stupid question?

socalracer

socalracer

Member
as of now my lighting on my tank is just a wal mart strip lighting fixture w/ everyday bulbs from their..... seems to be working fine for my fish and hermits, but when i was at my lfs i saw that they made bulbs such as "marine-glo" and "power-glo" that would fit in my fixture....so i was wondering will the fixture power these bulbs ok, and with a set up like this would i be able to keep begginer corals? also what bulbs are good the worker at the store recommended 1 of each of the bulbs i mentioned above
 
cgrant

cgrant

Active Member
depends what voltage and watt you light fixture is?
If your lights are the free ones that normally come with the tank they are probably like 120volt/35watt, something like that.
If you throw like a 100 watt bulb on it, it will probably pop the fuse (if it has one) or if it doesnt have a fuse can be a fire hazard.
Kinda like when you buy a light fixture at home depot and it has the big sticker on it telling you not to install any bulbs bigger than 60 watts.
Your lights should have a sticker on them telling you what voltage/watt/amp they are.
Installing a 40 watt bulb in a fixture that is rated at 35 watt wont cause you any issues, Just dont install like a 100 watt bulb in a fixture thats rated for 35 watts and you should be fine.
Finally dont listen to the lfs, most of the time they dont have a clue!
 
socalracer

socalracer

Member
ya i know i'm new at this hobby but i've seen to many mistakes at lfs to even list......any ways if the fixture is powerful enough what bulbs to use it is a two strip fixture so should i use a combination of 2 different bulbs or should i use 2 of the same
 
threed240

threed240

Member
Most of the time, walmart fixtures are T8 bulbs. Most place sell these and they are usually all the same wattage depending on length. 18" are 15-18watts I know. Not sure on other lengths. Coralife, and Zoomed make decent replacements for standard fixtures.
 
socalracer

socalracer

Member
with these replacements would i be able to keep beginner corals or will i still need to uprade more? :help:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top