Lights

[demonmagus]

If I go FOWLR do I have to have powerful lights?

 

[Chac]

What Lighting are you thinking of using

 

[bunjiweb]

Lights should only be powerful enough to encourage coraline algae growth on your live-rock. You should really only need a couple of T5 or T8 tubes for this, nothing over the top.

Ben

 

[Aquascaper]

What size tank, particularly the depth?

T5's are the minimum requirement for marines IMO. T8's are outdated, big, bulky and crap

 

[Fish Fingers]

T8's are outdated, big, bulky and crap

This may be the case but they still work, and can be use on marine tanks successfully.

 

[Aquascaper]

But why bother when the costs are realatively the same but the T5's are smaller, brighter and more efficient?

 

[Fish Fingers]

IME T5's are more expensive. But thats besides the point, I was just adding that T8's can be used on a marine tank and that they aren't useless.

 

[Mr Miagi]

But why bother when the costs are realatively the same but the T5's are smaller, brighter and more efficient?

Ugh, i guess you dont live in Australia. T5's can cost the same as MH's over here. Ive priced them in store and from online. T8's still work, i have four. They would suit a FOWLR fine.

 

[Aquascaper]

Wow!

Cheapest i've found:

http/www.all4pets.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of...er_Compact.html

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Sorry to nick the thread but...
That nicely shaped LR in my LFS that has no colour will grow over with coraline algae after a couple of months?
Thanks
Dan
Ps: Sorry again

 

[demonmagus]

Wow!

Cheapest i've found:

http/www.all4pets.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of...er_Compact.html

I think there is a thread about these, and they are known for overheating if I am thinking about the right one

 

[Aquascaper]

I never said Interpet were the best

It's true that they can overheat but that's usually due to people putting the ballasts in the hood with no ventilation. I was planning to have a setup with these on my large tank but I was going to strip the ballasts out of the plastic packs and mount them in a fan cooled box.

When alls said and done I wouldn't say they are any worse than Interpet T8's so my point still stands that you may as well get T5's if you're after flourescents.