Lighting

[J-Money]

any great, reliable sites out there you trust that have great pricing on bulbs? My tank is 60" long and I have 2 30" lights on it (regular florecents, with 2 bulbs in each side). I can't seem to find 30" bulbs anywhere around here. I thought about tryin' to find a 60" light but I can never find those bulbs either

 

[Great Lakes]

Hey J,
I passed on a five footer once for that very reason. Tough to find lights.

Forgive me for not remembering right off, but how much light do you want? What kind of budget? Do you want to do it once, or over and over as I have?

GL

 

[J-Money]

well, right now i'm looking for a job so the budget isn't too great ...lol. I was originally planning on just going FOWLR so I wouldn't really need much in terms of lighting. NOW (lol) I think I want to at least put a sarcophyton in the tank (for the clown and possible clown mate later on) and maybe something else so the lighting would have to be sufficient for that. I would also like to encourage everything on my LR to grow, it came with a bunch of stuff that seems to want to start sprouting to life.

That's not too much to ask for is it?

 

[Great Lakes]

What kind of budget? I am thinking you might be able to come across a used coralife VHO or something similar.

You have two 30" light fixtures. Are they running true 30" bulbs, or 24"? You could yank the ballasts and "juice" them up with larger eletronic ballasts.

I am always lurking every reef classified known to man. So if you give me a ballpark, I can keep my eyes open.

Your only real other option sine you have mainly a FOWL, run four four footers and just keep the corals in the middlin ground..

GL

 

[J-Money]

I haven't decided on a budget yet, not quite sure about getting all new lights. I also want to decide what kind I would want/need and see if I can find any deals before I decide on the budget. I was hopin to find a steady supply of good bulbs first though ) .

 

[Great Lakes]

LOL

You posted while I was editing my post after I thought a bit more. Take another look and see what you think.

GL

 

[parker313]

Check out www.aquatraders.com - they have great prices on lights. I just got mine from them today and am very happy.

 

[J-Money]

They are 24" bulbs. My tank already runs pretty warm so I might be a little weary of putting anything new on there that will make it even hotter. I'll look into the ballasts idea. Thanks GL.

I'll also check out that site, thanks parker

 

[1152 Flying Fish]

Try Doctors Foster and Smith, they have guarintees on everything you can buy.
Doctors Foster and Smith

 

[Salt Freak]

Are you sure that the bulb is 30 inches if the hood is 30 inches then they put 24 inch bulbes in it. so measure the bulb. if it is a 30 inch bulb don't know what to tell you cause i've never seen 30 inch tubes.

 

[J-Money]

Ok, i just got home from Petco and I ended up buying one Actinic Spectrum Marine-Glo Bulb. I put it in the front slot and the blue light seemed too overpowering. So I put it in the back slot and that whole half of the tank is still all blue tinted. If I end up getting another bulb later (so my tank isn't 2 toned lol) will it adversely affect my fish not having the brighter yellow florecent lighting? The clowns don't seem to want to stay on the darker side yet...maybe it's just cuz I wuz messing with ish on that side but i just thought I'd ask...lol

When I go back on wednesday if there a different type of bulb I should look for to replace the other original bulb that will bring the normal coloring back?

 

[Salt Freak]

The lighting I have on my tank is a soo-med reef sun T-8 and a zoo-med coral sun T-8 420 atinic posphor the reef sun is a 50/50 atinic phosphor. all corals are doing awsome in it i got these bulbs at petco. I have a slight blue tint to the water but i kinda like it ) . and my fish don't seem to care. it is a twin tube strip light.

 

[J-Money]

lol, i got tired of the 2 tone so I went and bought another bulb for the other side. I talked to a guy there and he suggested for my other bulb in the hood I should use the 18,000k PowerGlo bulbs. I got 1 since that's all they had, but it doesn't really seem to brighten up the LR, it all still has a blue tint...any ideas on any other bulbs?