ---- for a super cheap price. The brand is Odyssea though and I don't think I'm very familiar with it?
 

fallnhorse

Member
I have cheapos so i don't know. That's a good question, i would like to hear what people have to say on it. But mine are doing good but who knowns maybe they could do better.
 

travis89

Active Member
You get what you pay for, there is one brand that causes fires too which I think was odessea, not sure though. I use coralife and have not had a problem. I use half daylight 10000K and half 420nm actnic, it gives off a blueish color.
 
Top