Beginner Corals For Low Light?

[dawhits]

I have a 55g and I am hoping to start looking at getting some corals in it, maybe xenia or something similar and hardy if my lighting can handle it? right now, I am going to be going and picking up either one or two double t-8 shoplights and then using the zoo med ocean sun 10,000k and a zoo med reef sun? i think, the actinic one, (those are just the brand that they sell at petco which is close by), Unless someone else reccomends some other type of lighting, preferably not metal halides or the likes, I don't need to have corals that bad for that price unless I was going to do a huge reef tank, which would be a whole nother issue.

So what are your reccomendations, can I go with t-8's and if so, how many would you reccomend? and what corals could I do with this, if any?
-Erik

 

[dawhits]

or, I was just looking on Drs Foster and smith and saw their VHO's, and was wondering about those? can those fit in a standard t12 light fixture? or do you need a special VHO ballast? as that seems like it would give me a lot more watts per gallon

 

[shibby]

get 4x55watt t5's with indivudual reflectors will cost about 100quid maybe slightly more and you could keep softies, and some hard corals with the right flow and everything.

 

[dawhits]

So can I use the home depot 2 light t5 hanging shoplight fixtures? or is there some specific reason for using the ones form fish stores?

 

[Tommy Gun]

So can I use the home depot 2 light t5 hanging shoplight fixtures? or is there some specific reason for using the ones form fish stores?

Hey dawhits!

The answer to your question is a very firm 'yes and no'.

It is very important to note that not all watts are created equally. For example, if you were to have 200 watts of Mh light over your tank, you would have much better results with some corals than I would if I had 500 watts of incandescent lighting over my tank. Much of this has to do with the spectrum of light that you are using...in general, for a reef tank, you would want to have 10,000k bulbs or higher, where as in a planted FW tank, those bulbs would produce light that is not as easily used so I believe the more ideal spectrum range would be in the proximity of 6,500k (well, that is what I used anyways).

Additionally, there may be some difference between true-aquatic light systems and shop lights in the safety measures that are required in order to ensure that the light system itself can be mixed with water. I once tried to add one 200 watt halogen light over a past FOWLR tank I had because I didn't need the right spectrum, but wanted that 'shimmer' look that Mh is famous for - but that was a shop light and was 'leaking' some electricity into the tank...partly because I had it too close to the water, and partly because it was not designed for use over water.

If you are looking for a relatively high amount of light for a relatively low amount of money, check out the light system you can see by clicking HERE. I have the 8 bulb model of this system and I love it! Currently I am keeping a ton of Xenia, some mushrooms, a large polyp colony, a ST plate, a Sebae anemone, a cabbage leather, Kenya tree, and even a pineapple brain under this light system...and have done so for nearly a year now with no ill effects.

It was also once pointed out to me that Xenia may not need a lot of light at all...and in fact, I have some growing in some very very dark areas of my tank so I have some reason to believe the same thing. I have also noticed that my Xenia will pulse much more frequently and rapidly as my next water change draws near...even at night; which may suggest that they are driven by water chemistry to some extent rather than by light alone. Point being, as many others would, I suggest Xenia as a great place to start.

 

[SkiFletch]

Agree with Tommy Gun. First off, I wasn't aware that HD sold T5 shoplights. The only shoplights I thought they sold were T12. Second, T12VHO is very very different than shoplights (T12NO). To start with, the VHOs have individual reflectors within their bulbs. Second, they have different endcaps and reflectors for safety in a saltwater environment, and third they are driven by a totally different ballast.

Do you have a hood currently, and/or do you plan to have one in the futrure?

 

[dawhits]

I was running it with a t12 hanging shoplight with a actinic bulb and a 10,000k bulb just hanging about 4 inches from the top of the tank, but am looking to hopefully start to maybe add more corals and such to the tank.

and to answer your question about HD, yes they have T12, T8 and T5 hanging shoplights for very very reasonable prices compared to what the pet stores try to sell light fixtures for, so my question is other than the end caps, (you can get the end caps online i saw for about $20) Is the ballast any different?

