question on lighting on a new reef

[m4_next]

Hi. I am planning to start a new reef tank. Haven't bought the tank yet but I am leaning toward getting the 50 gallon SeaClear (http/cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4310442168&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT) because I plan to put the tank on a platform near the living room entrance. Space is limited so the built-in filter is ideal and I don't want to go more than 50 gal....

My question is, the tank comes w/ a 24" 20W fluorescent tube. I want to get some condy and long tentacle aneomones for the clown fish. I've read somewhere that typical reef tank requires 2-5W per gallon. Does it mean that the 20W light is not adequate for my reef tank since I would need 100 to 250W of light? This sounds quite a bit.... If I need more light, can I just change the bulb or do I need to get new metal halides fixture? What do people use as light for a 50 gal reef tank?

Thanks.

 

[Navarre]

Im afraid that most anemones will die within a few months if they are under flourescent lights. You are right, you will need a minimum of 150w IMO and preferably 250W of lights. To get this amount of light pouring into the tank you will really only be able to use halides.
Clowns do not need anemone to thrive, in fact they will happily take far easier inverts as their hosts. Mine live in a sarcophyton (Leather mushroom coral) and love it to bits! Its also friendlier on the environments as leathers are far easier to care for, anemones are extremely difficult to care for and most die before they even reach our tanks

 

[m4_next]

Hi. I was browsing a catalog and I run into this kind of light, compact fluorescents. I find a 36" one at 192 watt. Do you think this is enough?

 

[Navarre]

Hmm.. Not sure. is the tube designed for marine tanks? Its not just the amount of watts going into the tank its also the spectrum it gives off thats important.

You might get away with T5s if the anemone is placed high in the tank (and will stay there ) )

 

[spectre]

that would probably work but make sure it's a 50/50 bulb. Please be aware that you need a special ballast, endcaps etc. for these bulbs. It is not a direct replacement for your existing bulb.

 

[m4_next]

What does 50/50 bulbs mean?

From the Drsfostersmith catalog, the light that I am talking about is Coralife Aqualight. It has one 96W Actinic and another 96W 10000K bulb.

What excatly is Actinic and what spectrum do I need for corals?

 

[Navarre]

As you areprobably aware, light is made up of a sectrum of colours from red to blue.
This is also recorded in "temperature". Corals obviously like natural sunlight and this has a temperature of 6.5k (and in the yellow/red spectrum). Corals tend to build faster as they can utilise more of the light that is given ot them. Unfortunately, a reef tank with this light overhead looks like a cat has relieved itself in it The tank will look yello and very bad to the eyes. Therefore many manufacturers tend ot make lower temperautre bulbs for the hobby. probably the most used is a 10K bulb. This has a good light spectrum and givs a nice bright image. However dont expect huge stunning colours as its no that close to the blue (uv ) spectrum. The human eye tends to like the blue light more than the red, blue lights make the colours stand out more on corals and fish (they tend ot glow under these lights) but the further away you move from 6.5K the less of this light. the next light used is 14K temperature. This is a good mix of blue and red light and is very pleasing to the eye. This temperature is becoming highly popular. next we have 20K bulbs. This is far more blue in colour, it gives a clean crisp look to the tank and fish/corals tend to look far more colourful.
Actinics is a flourescent tube that is evenhigher in the Blue spectrum, too blue to watch on its own but its makes a good complientary light to the higher temperature bulbs. Also, tanks that have actinics alongside the above mentioned bulbs can be used as a dawn/dusk period. People tend to run actinics fopr an hour before the main lights come on to simulate dawn. they also run these lights for an hour after the main lights go out to simulate dusk.

People also tend to use blue lights fordeeper tanks. in the sea, red light is the first light to be absorbed by the water. Blue light penetrates the deepest so its also good ot have these lights to make sure that light gets downdeep into the tank. (and its also why many fish and shrimps that live in deeper water tend ot be red... they are then invisible as red doesnt exsist in deeper reefs).

So... By mixing colour spectrums you can see that you can get abalanced amount of light to fulfill all the needs of your corals and inverts.

 

[m4_next]

Thanks for the explanation. It makes more sense now. Do you think this combo (96W actinic & 96W 10K) will be good for my reef?

Also what is 50/50?

 

[ChriX]

You answered your own question really, a 50/50 tube is half and half, usually actinic and 10k.

 

[spectre]

Thanks for the explanation. It makes more sense now. Do you think this combo (96W actinic & 96W 10K) will be good for my reef?

Also what is 50/50?

that will work great...

a 50/50 bulb is a single lightbulb that has half actinic and half of another temperature. This can be 10K, 6.5K etc., but one half will generally always be actinic. HTH

 

[Reefer 4:19:59]

My question is, the tank comes w/ a 24" 20W fluorescent tube. I want to get some condy and long tentacle aneomones for the clown fish. I've read somewhere that typical reef tank requires 2-5W per gallon. Does it mean that the 20W light is not adequate for my reef tank since I would need 100 to 250W of light? This sounds quite a bit.... If I need more light, can I just change the bulb or do I need to get new metal halides fixture? What do people use as light for a 50 gal reef tank?

First: please research what you want to keep. Condy are not compatable with clownfish - check specific gravity preferences, TEMP req, alk etc on each potential resident.
2 96W CFs - 36" or power quads? could maybe support an anemone from someone like Dr Mac who tank raises aneomones if the set up is right and adequately mature.
If you want clams, aneomones, hard corals or the tank is deeper than 18" (of water) you need HID lighting. Power compacts on a 50 "reef" is - well ok, adequate for leathers, shrooms, gorgonians and of course sponges, polyps, many algaes but no plants and your photosynthic animal choices are limited but still can be very colourful.
When you buy/design your canopy spring for the moonlight - the LED, 2 1 watt LED would be enough and you will get your moneys worth in the night viewing esp if you have any animals which flouresce.

First: please research what you want to keep. Condy are not compatable with clownfish - check specific gravity preferences, TEMP req, alk etc on each potential resident.
2 96W CFs - 36" or power quads? could maybe support an anemone from someone like Dr Mac who tank raises aneomones if the set up is right and adequately mature.
If you want clams, aneomones, hard corals or the tank is deeper than 18" (of water) you need HID lighting. Power compacts on a 50 "reef" is - well ok, adequate for leathers, shrooms, gorgonians and of course sponges, polyps, many algaes but no plants and your photosynthic animal choices are limited but still can be very colourful.
When you buy/design your canopy spring for the moonlight - the LED, 2 1 watt LED would be enough and you will get your moneys worth in the night viewing esp if you have any animals which flouresce.
5-10 watts per gallon for a reef and most folk will make some of those HID.
I am in the group that prefers 2 different lamps rather than the half & half lamp, and I really like mixing CF with VHO, T5, even T8 depending on effect desired & tank req. MH are a bit pricey but worth it. REALIZE HEAT IS AN ISSUE!!! Esp if anyone may touch much less set anythin on top of the canopy (lights)

 

[Navarre]

First: please research what you want to keep. Condy are not compatable with clownfish

I dont like to dissagree but this is not true.
I had a condy which was home for my MAroon clown. I sold it in the end as it got very large and killed my copperband. My lfs took it and it now houses Clarkiis.

Its far more accurate to say that condys are not native hosts for clowns as they are not found in the same ocean. But to say they are not compatable is a little misleading. )