Some questions on lighting!!!

[herpencounter]

I have 130 watts of light right now (in a 29 gall 18in tall).
I don’t know if I have enough light to get to the bottom for an open brain and plate coral.
So do I have enough light for the plate and open brain?

About a year from now I was going to add another 75 watts.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=3813

I think 205 watts should give me the choice of most corals and clams?
Now if a year from now I add this would the old corals get shocked?

 

[herpencounter]

no one?

 

[Chubosco]

I'll tell you what. I lost (my first year) the most beautiful brain and plate coral I have ever seen to this day! I bought them from a wholeseller in Cincinnati, Ohio. You've heard the old saying...so many watts per gallon crap. Let me tell you from my experience, if you don't have those fellas under a haligen, you will lose them in less than a year. Maybe being on the bottom had a pivitol role, I don't know. But dual daylight 6700k/10000k and dual Actinic 420/460nm wasn't enough, yet my other hard corals lived (encrusting coral, trumpet, hydro something etc) I bought those two at the same time and they died within the same time. That worked out to 12 watts per gallon.

 

[Chubosco]

Frankly, you don't have enough wattage to keep grass alive. No kiddin. Do not put any hard corals into that tank because you will just be throwing your money away. Softies, you might get by...maybe.

 

[herpencounter]

...grass alive...

Lol! I have some macro algae in there does that count?

Second how am I going to tell Len he was wrong :? .JK

I know I don’t know much on corals but I have to disagree with you not because I spent blank money on it but from what I have read (and other people on this helpful forum) your wrong. :roll:
You say I need a halogen... why cant I just add another 75 watts (from the bulb I showed above) that will give me 205 on a 29.

 

[Ansphire]

Dude you are funny, you ask for advise and then tell them they are wrong! :lol: :lol: :lol: LMAO


I asked the same question for a 30g and they said to get 175MH with two actinics.

 

[herpencounter]

I know it was just an opinion but I think he is wrong every one does it.
I said I disagree he is wrong in my opinion.
He is probably right as he has had them and I haven’t.

Chubosco exactly how long did you have the plate and brain before they died?

Ansphire How many watts are your actinics?

 

[Chubosco]

I wrote the plate and brain I had less than a year.

It was my understanding from what you wrote that the added light was to come later.

Hey, just telling you my experience.

Maybe, you can do what I could not.

Wish you the best of luck my friend!

 

[iseeweed]

Have you considered a Metal Halide?? I have a 30g tall tank with a single 250w double ended 20k pendent. My clam is on the bottom and loves the light. Plenty of light for sps stuff as well. I also have the pendant almost a foot from the water line, so heat really isn't that big of a deal. Also no real need for actinic supplementation with the 20k.
In my opinion and with the looks of your tank(looks good by the way), my as well step up and get something you will be happy with from the start :roll:

 

[herpencounter]

I wrote the plate and brain I had less than a year.

Ok I must have missed it. Are you sure all your parameters where good? What did you feed them and how many times a week? Only reason I ask is because iv done so much research on these too (there my favorite LPS).

It was my understanding from what you wrote that the added light was to come later.

It was but if I need to get it now for them I will.

Hey, just telling you my experience.

I know.

Wish you the best of luck my friend!

Thanks!

 

[herpencounter]

Have you considered a Metal Halide?? I have a 30g tall tank with a single 250w double ended 20k pendent. My clam is on the bottom and loves the light. Plenty of light for sps stuff as well. I also have the pendant almost a foot from the water line, so heat really isn't that big of a deal. Also no real need for actinic supplementation with the 20k.

In my opinion and with the looks of your tank(looks good by the way), my as well step up and get something you will be happy with from the start :roll:

I don’t feel like spending $300 on a light .
What is wrong with that 75 watt 50/50 12000K?
They also have a 75 watt actinic (so I could get both).

 

[Anonymous]

Many years ago in a galaxy far, far away, I had 6 NO fluorescent lamps over my 100 gallon. That equates to 240 watts. I had an open brain (trachyphillia) and plate coral (heliofungia) on the sand. IIRC, the tank was 2' deep. They did just fine. Of course, since they had mouths, I fed them. I think you will be just fine.

 

[iseeweed]

"To the excellent list of reasons to go MH that George Booth and David
Whittaker posted, I'd just add something implicit in both: you can't
really get the intensity out of fluorescent that you can with MH. Yes, you
can get lots of lumens/watt from fluorescent, but it comes in a big linear
package, and you don't get many lumens/lamp. Thus for higher intensities
MH ends up cheaper on lamp costs (just don't buy the $100 lamps they sell
to reef keepers), and physically much more practical."

I did a lot of research and read this and sim. articles when I first started reefkeeping, but then again I'm not even sure who these people are! I have never fooled with flourescents so I am by no means an expert. It just seems to me that MH lamps would be a more intense light especially in deeper tanks. But who knows, everyone does what they does! Good luck!

 

[Chubosco]

Perhaps therein lies the key, let us uphold the two masters who have spoken. Let us dwell no longer on this ugliness. Everyone say amen. Or is it aman. Oh no here we go again. :roll:

 

[herpencounter]

Of course, since they had mouths, I fed them. I think you will be just fine.

Yeah… I’m going to feed the brain 2 times a week and the plate 3 times (they say the open brain does not need feeding and the plate should be fed at least 3 times a week ).

P.S. Chubosco it's Amen.

 

[Chubosco]

It's amen???...processing! I guess we all give a damn!

 

[herpencounter]

Ha-ha very funny.