 

[SkiFletch]

I was running it with a t12 hanging shoplight with a actinic bulb and a 10,000k bulb just hanging about 4 inches from the top of the tank, but am looking to hopefully start to maybe add more corals and such to the tank.

and to answer your question about HD, yes they have T12, T8 and T5 hanging shoplights for very very reasonable prices compared to what the pet stores try to sell light fixtures for, so my question is other than the end caps, (you can get the end caps online i saw for about $20) Is the ballast any different?

Depends... Remember the bulb and ballast have to be matched. There are two types of 4' T5 tubes (and two types of ballasts to drive them): 54watt HO, and I can't remember if the NO is 45 or 39 watts... So whatever bulbs the fixture has in them, you can replace with the same wattage/length of aquarium tube with appropriate color spectrum. If it's not listed on the fixture/advertisment/box at HD, check the bulb. There is lettering on all flourescent bulbs indicating their type. Like F54T5 would be a 54watt T5HO tube.

Edit: Don't forget considering metal halide options in a similar fashion. 2 150watt halide bulbs would work well for you....

 

[dawhits]

The metal halides are several hundred bucks though aren't they?

 

[SkiFletch]

The metal halides are several hundred bucks though aren't they?

Not if you buy an industrial halide floodlight for say $30 or less and replace its bulb with an aquarium spectrum model for about $50... Just sayin its somethin to keep on your DIY radar

 

[Tommy Gun]

question about HD, yes they have T12, T8 and T5 hanging shoplights

Not to imply that dawhits, or anyone for that matter, needs me to 'vouch' for anything, but in this case, I will vouch for the fact that Home Depot does sell various shoplights in these bulb sizes. In fact, I went through this exact same thought process a while ago - which is why I have seen these in my local HD.

Not if you buy an industrial halide floodlight for say $30 or less and replace its bulb with an aquarium spectrum model for about $50... Just sayin its somethin to keep on your DIY radar

I don't mean to hijack your thread here dawhits, but this question might also help you or others who are reading this:

SkiFletch,

Not that I am doubting you or anything, but can you point me (us) in the right direction as far as finding a Mh shop light? Like I mentioned, I was in dawhits exact situation about 8 or so months ago and for a second, thought I had found the key to saltwater lighting after looking at the same shop lights that I believe you are thinking of...however, I could not find any of them which use a Mh bulb - only halogen bulbs. Since I am certainly not an expert on lighting, based upon what I have been told and read, halogen light leave a lot to be desired in the reef world, and that simply replacing the halogen bulb with a Mh version, if possible, would not work. Still, like I also mentioned before, I did use one of those halogen shop lights over my tank for a couple days in order to get that cool 'shimmer' effect, but had big problems with stray voltage and water temp.

Anyways, just curious to know if you might be able to narrow down the scope of trying to find the lights you suggested.

The metal halides are several hundred bucks though aren't they?

If it does turn out that the SkiFlech's shop light idea is not a viable one for you, you may want to take another look at the various types and brands of Mh light systems and I think you may be surprised to find that there are some relatively economic options for them...if you shop around. However, even though I agree with anyone who likes to consider the future when purchasing equipment, if you are only planning on keeping some Xenia and/or other low light corals, all of that Mh lighting may not be worth the trouble. While it is not always true, Mh bulbs often become problematic for us because the heat that is generated can create the need for a chiller - probably even more so in smaller tanks - which only compounds the cost of the light obviously (not to mention the bulbs are rather expensive by some standards. Of course, more light often means more algae (in general), so this is something to consider. However, don't get me wrong, Mh and other intense lighting options open up a lot more doors for you and, if you are aware of the pros and cons before you purchase one, they are extremely manageable and worthwhile ventures for most of us.

