what kind of light fixture to buy?

djmx2002

Member
Hello everybody,
i want to start having some soft and hard corals, i understood that i need some good lighting for it.
i also read that i need at least 4watts per gallon of my tank.
currently i got in my 29g tank 2 blue damselfish, and 2 percula clownfish, and about 30 pounds of lr and about 20 pounds of ls.
i have been considering buying this light fixture:
Orbit Compact Fluorescent Lunar Lights
* Professional grade 24-hour compact fluorescent light system
* Compact fluorescent lighting fixture with integrated Lunar Lights
* Includes SunPaq Dual Daylight (6,700°K/10,000°K) and Dual Actinic (420 nm and 460 nm) bulbs
* Three independent power cords for convenient timer operation
Professional-grade compact fluorescent lighting system recreates a 24-hour day and night light cycle. Advanced compact fluorescent light system satisfies both high light output and nocturnal lighting requirements. Built-in Moon White Lunar Lights are spaced every 12" to cast a crisp moon glow that simulate nocturnal light conditions for optimum nighttime viewing. 2 separate power switches for primary lighting and 3 independent power cords enables the Orbit light fixture to be automated. Simply plug the power cords into timers for custom light periods to suit the requirements of your aquarium inhabitants. High power electronic ballast preserves and extends lamp life to ensure consistent high performance and low energy consumption. Powerful internal fan provides quiet and efficient ventilation to cool the ballast and lamps for peak performance. Square pin compact fluorescent bulb configuration.
Features: Black powder-coated extruded aluminum housing, SunPaq bulbs (Dual Actinic and Dual Daylight), 3/4-watt Lunar Lights, parabolic reflector, mounting legs, acrylic lens, 2 separate power switches, and 3 independent power cords for lighting units.
30" 130 (2 - 65 watts) 2 Lunar Lights

thanks you guys, please tell me if it is a good lighting fixture for what i need.
 

toughguy80

Member
Harder corals such as brains might have trouble with just PC. Softer corals should be alright. Not sure how serious you want to get into the hobby but IMO go for the best lighting you can off the bat. I started with PC, then VHO and finally MH. Each time thinking that it would be "good enough" but always jumping to the next level. I wasted a lot of money and wished I would have just gotten the MH right off the bat.
 

mikeyjer

Active Member
Instead of wasting money like the above post. I went ahead and bought a new light kit a couple of weeks ago. We had those regular aquarium lighting and when we bought some rocks with a little frag of coral on it, we decided to purchase the MH instead of PC. It took a while to decide on which one was best for the price and style, plus the wattage. This is the final product of what we have now, 48" Canopy light, 2-175w MH with dual Icecap Ballast, 2-110w VHO with built in ballast and dual fans, 2-moon lights, reflector, and Acrylic Shield. It works great, but had a lot of problems at first with heat issue that cause some casulty. It's on timers for dusk/dawn effect. We acclimate the tank with the new lights, but the rest of the time we were at work. Temperature here in TN have been going up and down up and down. Could not regulate the temperature in the house because of it so the tank over heated and made some fish very sick, but now we're saving the last one and it's looking a lot better now. We leave the fan running during the day while we're at work so it won't over heat anymore. Good luck in choosing a light! :happyfish
 

bluelove

Member
Originally Posted by Mikeyjer
Instead of wasting money like the above post. I went ahead and bought a new light kit a couple of weeks ago. We had those regular aquarium lighting and when we bought some rocks with a little frag of coral on it, we decided to purchase the MH instead of PC. It took a while to decide on which one was best for the price and style, plus the wattage. This is the final product of what we have now, 48" Canopy light, 2-175w MH with dual Icecap Ballast, 2-110w VHO with built in ballast and dual fans, 2-moon lights, reflector, and Acrylic Shield. It works great, but had a lot of problems at first with heat issue that cause some casulty. It's on timers for dusk/dawn effect. We acclimate the tank with the new lights, but the rest of the time we were at work. Temperature here in TN have been going up and down up and down. Could not regulate the temperature in the house because of it so the tank over heated and made some fish very sick, but now we're saving the last one and it's looking a lot better now. We leave the fan running during the day while we're at work so it won't over heat anymore. Good luck in choosing a light! :happyfish
what so you think about halogen loghting for corals???
 

maxalmon

Active Member
halogen lighting simply will not work for corals, not the right type of lighting, plus it's very expensive to operate.
 

mikeyjer

Active Member
Originally Posted by maxalmon
halogen lighting simply will not work for corals, not the right type of lighting, plus it's very expensive to operate.
Your right on, but it doesn't mean running MH's would be much cheaper....
:happyfish
 

saltfan

Active Member
Originally Posted by djmx2002
Hello everybody,
i want to start having some soft and hard corals, i understood that i need some good lighting for it.
i also read that i need at least 4watts per gallon of my tank.
currently i got in my 29g tank 2 blue damselfish, and 2 percula clownfish, and about 30 pounds of lr and about 20 pounds of ls.
i have been considering buying this light fixture:
thanks you guys, please tell me if it is a good lighting fixture for what i need.

Forget buying the whole package deal. Look up retro-kits, and buy a VHO 30" for 1/4 the cost of that unit your looking at buying. Just a thought.
 

mikeyjer

Active Member
Originally Posted by SaltFan
Forget buying the whole package deal. Look up retro-kits, and buy a VHO 30" for 1/4 the cost of that unit your looking at buying. Just a thought.
Retrofit would be an option if you have a hood available!!!
If not, package deal would be a better thought!! :happyfish
 
Top