Lighting for 10 Gallon Tank

[ChrisMan123]

I have a 15w bulb set in a 10 gallon tank now, but there is a kit that I can buy that will upgrade my lighting to 26w instead, its a 10000K/Deep Blue 03 combo... 2 bulbs, let me know what you think, i think it'd be a good idea to upgrade the light set up from regular 15w flourescent to 26w 10000K/Deep Blue combo bulbs, let me know what you think...

thanks

- Chris

[reefinnewb]

if its a fish only tank. If you want to keep any corals, a 96w quad works great

[ChrisMan123]

will that 96w be able to be fitted into the hood I have? I don't think I can get bulbs that size for this size tank...

[LTJGAlex]

Important question: what tank do you have?

Minibows and Eclipses can take about 25w without a ballast change. However, if you want corals that lighting in a 10g will not allow much but mushrooms and zoos I'd think. I have a Minibow 5g that I pulled the hood off of and carefully set a Coralife 12" 36w PC fixture; on my Eclipse 12g I pulled the awful hood and long filter off and clipped a Coralife 150w HQI MH hangon fixture on back, and replaced the filter with a little Biowheel HOB and a skimmer HOB.

[Henry22]

The 96w by coralife is a whole new fixture/hood. Im ordering one tommorow from innovativelights.com

[ChrisMan123]

Heres a link to the hood kit I was thinking about upgrading from 15w to 26w combo 10000K/Deep Blue 03...

Hood Kit

it's down at the bottom: 2 x 13watt Bright Kit

and this is the page for the bulbs...

Bulbs

13w, 7", 10000K/Deep Blue 03 Combo, $7.99

[Henry22]

With that, your limited to to Zoanithids and mushrooms in the upper 1/2 or 1/3 of the tank. I'd go 97 watt and that way you can keep all softies, all lps and some monti sps but not with great success on the SPS. Here is a good site for the 96 watt, http://www.innovativelights.com/esu-53101.html and the better known
http://www.hellolights.com/comfluorsys.html

[ChrisMan123]

thanks

[vanmo92]

coralife 96 watt is a great light for corals

[ChrisMan123]

what about the temperature of my tank? will I be able to maintain temperature with 96watts on a 10 gallon tank?

[blacksh33p]

yea, i have the 96 watts on my tank and it doesnt affect the temperature. the fixture actually has two fans built into it but i dont think they really do much.

[ChrisMan123]

oh well thats good to know... because I was afraid the 96watts on a 10 gallon tank would raise my temperature... those fans prob help alot.. as long as they work, I'll think about getting that one

[nUgZ]

I don't know why everyone in so in love with the 96 quad. There is only an off setting and an on setting. The actinic portion of the bulb burns out faster that the rest so you need to replace the lamp prematurely. The fan doesn't fan anything. The best choice is the Current Orbit 20" 2x40w. It has two moonlights that come built in to the unit. It has separate power cords for the moonlights, actinic lamp, and regular lamp so you can do a dawn/dusk cycle. It has such good reflectors that the light it puts out is as good as the 96 quad. It also has a fan that actually works. There really is no reason to get the 96 quad.

[ChrisMan123]

yeah but that fixture may be too wide to fit on a 10g tank with anything hanging on the back of it...

[rockindacheeks]

go for broke! get a halide...

BTW: that coralife unit fits perfectly over a 10 gal with room for filters skimmer etc. to fit on the back..

[nUgZ]

The Orbit fixture fits fine....don't know why there would be a problem.

[ChrisMan123]

yeah i have the coralife quad and it does fit well rockindacheeks but the Current USA 2x40watt Orbit fixture is 8.5 inches wide leaving only 1 1/2 inches in the back leaving not alot of room for the skimmer/ filter and whatever else might go on the back of his tank

[nUgZ]

The legs elevate it enough to have room for whatever you want to put back there.

[rockindacheeks]

same with the coralife... i had one on my 10 with all kinds of stuff on the back of my tank and it fit just fine... the only thing i didnt like about it i that its too white.

go with a halide and be happy... you dont hear people comlaining about them...someones gonna attack me for saying that.

you can get a halide set-up for a little more than a coralife aqualight

[Cutiewitbooty]

Do you have any links to a 20" MH fixture?

Anyways if you want to go an easier and cheeper route and still keep some shrooms and zoas you can do what i currently have right now. You can get an incandescent hood like this, you can get them at wal-mart

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113179

Then get 2 of these bulbs, which will give you 40W (4 watts gal)

http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products.../Itemdy00.aspx

Here is a pic of my tank with that set up

[Racenrich]

Go with the Metal Halide.....you'll wish you did!

my 15g with 10K and 2-15w actinics



Cheers,

Rich K.

[rockindacheeks]

cutiewitbooty: i built the canopy myself and got all my parts from hellolights...

Racenrich:finally someone agrees with me

[Cutiewitbooty]

Oh i agree MH is better, but i am DIY retarted so i wish they had 20" still, all they have for fixtures is 24" or i would get that.

[ChrisMan123]

yeah but im talking it gets in the way of the skimmer's collection cup not anything else on the back of the tank...

[ChrisMan123]

wait a minute... this is a thread for my tank... i started this in like september or october... i already have the coralife 96watt quad on my tank and everything fits alright cept the skimmer cup fits very tight in the back... but i havent posted on this thread since october 9th... i thought this was the thread for the tank im setting up for someone i know... i dont know why someone posted on this thing 3 months later... i got confused.. but its the same size tank as mine so this info is just as good but i just realized this is an old thread... weird