Pc Lighting

[ccolt1]

I have a 55 gal reef tank I will be setting up soon and was wondering about the lighting.The set up is used and comes with a 48" pc light with 4 65w bulbs and has 4 moon lights. The bulb's are 2 10,000k and 2 50/50. I have another pc light I was thinking of using that has 2 65w bulbs. I was going to put 2 atincs in the one and have 4 10,000k in the other but don't know if I have enough room for both light's until I get the setup here in a couple of weeks. I don't have any extra money for new lighting at the moment,so I was wondering what lawn gnomes I can keep with this setup? I would like to upgrade lighting someday but that will not happen for atleast a year or more. Thanks for any advice!

 

[Jocephus]

You'd be okay with soft corals, keep away from anemones and sps/lps for a while until you upgrade your lights. The other thing to keep in mind is the age of the bulbs. If they have been burning for a year they will need replaced.

 

[ccolt1]

Thanks for the info! would it be ok with the 4 65w or should I try to add all 6? Thanks

 

[reefworm]

all six if you can - the more light the better. [2x 65w is what I used to have for the 29] The Hebrew historian is spot on.

 

[ccolt1]

I will try to use all 6... Thanks for the info!

 

[bwbixby]

Take everything with a grain of salt, but you can keep more than just softies under PC lights. I myself have quite a bit of LPS in my 24g aquapod and have a few pieces of SPS that are doing quite well under the stock PC lighting in the hood. I know I am not the only one that has had success with many types of corals under PC lighting. The most important thing is making sure your water quality is right on. For pictures click my red house and go to the second page there is some pictures of the Nano there.

 

[reefworm]

the 29 with PC lighting kept Euphylia sp. with good success. I'm sure they would have grown more rapidly under more intense light, but they were healthy for years

 

[jener8tionx]

I kept a couple LPS and an anemone and everything did just fine. I do think it was pushing it though.

 

[1DeR9_3Hy]

PC's are beat up heavily on the internet because thats what the internet does best.

You will do well with the majority of corals out there with that PC setup (softys, LPS, maybe even SPS if high enough up). Dont expect crazy MH/T5 style growth...but they wont die either.

 

[ccolt1]

Thank you all for the info!! The last time I did saltwater back in 2001,2002 they were suppose to be the up and coming thing.Now all you here is bad things about them. I will try to use both fixture's to give me more light but I don't know if they both will fit on the tank. If not I will just have to run the 4 65w and maybe a flourescent 40w atinic. Thanks again!

 

[drummereef]

There have been many advances in reef lighting but I've had a relative amount of success with the pc lighting on my 40g. If you have the money go to T5's. You won't be limited with what you keep in the future.

My 40g under PC lighting a while ago.

My 40g under PC lighting today.

 

[Jocephus]

I have a frogspawn, and a torch, and a montipora in my 65 under PC's too. The main thing is you have to change the bulbs. If you wait for them to burn out, your corals will not be happy. Look online for bulbs. You can buy a new fixture with bulbs online for less than you'll buy just the bulbs at Petsmart/Petco.

 

[Jocephus]

Drummerreef,

What is the brown fuzz? I had a bunch of stuff come in on live rock that looked like that. It was some sort of stoney, but the skeleton was sort of sunk into the rock.

 

[drummereef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14752062#post14752062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jocephus
Drummerreef,

What is the brown fuzz? I had a bunch of stuff come in on live rock that looked like that. It was some sort of stoney, but the skeleton was sort of sunk into the rock.

If you are referring to the first pic, those would be colonial hydroids. You don't want that. :lol:

 

[gwenvet]

Joining in...good question for all of us with older light setups.
Nice to see that I can keep frogspawn under PC's. I have 2 96w quad Smartpacs (50/50 actinic) on a 75...so less than you have on a 55. Is that enough wattage? Can't wait to get one!

 

[1DeR9_3Hy]

Thanks Drummer for illustrating my point!

I am setting up a 10 gallon here at work and i fully expect to keep sps in it (under 72 watts of PC). I have been told that it wont grow, and that it will even brown out and die.

Only one way to find out!

 

[ccolt1]

The pics are great! I now feel alittle better keeping my PC lights for awhile. I would like to get some T5's in the future. At least I know I can have some of the same coral's you have. Thanks for all the advice!!!

 

[davewbush]

I run 6 65 watt pc's over my 90 gal tank and have a few sps, lps, zoas, and they all do great. I think you would be better of running 2 10000k bulbs and the other 4 atinics, whether there are 420 or 460.

I had 2 seperate pc's and I combined them into one. I made the hood out of wood and wired ever thing myself. Here is some pics.

 

[ccolt1]

NICE job!!!!! I might have to do that with mine. Thank you for those pics. I now have a insperation! So I would be better to run 2 10,000k instead 4 and 2 atinics and use 4 atinics? Would this be better for the corals? Thanks!!!

 

[singold]

Nice job on keeping the Montiporis Capricornis so healthy!