What kind of lighting?
- Thread starter yannifish
- Start date
coral keeper
Active Member
You can not put MH bulbs in a flouresent light fixture you can only put MH bulbs in a MH fixtures.
andy51632
Member
Halides are expensive. Are you sure you have to have anemones? They are very difficult to keep even with good lighting. You could grow alot of soft corals with power compact, or t5 lighting. Would not be as expensive.
No metal halides will not fit into your flouresent fixture. You must buy a seperate fixture. They also have to be set a ways above you tank so they do not burn your corals.
What filtration do you plan for this tank? Give us some other details on your tank? lr? ls? dsb? Should be able to give you some ideas.
No metal halides will not fit into your flouresent fixture. You must buy a seperate fixture. They also have to be set a ways above you tank so they do not burn your corals.
What filtration do you plan for this tank? Give us some other details on your tank? lr? ls? dsb? Should be able to give you some ideas.
andy51632
Member
Good amount of lr. You should have pretty good filtration with that.
You might want to research diy sump/fuge if you are going into reef. This does not have to be done right away.
I would stay away from corals and anemones until your tank has cycled and been established for a few months. I know it sounds like a long time but it gives you time to research and get good at testing and water changes.
Your cycle is critical in your long term success. Keep your ammonia low no matter how many times you have to make water changes. If your ammonia gets too high it will kill off your benefical critters on your live rock. This is very bad for a reef tank. I would spend some time researching how to cycle your tank with live rock before worring about lighting.
How much light do you currently have? You will just need enough to keep your coralline on your rocks during your cycle. Hope this helps.
You might want to research diy sump/fuge if you are going into reef. This does not have to be done right away.
I would stay away from corals and anemones until your tank has cycled and been established for a few months. I know it sounds like a long time but it gives you time to research and get good at testing and water changes.
Your cycle is critical in your long term success. Keep your ammonia low no matter how many times you have to make water changes. If your ammonia gets too high it will kill off your benefical critters on your live rock. This is very bad for a reef tank. I would spend some time researching how to cycle your tank with live rock before worring about lighting.
How much light do you currently have? You will just need enough to keep your coralline on your rocks during your cycle. Hope this helps.
reefreak29
Active Member
i would recomend t5 lighting for a 55
coral keeper
Active Member
The only thing that can go in a flouresent light fixture is a flouresent bulbs thats it.
reefreak29
Active Member
Originally Posted by yannifish
What are T5 lights? And do they fit into a flouresent light fixture? Where can I get them? I don't have the tank yet, and why don't flouresent lights work? They are full spectrum, aren't they?
flouresent lights are not strong enough for corals to survive you need to remember corals are used to natural sunlight and we need to simulate that . lighting can be very costly for reef tanks. i had spent close to a thousand dollars for my lights
What are T5 lights? And do they fit into a flouresent light fixture? Where can I get them? I don't have the tank yet, and why don't flouresent lights work? They are full spectrum, aren't they?
flouresent lights are not strong enough for corals to survive you need to remember corals are used to natural sunlight and we need to simulate that . lighting can be very costly for reef tanks. i had spent close to a thousand dollars for my lights
wangotango
Active Member
Originally Posted by Coral Keeper
The only thing that can go in a flouresent light fixture is a flouresent bulbs thats it.
T5 and VHO (T12) are types of fluorescent bulbs, but since T5 are only 5/8" diameter, they usually need their own endcaps.
like reefreak said; corals need the most intense light that you can give them, and if you want the best, go the T5 or metal halide route. if you arent too concerned about keeping clams or sps, then you can get away with using compact fluorescents or VHO. im guessing that right now all you have is the stock fixture that came with the tank, and if you are looking to upgrade to any of the mentioned lighting systems this is no longer needed. which ever lighting system you decide to go with, they are not cheap, but it is one of the most important parts of a reef setup.
please remember that anemonies are not only hard to care for, but take a long time to grow in the wild and are very bad shippers. if you have clownfish, they will be fine without one, and will most likely host something else in the tank.
-Justin
The only thing that can go in a flouresent light fixture is a flouresent bulbs thats it.
T5 and VHO (T12) are types of fluorescent bulbs, but since T5 are only 5/8" diameter, they usually need their own endcaps.
like reefreak said; corals need the most intense light that you can give them, and if you want the best, go the T5 or metal halide route. if you arent too concerned about keeping clams or sps, then you can get away with using compact fluorescents or VHO. im guessing that right now all you have is the stock fixture that came with the tank, and if you are looking to upgrade to any of the mentioned lighting systems this is no longer needed. which ever lighting system you decide to go with, they are not cheap, but it is one of the most important parts of a reef setup.
please remember that anemonies are not only hard to care for, but take a long time to grow in the wild and are very bad shippers. if you have clownfish, they will be fine without one, and will most likely host something else in the tank.
-Justin
