iceman0032935
New member
how many watts per gallon should i use for lighting. i have a 75 that im going to make a reef tank. i found this light but i dont know if its any good. http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=333
how many watts per gallon
- Thread starter iceman0032935
- Start date
It all depends on your coral livestock desires.
Softies: 2-3 watts
LPS/SPS 5+ watts.
That is my opinion. I am sure others will disagree.
If you do decide to go with that fixture, you will be able to keep any coral you desire because you will have approximately 10 watts/gallon.
Good Luck!
Softies: 2-3 watts
LPS/SPS 5+ watts.
That is my opinion. I am sure others will disagree.
If you do decide to go with that fixture, you will be able to keep any coral you desire because you will have approximately 10 watts/gallon.
Good Luck!
iceman0032935
New member
thanks for the info do you think that is a good fixture?
clsanchez77
Member
The watts per gallon rule is obsolete. We were not keeping SPS corals when it was first developed for soft corals and some LPS and is now a swag at best. MH are the best lighting IMO. The wattage you need should be governed by how far your light requiring corals will be from the fixture, not the number of gallons in the system. So its a combination of the depth of the tank and whether you will be mounting high light corals high or low. Your 75 is probably 18"-24" deep. If you are keeping SPS at the bottom, you will want the 250W. If you will be keeping LPS or polyps at the bottom, You can do fine with 150W. madamo is right though, that fixture will pretty much let you keep what ever you want. Chris
clsanchez77
Member
I have no idea about the fixture itself, or the brand for that matter. I would find out who makes the electronic ballasts. I dont like PC lights and prefer T5 or VHO. But for actinic, I guess it really does not matter. Also, I did not see what bulbs it comes with, maybe it does not. The ballast and bulbs are the most important pieces so just find out if they are of any quality. The rest is just plastic mounting box, reflectors and copper wires. Chris
iceman0032935
New member
thanks for the info these are the lights that come with it.
2x double ended 250W HQI bulb
4x compact fluorescent 65W bulb actinic blue
6x plug in bluemoon LED
what should i look for in the ballast?
2x double ended 250W HQI bulb
4x compact fluorescent 65W bulb actinic blue
6x plug in bluemoon LED
what should i look for in the ballast?
clsanchez77
Member
250W HQI is good, but...What brand/color temp on the bulbs. That is the only way to know if they are good/ok/bad. You will have to contact the store to find out. If they are crappy bulbs, then figure in the price of buying decent bulbs that will fit your needs/preference.
You might have to contact the manufacturer to find out who makes the electronic ballast. If it was a magnetic ballast then it would not be much of an issue as they are all pretty much the same. The electronic ones are not all equal however. Then you can search the web for the brand to see if it is a decent ballast or not.
The actinics and led's are just for effect so they really dont govern as they are all the same.
Chris
You might have to contact the manufacturer to find out who makes the electronic ballast. If it was a magnetic ballast then it would not be much of an issue as they are all pretty much the same. The electronic ones are not all equal however. Then you can search the web for the brand to see if it is a decent ballast or not.
The actinics and led's are just for effect so they really dont govern as they are all the same.
Chris
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