General Lighting questions

[Nameless]

I'm just starting my tank. It's nearing the end of it's cycle, anyway. I have two NO 4' bulbs that came with the tank (I bought it used). I have fowlr right now, but will be adding corals at some point.

Are there corals that you can grow with NO?

What do I HAVE to have MH to grow?

My LFS says that PC are the newest tech and better than MH, which I doubt based on what I've read here, but can I grow everything with MH?

Best of all, is there any web resource devoted to lighting? Almost everything I've read gives it a paragraph or two, and then moves on....

 

[Nameless]

WOW. Those are excellent articles. The first one was a bit technical for my 4 years out of physics wimpy intellect, but they were all excellent.

 

[FishDaddy]

Nameless,
Glad to oblige.
Dick

 

[Ben1]

What size tank?

Under NO lighting you can grow zooanthids and mushrooms, maybe a few others.

PC's are good for soft coral tanks, VHO's are good for some SPS but better for soft corals. MH's are the best lighting, 175's are good for a mixed tank, 400's are good for a LPS, SPS tank.

What corals are you interested in growing? First you must know this then you can decide on the right lighting setup. HTH

 

[Nameless]

I have a 75 gallon.

I'm pretty new to the hobby, so I'm not really picky on what kinds I grow.... I may just keep the NOs for a while, grow some shrooms, then switch later....

Thanks for the advice.

 

[FishDaddy]

Hi Nameless,
Lighting requirements depend on what you want to keep in your tank. You can have some mushrooms or non-photosynthetic corals but NO severely limits your keeping any of the "good stuff".
To determine your lighting needs, it is important to know the lighting requirements for particular corals before you get them. I would highly recommend getting Aquarium Corals, by Eric Borneman, before buying lights or corals. The book has very specific lighting and care infor for each coral. IMHO, this book is a "must have" for any coral reef hobbyist.
What size is your tank?
I agree with Ben as to the general types of lighting needs. As for PC's, I prefer VHO as you have a wider range of bulb choices. I have an Ice Cap 660 electronic ballast for my VHO's. This ballast is very versatile, driving VHO; PC; or even NO bulbs, with longer life and less heat than standard Tar ballasts.

Here are some very good lighting articles and sites:
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1998/june/features/2/default.asp
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?
Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PA&Category_Code=Lighting
http://www.candybass.com/lightingtypes.htm

HTH,
Dick