220 Predator Lighting suggestions

[Texas Aggie 06]

I am currently upgrading my 75 gal predator tank to a 220!!! Any suggestions on lighting? I have been looking at the Coralife Lunar Aqualights, but dont know if I should get the PLUS (576W total) or the regular one (384W total) -- theres a $400 price difference

 

[mitzel]

with a preditory tank lighting is more just for looks . It's more about the temp of bulbs then the wattage . I would go with the cheaper and just add a few lunars . They are a lot cheaper to add on then to buy already installed
but thats just me

:wildone:

 

[aquaman67]

I agree with mitzel.

Even the 384 watt choice is overkill.

What type of fish are you keeping?

Some fish like lower light.

You could get away with Normal Output (NO) lights.

 

[marrone]

Since this isn't a reef tank there isn't a reason to get MH, T-5 or even PC lights. You can goes with regular FO bulbs and get Triton, 10000k, actinic or a 50/50 bulbs and work a mix together.

On my 2-260 I have only 3 40wat FO bulbs and the tank is very bright, but it's acrylic so that also have some thing to do with it and acrylic is brighter than glass.

 

[paulpp187]

i have 2-4ft 40 watt aquarays on 96x24x25. plenty of light

 

[Texas Aggie 06]

Right now we have 2 anemones in the tank, and if we chose to move them to the 220 as well, would one of our lighting choises be sufficient???

 

[marrone]

PC or T-5 lights would be good enough to keep anemones but as important as the lighting is feeding the anemones and of coarse good water quailty is as or more important.

 

[Texas Aggie 06]

Anyone have suggestions on where to get used equipment, or a 72" Coralife Lunar aqualight Plus in particular???

 

[SW1TCH]

Try the for sale forum here lots of stuff there.

 

[FMarini]

Mr aggie-
so gotta ask, your gonna have predator tank and 2 aemones? I ask becuase many predator will either get stung, or pollute the water sufficently that your anemone will not do particularly well. so you might want to rethink your fish/invert choices.
Thats said, you've recieved many good pieces of advice, unless you want to make this a reeftank you might consider lower lighting, primarily to keep all the nuscience algae from growing. High lighting and fish water= algae and high lighting fuels the reaction.
So what fish are planning on keeping?
Personally I'd use something like 2 or 3 home depot 4ft shop lights and 4ft GE-Dx40 bulbs (6500K). More than enough light to see the tank, yet not enough light that you'll be scraping the glass every other day to see inside the tank
frank

 

[Texas Aggie 06]

I've had the predator tank for over 10 months and all fish and anemones are happy. If fact, the anemone split a month or so ago, so he is just fine with his tank mates. We are moving the inhabitants to a 220 gal and this is why we need new lighting, so thanks for the advice on the lighting!!!

 

[Bghost]

Well if you are going to move the anemone to the 220 gal tank, personally I would go with something brighter than the 576 watt Coralife lunar Aqualights due to the anemones. I would go with some 880 watt VHO lighting. You can go to www.hellolights.com and get a like 2 3 lamp VHO retrofit kits for about 678.00 (not including shipping). That will give you about 960 watts. That's roughly little over 4 watts per gallon.

 

[Bghost]

But I don't know how your fish would feel about all that light. Infact what kind of fish do you have?

 

[I like Triggers]

yeah, it may be too much for the fish. i had an undulated in an 80 with 1 wpg of florescent, and i moved him to QT before he goes in a new tank, where there is 6.5 wpg via powercompacts. he hates it, so i usually leave the pc off, and run my 20 watt cheap little actinic florescent, and he is out much more often.

 

[DesertBandits]

the more intense the lighting, the more pigment the fish must produce to protect itself. higher intensity light= more colorful fish. I think the Phoenix 14k is a great looking light. 3 150w bulbs would be great & make those anemones happy plus you'll get glimmer lines. If money isn't a question I'd say getting some bluer, higher intensity bulbs will definately make your fish/tank look better. If you wanted to go for efficiency, T5 is best output/watt, way better than VHO. Plus if you have any visual sensitivity to color, you'd probably be unhappy with the whole pinkness issue.

 

[Bghost]

Well I guess the fishes can usually get use to the bright lighting if you do it gradually. But if the fishes never get use to the bright lighting (which I doubt) I wouldn't move the 2 anemone to the 220. No need for everyone to be stressed out. :hmm1: