metal halide

[mojo215]

Just a thought, I have a 75gl with your 50/actinic. I would like to add an annenome or two.

Would it be possible to place a metal halide bulb on each side of the tank to light just the corners?

If so what size would I need? My tank is about 17 deep.

Also, is this such a good idea. I think its my way of easing into a reef of sorts.

Any input would be appreciated.

Mojo:D

[KillerReef]

I'm a little confused by the question.

Are you contemplating putting the MH over the tank or are you actually talking about having them outside the glass on the side?

??????

[mojo215]

top

[DgenR8]

MoJo,
You mention that an anemone would be your way of "easing into" a reef tank. Please don't be offended, but Anemones are not animals for the new aquarist. They have very specific needs, powerfull lighting and excellent water quality are at the top of the list.
You are much more likely to have success if you "ease into" a reef with some mushrooms and pollyps. They are readily available, inexpensive and relatively easy to keep alive.
As far as your question about M/H placement, there are pendant fixtures available, and if you have a canopy, bulbs can be mounted where you want them. What benefit would there be to limiting the light as you say you want to?

[mojo215]

I wasn't aware of the intense care of annenomes but wanted something for my pecula. I thought by putting an annenome in a corner of my tank would make him feel safer and I could get a start on a reef. I would place the light on top of the tank where my other lights are but only over the annenome because it needs such intense light.

I guess I thought wrong.

Thank you

[mojo215]

I just visited your site and your tank looks great. Can I ask the size and what type of lighting you use.

I do not have a refugium. My tank was set up by someone who I believed knew what he was doing.

He put a 20 gallon tank under my main tank. In the 20gl I have only 2 pumps. One running my tank the other running my protein skimmer which is outside the 20gl but under the main and I also have a mechanical under the main (eheim).

I started the tank last May and I have had a slight white milky look to the water from the start. I cannot get rid of it. I am not losing fish and they seem healthy. I have my share of ick and other diseases but manage to control ( not get rid of) them.

I have no knowledge of plumbing and so I have to leave it as is
until I am ready for a bigger tank.

With all this do you think my water is ok for a small reef?
All tests are normal and have been.

THanks Mojo

[DgenR8]

Hi MoJo,
Thanks for the compliment.
I recently upgraded my lighting to 440 watts of VHO on an Icecap 660 electronic ballast. I have two URI actinics and two URI 50/50's I am also running M/H. Right now, I have 2 150 watt Iwasaki 6500K lamps, but will eventually upgrade those to 2, possibly 3 250 watt Iwasaki's. I also added 60 watts of Marine Glo (actinic) NO fluorescent for daybreak/sunset effect. They are all contained in my DIY canopy over a 125 gal with sump and fuge that bring total volume to about 250 gals.
Mechanical filters have been called Nitrate factories, be sure and clean it very often (seriously, evey other day) or run it without any pads or floss.
I don't know about the milky appearance of your water, but have you tried running some good quality carbon like black diamond for a couple of days? Sometimes that stuff works wonders.
You already have a sump, adding a 'fuge isn't hard, once you find the space. If you do a search, you'll find people here with them over, under, next to or even on a whole different room or floor from their main tank.
If you're ready for Metal Halide, don't try to confine it to the corners or ends of the tank. Get two, one for each side and mount them so that the whole tank gets the benefit of the intense light. Your tank is 18" tall same as mine, minus DSB if you have one. I personally think that 2 X 250 watt M/H will give you plenty of light with good water penetration to keep just about anything you might want.

[mojo215]

Thanks an awful lot for your input. I am going to take your advice on the lights. But can I still do a reef without a refugium?


Mojo

[DgenR8]

Absolutely, you can have a reef without the refugium! Many people run successfull reefs without sumps or refugiums. I'm from the school of thinking that says it's better to have it than not, but it's certainly not a necessity.
Just start off slow, Mushrooms are probably the easiest to keep.
Clowns don't NEED an anemone, I read once that some will host in one of those "KOOSH Balls" (like a ball of rubberbands with tons of loose ends)
Take the time to clean that canister filter regularly, and keep asking questions here.
BTW, MoJo, is that name a reference to Jim Morrison?

[taz]

True: clowns dont need annenome.
My clowns, live in, guard & protect my shrooms.
Its the wierdest thing, six 3" hairy shrooms and no fish dare go near. Maybe mine are just clowning around.
LOL
taz

[mojo215]

Taz, you are funny, I assume a shroom is a mushroom?

Dave, you are great for taking the time with me. I am going down for some mushrooms but I would love to add some color to my tank.

In time I guess.

Mojo is the name of my new Maine Coon kitten. When he was born the breeder was doing an, eeny, meeny, miny, mo as the kittens where being born. No guess who mo turned out to be!

My name is Sandy and I hope I can call on you again.
By the way, do I need the lighting before the mushrooms? Or will what I have do for the time being?

Sandy Mojo

[mojo215]

Sorry Larry, I don't know where I got Dave from, I just assumed
DgebR8 had a Dave in it.



Sorry, I hope it is Larry:D

[DgenR8]

Sandy, :D
I went back over the thread, but you were not specific about what kind of light you are currently running.
Mushrooms Are among the least demanding, lightwise, but I would recommend something more than N.O.(normal output) fluorescents. Mushrooms [I]might[I] be okay under N.O., but you'll want to add more, different creatures fast and NO won't cut it. If that's what you've got, you should upgrade, even for basic corals.
Have you got a plan for what you ultimately want to keep? It'll help A LOT to know what animals you need to provide for when designing lighting and circulation for the system.

[mojo215]

Hi,
I'm doing this really slow so I don't mess things up. Right now I have 50/50 and actinic. I did not get anything yet. Should I wait?

I was only planning on the mushrooms to start for awhile.
Etropicals has some nice colorful ones but they don't seem inexpensive.

Can't I have just the mushrooms or do I need other creatures and why?

Sandy

Mojo:confused:

[piercho]

Sandy: if I recollect my copy of "Clownfishes" by Wilkerson correctly, what you want is mushrooms of genus "Rhodactus". These include some amazingly beautiful types like the "tonga blue mushroom" and "green hairy mushroom" that will flouresce strongly (glow) with the right light. Ask taz the specifics of what mushroom he has been successful with. What you probably should avoid is the "elephant ear" mushroom and "giant cup mushroom", as these can eat fish that nestle in them. This is a Rhodactus mushroom: http://lonestarcorals.com/rhodactis.html
And I think this is also one at PA: http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=L-GRHMUSH&Category_Code=Mushrooms

The guys in my reef club are constantly trying to give me mushrooms. If you can locate other reefers in you area I am sure that you can get some for free, as they multiply quickly in some peoples tanks.

"Can't I have just the mushrooms or do I need other creatures and why? " Mushrooms seem to do better in tanks with lots of fish, as apparently they can make good use of the fish's wastes as a source of energy. I think this is why they are considered a "beginners" coral - most newbies keep too high a bio-load (fish) for the more difficult coral, but mushrooms seem to love those conditions. I'm planning a small rhodactus-only (with fish) tank for our living room, so I sure HOPE they don't need any other kind of coral in the same tank.;)

"Should I wait?" Well, that's a hell of a open-ended question. Are your tank parameters (pH, alkalinity, calcium, salinity, temperature) stable and a within the recommended ranges for a reef tank? If so, IMO, go ahead and try a mushroom.

[taz]

Hi:
Yes they are the green & brown (rodactus mushrooms)
Got them 3 years ago when I had only 3 flourecent lamps.2 actinic blues & 1 super white (think the spellings right).
usually only had 1 blue & 1 white on.
They dont seem to mind more light though.
Easy shrooms, drop spread & take to fraging very well.
and fairly pleasing to look at!
Both my clowns love them.
They have nothing to do with my small anenome (thats home to my anenome crab) that also about 3 years ago.

[mojo215]

Thanks guys.

I'm off to get some mushrooms. So my current lighting is ok and I will increase in time along with more mushrooms.


Will let you know how I made out.


Sandy