UGH! I have money to buy lighting with and don't know what to buy!

[killafins]

I would like to get excellent lighting for my twenty gallon since I hope to add lr in there soon. I don't expect to have nething in there besides lr and anenomes, corals don't interest me too much at this stage. Neways, I am looking at Bigalsonline.com and i'm confused. What kind of lighting do i need. my tank light now is probably 18" accross but my tank is about 24" long. what i see for sale is smartlit fixtures (smart light strips)... 24" for 82.99... ut then there are all glass compact strip lights: 24" compact 55w strip light for 67.99 dollars. i can't find the wattage for the other ones. But the first one listed has four strips and OMG i m soo confused. Can anyone tell me what I need and where I can get them cheap. I need specifics cuz i m lost here

 

[radcast2]

i have been looking at the www.hellolights.com web site goto the retro fit kits they seem to be the best deal. These maybe to much light for what you want but worth a look.

 

[timo]

Originally posted by killafins
corals don't interest me too much at this stage.
What stage is this???
And I also suggest hellolights... A 2X55 PC from them looks good atop my 30g.

 

[killafins]

never mind, its just how i put myself. First stage was fish only, second would be fish only with little live rock, third would be a mix of everything and then fourth stage would be an aggressive fish only and then fifth would be an all out reef aquarium and sixth would be a ten foot high, twenty feet long, ten feet wide, reef aquarium where i can swim in. I have doubts about accomplishing the last goal but you never know
Yous ee, i look at it and all i see is jibberish. What does this stuff mean? How many watts am i looking for to have live rock. once again i have a 20 gallon probably about 24" long. please help...

 

[ntvflgirl]

This is what I have on my 55. But I have the 260 watt. I like it. It's all one piece...just plug it in...provides actinic, and would give you a little over 3 watts per gallon on a 20 if you buy the 65 watt. Rule of thumb is 3-5 watts per gallon, but if you don't care about corals right now, then this would be good for a beginner. HTH ...here's the link. Look for the 24", 65 watt. Good price on these by the way. My LFS was selling the 260 watt for 300..I got it for 209.
http://www.foryourfish.com/cgi-bin/w...32103387013.4a

 

[killafins]

hmmm, thanks rory. that helps alot. let's see, i see something here that says: CL 24 IN AQUALIGHT POWERCOMPACT 1X65W for $56.99 and another one that says: CL 24 IN AQUALIGHT POWER COMPACT 2X36W(Coralife) $89.99. Which would you guys use? what does the 2X mean? is that like two lights?
Also, what I have now is the standard box set tank hood. Where can I get one that will fit these lights? How expensive are those? And finally, 65 or 72 watts for the 20 gallon would suffice? thanks in advance

 

[timo]

X2 does mean two bulbs. One thing to keep in mind is mounting the coralife system. There is no holes or the like. Once you get it you must work creatively to secure it in a canopy, unless you get the optional "legs". If you get it, you'll see what I mean...

 

[killafins]

what do u mean canopy thingy. i think i have to get one of those glass things, i dunno. i m soo confused. as for money, i plan on using the tax returns (good money holder) and mcdonalds money give away on those d*mn french fry thingies.
so which one should i buy?

 

[crazy4reefs]

not to confuse you but in your first post i believe you said you want to keep lr and anenomes... i just want to let you know that anenomes need intence light like corals do, so you may want to go with the highest watt you can get or afford..hth

 

[ty_05_f]

I have the 24 in. 65 watt coralife pendant with 50/50 bulb and i love it. Just plug in and flip the switch. But i only keep lower light corals. So you would probably want to go higher than the 65.

 

[killafins]

OH MAN!!! would 65 or 72 suffice???

 

[crazy4reefs]

at hellolights.com they have 2x65 watt coralife pc for 131.00 that would give you 6.5 watts per gallon.. you could get 1x65 watt pc
for 64.95 which would give you 3.25 watts per gallon.. personally i would go with the 2x65 pc.. it should work well for you with an anenome.. plus soft corals when you are at that stage...jmo

 

[spuds]

I was just reading the responses here and I am a little worried. I just bought the Coralife 36" 192w PC fixture and I placed it directly on my tank. Should I not be doing this?

 

[crazy4reefs]

as long as theres something between your water and your light bulbs (to keep the water out ) you should be good, as far as i know.. jmo

 

[spuds]

Thanks I appreciate your help Mr Crazy4 reefs...

 

[crazy4reefs]

your welcome but its ms. crazy4reefs...

 

[killafins]

what are aqualite mounting legs? They can be added for like six bucks but how do i know if i need them? I mean i will need a completely new lid neways???

 

[killafins]

oh... i think the 2X65 W is what I need. It says it has: 24" 2x65W Coralife Aqualight PC hood, 1x Actinic and 1x 10,000K, -Straight Pin... does that mean I do not need to get one of those glass hood thingies? Also, my tank is 24" long so it should fit perfectly and finally... does neone know what the return policy on hellolights.com is (just in case something is wrong?, i know it has a one year warranty but like if it doesn't fit or something?)

 

[crazy4reefs]

ok, if you get the legs it will hold the light hood over the tank making it easier for you to get into the tank. its up to you if you want a glass top or not but personally if you didnt get the legs to hold the light up i would be nervous about the light falling into the tank if there was no glass top on it..
also the return policy at hello is simple just call them up tell them why you dont want it then just ship it back and they will reinburst your credit card. i had to return a bulb once because i changed my mind and wanted a diffrent one.. i had no problems..hth

 

[killafins]

hmmm, alright. But if i get the canopy than there is nothing keeping things out of the tank? like bugs, dust, etc... plus my cats. Maybe I will get ht ecanopy (only 6 bucks) and try to find a better lid for it. This way this is just a substitue. thanks for ya'lls help.