By the way, have you thought about or looked into the retrofit kits? Depending on what size you need, you may be able to save quite a bit of money. Although, I guess you might need to be a bit handy and/or have the ability to create something like a canopy for your tank to secure the lights to. Anyways, just thought I would bring that up. If you are in the US, check out Drs. Foster and Smith's website in order to get some pricing and/or other ideas.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, I went through this exact problem myself a year ago too . Sounds like we've all been down this road Tommy Gun. I too went to HD/Lowes and noted what they had as far as flourescent and halide options. Never really found much of what I wanted, as if memory serves their outdoor HPS/HID (high pressure sodium/high intensity discharge) fixtures were in the $70-100 range. Its the High pressure sodium ones that you want since they use the same ballasts as our halides do. Tommy's right, Halogen (and mercury vapor) aren't the right ones, but the HPS/HID ones are. Searched online with places like mcmaster, grainger, etc and didn't find much there either that was under say $70-80. What I ended up doing was going to a local lighting supply store here in-town to find what I wanted. There were two options here in my area; Royalite whose website stank, but when I went in there they had $50 150watt HPS security fixtures; and another locally owned place, I think it might have been called "The Bulb Guy" who had stripped down fixtures/ballasts in the $30 range. That guy was wierd and his store frightened me with all the clutter, but man did he have some incredible deals on stuff.

Anyways, dawhits, my suggestion would be to look around for these local lighting supply stores. If you don't know where to find them, ask some local contractors or maintenance guys, they prolly know. My father owns a small maintenance Co and managed to point me in the right direction. Either way, like Tommy Gun says, a lot of shopping around will be required if you do want to go really cheap for halides.

Also don't forget the option of finding a local reef club and purchasing used stuff from fellow reefers. When I upgraded my tank, I wanted to do a new lighting system, so I purchased a dual 175watt halide ballast (2 years old), dual reflectors/sockets, and dual 3-month old Hamilton 10K bulbs for $100 total from a local reefer who was taking down his tank. This can be a really cost-effective option, wish I knew about that before I ran all around town chasing down cheap fixtures and cheap bulbs . Remember, these things tend to have long lifetimes. Ballasts will last 5-10 years, reflectors and sockets last a good 10+ years and halide bulbs are good for 2 years under most conditions. And if you can't find a local reef club, there's always craigslist

Tommy is right though, if you're only gonna have low-light softies on this tank, don't bother with the big guns as far as lighting is concerned. I'm just trying to confuse you even further

 

[Tommy Gun]

Also don't forget the option of finding a local reef club and purchasing used stuff from fellow reefers

Again, not to imply that anyone needs my support or approval, but this is GREAT advice IMHO. In fact, I feel relatively silly because I recently bought a decent Mh pendant from a great guy I met on another forum, yet that thought failed to cross my mind. To add to that, being able to network in this hobby can save a ton of money in nearly any aspect; including finding/buying livestock which you can be a bit more confident as to its health because most other hobbyists do not have the 'revolving door' scenario that an LFS would - although, this doesn't really negate the need and beneficial use of quarantining new arrivals - and of course, equipment, among others. Additionally, while I can't be sure this would hold true for everyone, I have found and joined four or five 'regional forums' (e.g. a city or state's aquarium club) which cover nearly all aspects of the hobby such as cichlids, reefs, plants, corals, etc - so it is definitely worth looking into.

P.S. Thanks for the info and insight SkiFletch!

 

[dawhits]

So i looked online, and saw there were Mh as well as HPS/HID light fixtures...what were the differences, or can the fixtures be used interchangeable with the Mh aquarium lights.

 

[SkiFletch]

So i looked online, and saw there were Mh as well as HPS/HID light fixtures...what were the differences, or can the fixtures be used interchangeable with the Mh aquarium lights.

MH, HPS, and HID fixtures can all be used with aquarium bulbs. The only things to avoid are the words "Mercury Vapor" and "Halogen", those are not suitable. Just remember, you have to match the wattage of the fixture to the wattage of the bulb... Typically the cheaper bulbs are 150 or 175watt. So do not, for-instance try and run a 150watt aquarium bulb on a 100watt HID fixture