Looking At My Rio 125 With A Smug Look

[Truck]

ever since ditching my biorb and switching my rekord 60 to a nano marine setup (just fish) with live rock etc i would love to convert my rio to SW in the forceable future, i was just wondering about the lighting it is supplied with, the only corals i wish to keep really are Zoas and mushrooms but will look to expend in the near future, so with the lighting it has (2*28 watt T5's) what else should i add? i was thinking another 80ish watts? of T5? would this be okay for most soft corals a few hard and SPS?

 

[mutantbigman2000]

Hello there.

I converted a juwel tank about 6 months ago.

My tank had the older t8 lightbar but i kept it and originally used it for actinics. 2 x 18 watts.

I already had an interpet 2 x 36 watt power compact with 2 x 36 watt white/blue bulbs fitted.

I installed one to the front flap and one to the back flap.

I then saw a demonstration of the tmc aquarays in a lfs and was impressed enough to buy a double set.

I had enough space to squezze these in too.

I then accidentally won a set of blue aquarays on ebay so took out one of the powercompacts (which i intend to use on a small frag tank)

Heat build up under the hood is something to consider. T5's do run hot and adding more will increase the temps.

Interpet do a 55 watt power compact also.

 

[Truck]

so do you think 134 watts of light over the tank will be enough for most soft corals?

 

[mutantbigman2000]

yes indeed. and most lps too.

It took me a while to get a good balance of blue and white though.

Worth bearing in mind.

 

[JP-79er]

Hi,

I am running a Rio 125 mixed reef tank for 4 years now and upgraded the lights to the Arcadia I bar and run 2*T5 (2*28w) 15K Marine Whites and mounted 1*T8 (1*18w) on the front flap with bit a refelector modification to fit it all in.

I sucessfully keep H.Malu Amenone, variety on Xianias (pulsing and star polyp types), Leather coars, finger corals, tonga mushrooms.

 

[rabbut]

4 individually reflected HO T5's would be ample for softies, most LPS and some SPS in a Rio 125, as it's about 15" tall (from memory) after allowance for coral sand substrate...

If you realy want to keep your options open, look at 150W MH's second hand, but they shouldn't realy be needed unless you realy get into your SPS species

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Truck]

i can live with most softies as i really only want to keep Zoas/polyps/xenia (SP?) etc

would 2*28 watts of T5 and another 39 watts be okay?

but i might just keep with planted tanks as it is starting to look good lol

 

[rabbut]

I would have thought that the standord lights would have been fine for softies if they are individually reflected, though the added 39W wouldn't go a miss

 

[Truck]

ok thanks

 

[Jimyfloyd]

Can we get some pics of peeps setups for lighting (especially mutantbigman) as I have this tank and want to look at upgrading at some point in the future...

James

 

[mutantbigman2000]

You have the rio or a trigon?

 

[Jimyfloyd]

sorry i've got the Rio - you can see it in the marine journals part of this

 

[mutantbigman2000]

I have the trigon but the top flaps are very similar.

If you want pics then i will can put some on.

May take a few days though as my partner is 9 days overdue and ready to pop any moment.

 

[bagu]

I have the trigon but the top flaps are very similar.

If you want pics then i will can put some on.

May take a few days though as my partner is 9 days overdue and ready to pop any moment.

hey buddy, congrats haha

 

[mutantbigman2000]

thanks.