i have a 220g fish only tank (72*24*30). i just added 90lbs of live rock from gulfview and im scared that i dont have enough lighting to maintain the algae and life on it. i have the standard hood that came with it, with 4 new 50/50 reefsun 30w bulbs. i dont plan on adding any corals but i would like to get the most out of my rock. thanks
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maintaining live rock?
- Thread starter bhb1034
- Start date
Your not going to get anything out of your live rock with that lighting. Slowly your corraline algae is going to die of along with all the life attached to it. then it will slowly become covered with green and brown algae. If you want to keep the live rock healthy you need proper lighting. It will still keep its biological filtering capabilites it just wont look pretty.
Listen to reefann dollar for dollar power compacts are the way to go, look into a company called jbj lighting they have a good product and the prices are great. I just bought a 48 " 265 watt pc fixture with seperate switches for my blue bulbs and white ones and it was only $ 265.00
depends how often you want to replace the bulbs...You go with VHO it will be something like every 6 months you need new bulbs. PC bulbs can and will last over a year!
If i have learned one thing, once you go Metal Halide you wont go back to the boring unreal look of florescent bulbs.
If i have learned one thing, once you go Metal Halide you wont go back to the boring unreal look of florescent bulbs.
I agree with Steve...
Go with VHO. As long as you keep all your high-light corals in the top half of your tank, you should be ok.
Guys, I have to disagree with your comments about NO lighting not keeping Coralline alive. I have a friend who had a 55 gal, FOWLR. He just broke it down because he is moving, and his rocks had 10 times more coralline on them than mine. He had 3 - 40watt bulbs over it, and I have 660 watts of VHO over mine.
I have noticed that all my coralline, that isn't shaded in my tank, has died in the last year. I know it has to be my lighting levels. I keep all my other specs as close to perfect as they can get.
Go with VHO. As long as you keep all your high-light corals in the top half of your tank, you should be ok.
Guys, I have to disagree with your comments about NO lighting not keeping Coralline alive. I have a friend who had a 55 gal, FOWLR. He just broke it down because he is moving, and his rocks had 10 times more coralline on them than mine. He had 3 - 40watt bulbs over it, and I have 660 watts of VHO over mine.
I have noticed that all my coralline, that isn't shaded in my tank, has died in the last year. I know it has to be my lighting levels. I keep all my other specs as close to perfect as they can get.
Posted by ReefNewbie:
-I replace my VHO bulbs once every 12 months :? .
Posted by Lt:
-Sorry, I don't know the answer to this. If you are going strickly by watts however, each 36" VHO bulb is 95 watts :wink: .
Steve
depends how often you want to replace the bulbs...You go with VHO it will be something like every 6 months you need new bulbs. PC bulbs can and will last over a year!
-I replace my VHO bulbs once every 12 months :? .
Posted by Lt:
is a 36 inch ballast with 2 compant fouresent 45watts bulbs decent for 149.99?
-Sorry, I don't know the answer to this. If you are going strickly by watts however, each 36" VHO bulb is 95 watts :wink: .
Steve
Again, i have to go with steve.
I will be replacing mine at one year. It has been 7 months now, and I am not seeing any difference. In fact, I believe my corals are reacting better to the light now, than the first three months I had them in there.
BHB1034
I was looking around lastnight at some of the websites (Hello lighting, championlights, Dr's Foster Smith) If I had been wise, I could have purchased MH for the same price I bought my VHO.
I have over $550 invested in my VHO's, and that was just to "get by" on my 75gal.
If i had looked around, I could have had a 2 bulb MH fixture with double ended bulbs at 250 watts a piece for about the same +/- $50.
Trust me... I learned. Buy more than what is "just enough" . It will save you $$ and time in the future. This hobby is addictive and you will eventually want something that requires more light.
I will be replacing mine at one year. It has been 7 months now, and I am not seeing any difference. In fact, I believe my corals are reacting better to the light now, than the first three months I had them in there.
BHB1034
I was looking around lastnight at some of the websites (Hello lighting, championlights, Dr's Foster Smith) If I had been wise, I could have purchased MH for the same price I bought my VHO.
I have over $550 invested in my VHO's, and that was just to "get by" on my 75gal.
If i had looked around, I could have had a 2 bulb MH fixture with double ended bulbs at 250 watts a piece for about the same +/- $50.
Trust me... I learned. Buy more than what is "just enough" . It will save you $$ and time in the future. This hobby is addictive and you will eventually want something that requires more light.
now im really confused. can i or cant i get by with 120 watts of 50/50 bulbs. i know upgrading is better. but is the expense worth it when im only maintaining live rock? if so what should i buy? im not really an expert on electronics and school is starting back so i would really like to order something that is just open up the box and plug in. i know i have a big tank so please help
if you want to keep your rock in the condition that a full blown reeftank would have, then you need to buy the lighting required to keep one.
you don't need to buy lights to keep the coralline or inner life forms alive. if the rock is coral encrusted (with zooxanthellae) then that coral will die without appropriate light.
it used to be common practice to keep the cured rock in the dark for the first few months after putting it in the tank. it weill live fine this way just be prepared for some adjustments when the real light is turned on in the future.
you don't need to buy lights to keep the coralline or inner life forms alive. if the rock is coral encrusted (with zooxanthellae) then that coral will die without appropriate light.
it used to be common practice to keep the cured rock in the dark for the first few months after putting it in the tank. it weill live fine this way just be prepared for some adjustments when the real light is turned on in the future.
ok so im fine for a while with the lights i have? how long should i leave them on or should i even turn them on, or open windows for a little light? right now im shopping for a system. alot of the mh systems are matched with some form of flur. could i buy a mh only system and then just use the hood i have now for the flur. blue portion? the hood is going to have to be 72in so im trying to conserve here.
you can get as set of 175 watt MH ballst for under 200.00 and bulbs for around 65.00 a piece. I personally would not go anyuother way . I have tried the PC's and it was a fiarly expense solution . Check wioth marine depot and look aty the PFO lighting. Also there are some off named MHJ pendants on Ebay right now going pretty cheap just depends on what you want to spend
John Wray
John Wray
i just reread your original post, this is gonna come down to your preference. you say you don't plan on coral so i see no need for MH. MH gives a cool effect in a tank, reef or not, but the operating and initial cost will be up to you if it is worth it.
for your rock to function, you only need your NO bulbs if any bulbs at all.
for a tank that size, MH may be worth the additional electric bill, but it is far from neccessity. NO bulbs will be lacking in luster and won't provide enough light for your fish to look thier best,... IMO.
i will further back up the idea of VHO, if you wanna do reef later you can use this VHO for supplemental actinic.
but, if you are simply wanting to keep the rock alive for a while, you need nothing but what you have.
for your rock to function, you only need your NO bulbs if any bulbs at all.
for a tank that size, MH may be worth the additional electric bill, but it is far from neccessity. NO bulbs will be lacking in luster and won't provide enough light for your fish to look thier best,... IMO.
i will further back up the idea of VHO, if you wanna do reef later you can use this VHO for supplemental actinic.
but, if you are simply wanting to keep the rock alive for a while, you need nothing but what you have.
im learning more about lighting every minute. so what about pc lighting? vho seems costly to maintain. i need a canopy to cover 72in. whats the best place to look/buy? i really want something that makes my aquarium look great. and keeps my life rock plentiful.
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