can someone please explain some things for me about lighting

[Seifer]

i am new to saltwater, i am researching to build a 20gal maybe 29gal reef tank.

one of the most confusing things ive had to try and figure out is the proper lighting for a small reef tank. at first i just thought you needed 4 or 5 watts per gallon, and it didnt really matter what kind of light it was.

but now i read around and theres power compacts (what i was planning to use), VHO (not really sure what these are all about) and Metal Halide (something i dont think i can afford to do)

anyways, i was reading about different types of corals and how they each require different lighting. for instance i heard someone say you need a t5 light (dont have a clue what the hell that is) or a VHO light to grow that. And then i heard someone say SPS or something corals need a metal halide bulb and other stuff to grow.

I know i am a noob and i dont plan on jumping right into growing SPS coral but eventually i want to become an advanced aquariast. ive been in freshwater for years and i know how important it is to be educated if you want success in your tanks. thats why i would like some people to recommend the most cost effective way to grow corals and make sure my tank inhabitants are well cared for.

my goal is to be able to grow LPS corals in the next 6months or so. I plan to start with some easier soft corals and mushrooms at first, if that goes ok i might consider some more advanced stuff. But i want to be prepared from the start.

I was thinking about just getting 2 power compact strips and using that. that should give me 11watts per gallon if i go with a 20gal. is this too much? anyways any information would be very greatly appreciated.

[Acolin]

Lighting is one of the trickiest parts of setting up a new marine reef system. You want the widest possible spectrum, at the greatest possible amount of light, but with the least expense and NO change in tank temperature: very difficult to do. To replicate the effect of sunshine on a reef, I have seen studies that say you need as much as 400 watts over a ten-gallon coral display! The light should slowly increase from early morning to an hot during the mid portion of the photo period, then slowly decrease in intensity – just like the sun. Otherwise I think some solar exposure for the tank would be great – if the system can be kept at the same temperature with a powerful chiller.

The marine aquarists’ goal is to saturate live corals with light as intense and broad as sunlight. Reducing the light energy is antithetical to this goal. Overdriving normal output (NO) bulbs is sufficient for soft and some Large-Polyped Stony (LPS) corals, but it is NOT intense enough for Small-Polyped Stony (SPS) ones. The wet rules of thumb for live coral lighting are:

• 8-10 watts per gallon for anemones, clams and SPS corals
• 5-8 watts per gallon for light-dependent soft corals and LPS corals
• only 2-5 watts per gallon for low-light corals

For ideal coral lighting, combine the high output of metal halide bulbs with wide spectrum fluorescent (usually actinic blue) bulbs. Otherwise, 10K and even better 20K, VHO bulbs, are the norm. Anemones are high light species, requiring no less than live corals. Aquarists overdriving NO bulbs with large electronic ballasts get increased lighting from less expensive bulbs. A 10K power compact with an actinic blue bulb is a good start for a small tank.

[reefkeeper59]

Acolin did a pretty good job of explaining lighting. her is some more.

What is a T5? the 5 is the size of the bulb (diamiter).

If you go to the hardware store and buy flouresent buld for the garage light or shop light, that is probably a T12. About 1 1/4 in diamiter.

A T8 is about 1 inch in diameter.
A T5 is about 3/4 or 5/8 diameter.

Smaller # smaller bulb.

Recent technology has aloud bulb manufactures to create smaller bulbs that take less space and less power yet still yielding high lumens (basicaly the strenght of a bulb).

VHO?

VHO is basically a high power flouresent style light (gas filled tube). VHO= VERY HIGH OUTPUT

A 6 foot VHO light rated at 160Watts
4 foot are 110 watt
3 foot are 90 or 65 watts.
there are several different watts for different lenghts, especially shorter bulbs.

important! don't try to run high power bulbs on a low power ballast. Ballast won't last long.

Use two different bulbs. Actinic and blue. White light and blue light.

As far as Metal halide's. i wouldn't even consider those on a 20 or 29 gal tank. If so, stay with 150 watt on the 29 gal. MH bulbs put out a lot of heat. I have 7 each 250w 14k Mh (1750 watts) burning 12 hours a day. I could throw my furnace in the yard and never now it. The room they are in stays 15/20 degree's hotter than all other rooms in the house. If you touch the shields or pendents, your going to get burnt. I can push mine with my hand to aim the light at a coral for about 2 seconds and have to let go. HOT!

I also have 12 110 watt vho's. All these lights (VHO/MH) are on two tanks sitting next to each other and plumbed together.

1/2 HP chiller to keep water temp down.

