Lighting

[barber1575]

I have a 75g FOWLR and I have 2-110 watt actinic and 2-110 10,000k VHO over tank. I am wondering what the actinic lights do for my tank? What the 10,000k lights do for the tank? I also have a 20g sump/refugium. I want to know what kind of light is recomended for the sump. I have 150 watts of Actinic/10,000k lighting over it. I am planing to get new bulbs because they are about two years old. What should I replace then with??/

[CarmieJo]

The bulbs are certainly due for replacement. Here is a free podcast that talks about lighting in general http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/podcast-episodes/2482-lighting-part-1-intro-podcast-episode-75-a.html and one about VHO's http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/podcast-episodes/2550-lighting-part-2-fluorescent-podcast-episode-76-a.html. If you don't have an MP3 player you can download iTunes for free and listen from your computer. I just use a 6700K twisty CF bulb from Home Depot/Lowes for my fuge. Here is a podcast on fuges, including lighting too. http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/podcast-episodes/1161-refugiums-podcast-episode-54-a.html

[xian]

Why would one need to replace the bulbs on a FOWLR?

The actinics supplement the blue wavelengths of light to photosynthetic organisms and make colors more vibrant. Those lights are intended to grow corals. You actually don't need to run that type of light on a FOWLR, althoug it must look nice

What are you growing in your refugium? I grow chaetomorpha in a 55gal refugium and I run two 55w pc lights over it. They haven't been replaced in years and there seems to be no ill effect.