even lighting for 180gal FOWLR??

[cruzer]

Hello all,

My 180gal FOWLR needs some better lighting than what I have. This is NOT a reef tank. I want to just have some even light to enjoy the fish. I was thinking of a couple options. Cost is a factor.

2 or 3 6' VHO's ran with a Icecap 660. Most expensive.

4 staggered 48" VHO with Icecap 660 or LN Ballast.

4 6' NO ran on some kind of ballast???

I am not looking for a lot of light. I want to find a middle ground between nice lighting to see the fish and not creating a big algae problem. Would 4 6' NO's do the trick?

My lighting now is horrible on this tank. It has Two 48" NO's and two small square fixtures that I think are 40watts each (two 20watt bulbs in each fixture)

So any ideas????

Thanks Rob,

[FMarini]

Hi:
So let me ask. Do you currently have nuiscience algaes growing on your substrate and rockwork?
I ask this becuz if you just have fish, and only fish, then lighting is for your benefit. If you add all that whopping lighting, expect to be fight algae.
Me personally i would another couple NO tubes, and only turn them on when your home enjoyin the fish. Maybe swap a couple of white NO tubes for a 50/50 or actinic.

My 180 Fo w/ LR has 2 48"-shoplights(home depot$7/ea) and 4 GE F40DX($3/ea) bulbs (6500K). i turn the lights on only when i'm home to enjoy them. I see this fish just fine, they see me, and its cool. I have kept this tank this way for many yrs and have NOT ever had algae problems, and yes w/ my fish i do have excess nitrates and most likely elevated phosphate.
I'm not sure shy of MH lighting your gonna be happy, as its provides wonderful color rendition
my opinion
frank

[cruzer]

Thank you Frank,

I do not have an algae problem in the tank, probably do to the low light levels. My tank configuration is a little different than most.
I have three tanks sharing the same sump and equipment. I have two 55gal that are lighted with 400watt halides and are going reef. The 180gal is a FOWLR tank. The 180 with lower light levels is allowing me to have a lot of light on the other tanks without a big heat problem. Kind of using the 180 to get rid of the heat for me. So, I think the idea of using NO lights on the 180 will be great. It will not add a lot of heat and should not fuel an algae problem. I just want enough light to enjoy the beautiful fish in the 180.
Frank, are the shop lights that you are using made out of metal? I have seen some nice NO light fixtures that I could suspend over the tank, but they are made out of metal. I guess I could try it and keep an eye out for rust.

Thanks again, Rob,

[cruzer]

Here is what I did.

I went and got 4 48" 40watt 6500K Philips NO bulbs at HD. I put them in two shop lights that I have to see if I would be happy with the NO bulbs. Looks a lot better than I had, and think it will be fine. I might add one or two of the single strip lights that I have also to see if I like it better. So for $12.00 in bulbs I am very happy. Thanks.

Rob,

[Triggerman1964]

Originally posted by cruzer
Hello all,

My 180gal FOWLR needs some better lighting than what I have. This is NOT a reef tank. I want to just have some even light to enjoy the fish. I was thinking of a couple options. Cost is a factor.

2 or 3 6' VHO's ran with a Icecap 660. Most expensive.

4 staggered 48" VHO with Icecap 660 or LN Ballast.

4 6' NO ran on some kind of ballast???

I am not looking for a lot of light. I want to find a middle ground between nice lighting to see the fish and not creating a big algae problem. Would 4 6' NO's do the trick?

My lighting now is horrible on this tank. It has Two 48" NO's and two small square fixtures that I think are 40watts each (two 20watt bulbs in each fixture)

So any ideas???

Thanks Rob,

That's one thing that I love about my predator tanks,I just use NO's.
The cost in my tanks is in seafood.
:lol:http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a226/mikedonajkowski/WeighItDowh001.jpg

[Jeremy Blaze]

AN Ice CAp 660 will only run 2 6 ft bulbs.


I have a 180 set up right now, with a juvi shark, and a couple damsels. It is lit by a 660 powering 2 6 ft VHO bulbs, one is an Actinic and the other is a 50/50, both URI's. It is very well lit, and would be fine for a FOWLR.