AS Acolin said:

"A 10K power compact with an actinic blue bulb is a good start for a small tank", is your best bet.

Also get a protien skimmer as well. That's a whole nother story.

My best suggestion of all would be to get a book (or several) about keeping a mini-reef tank and read them cover to cover.

Don't forget to feed your corals. They do create some of there own food but need supplements, and any coral that has a skeloton (LPS) could use some calcium as well.

Good luck.

[Acolin]

wow! electric bill? fresh ocean water reefkeeper?

[reefkeeper59]

7 250watt bulbs
12 110 watt bulbs
1/2 hp chiller
1 iwaki 100 rlt
3 iwaki 70 rlt
rio 800
2 mag 36
2 penquin 660
calcium reactor (ehiem pump)
co2 regulator (electric)
1 105 watt on refugiums
25 watt uv
400 lbs lr
120 acro frags
150 zoo frags
27 acro mother
38 zoo mothers
15 star polyp frags
other assorted

electric bill?

$175-$200 per month (extra)

total 375-425

[reefkeeper59]

bout 100-120 racordia

[Seifer]

hmmm.. so what is better as far as flourescent lighting is concerned?

t5 looks like it does not have very many watts, so that doesnt seem like it would be a very good bet.

i was thinking about getting 2 of those jebo 110watt compacts, that would give me 220watts over a 20gallon tank, thats 11watts per gallon. I think that seems like a pretty decent setup to me. but what do i know? why do people use VHO so much? it seems like watt per watt it is almost twice as much more expensive as power compact lighting.

it seems to me like power compact lighting is the cheapest and safest (heat wise) way to go as far as lighting is concerned, but it seems like nobody really uses it. is it too good to be true?

[clkwrk]

I use to run all my tanks on PC's . Now I only run 2 nanos with them and use them to for dawn dusk effect on 2 tanks.

You will be able to keep a huge variety of softies and LPS with PC's. As for cost I think halide run close to the same when it comes to bulb replacement. Local I was paying almost 50 bucks a PC bulb so just for my 75 gallon with 4x65 PC setup it cost around 200 bucks. Now when I replace my 2 halides it costs me 65 bucks a bulb for 130 each time replaced.

So I like the idea of 130 bucks gets me 350 watts of light vs. 200 bucks for 260 watts.

I think you would be better off getting halide to start with . You will be happy you did. I would also suggest getting a 150 watt HQI (DE) pendant. That will be plenty of light and you will get the nice shimmer lines :) Besides when you upgrade to a larger tank you can get another one and be set.

I seen an add here on RC for DE pendants as low as $224 that includes the bulb. That could be cheaper than 2 PC fixtures.

[clkwrk]

Oh and by the way my Jebo 110 watt fixture crapped out already . If you go PC's go Custum Sealife(Went out of business) if you can find them or Orbit. Even though Custom sealife went out of Business their products are still great top notch equipment.
I have never had a single problem with their products or ballasts.

[jon181]

I agree with clkwrk. I have a 28 gallon bowfront and use to have 260w of PC lights and it is a serious pain because you have to replace PC bulbs every six months and they break very easily. I now run a 250w HQI (DE) 14k halide in a PFO mini pendant. Right now it's actually cool er to run the pendant than the PC because the pendant is 8" above the water and the PC's were only 3" above the water. Over time it's actually cheeper for me to run a halide over PC's because 4XPC bulbs = $100 every six months opposed to 1X Halide = $85 once a year. So my opinion is that you should use a 150W HQI bulb.

[Seifer]

what about t5 lighting? i have been trying to find out about this? i read that you can buy a different high output ballast and the bulbs will take the higher wattage.

how expensive does all this cost? i can wire ballasts and build a custom hood for my tank no problem, ive done it before. i just want to make sure i get the right stuff for my tank. halide just seems like such a pain in the ***, i really dont want to deal with all the heat, i live in a somewhat small apartment and the air conditioning bill is already high. I live in central texas so its hot here 10 months out of the year :P

[bbuckmaster]

This book will be the best $30 you will ever invest in this hobby. It was written by a guy who runs a thread here on RC and knows 1 or 2 things about maintaining corals in captivity. This book is the only one that is worth the money IMO when it comes to reefkeeping. It is the reef bible..

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890087475/qid=1103925212/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/002-6373988-6301639

hope it helps although usually when I recommend it people prefer to kind of stumble through mistakes, then after many months and many mistakes they break down and buy it and end up doing this for not having bought it sooner http://home.socal.rr.com/bucketsreeef/bang.gif