recommended lights?

[macawmagic]

I'm piecing together a frag tank to grow out zoos and yuma's. was wondering if I really needed to get a nice fixture, or would pc's or vho's be good enough? maybe even a small t5 fixture. its a 20 long tank. what would be my best bet for a light...cheaper is better!!! but nice enough where stuff grows fast!

 

[jessp]

i bought two cheap hamilton metal halide bell pendants and have them over top of my zoa frag tank. they are doing awesome right now.

your more than welcome to come over some time to see them. I will be at the fmas frag swap, and bring frags to our club meetings for auction sometimes.

 

[macawmagic]

i was looking at a nice little dual t5 fixture. 40-50 bucks. but it would only be like 2 watts/gallon. Is that enough for zoos, mushrooms, and ricordias?

 

[jessp]

i found that the zoas grow better for me under MH, but many people have success w/ t5's as well. i use a 14k hamilton bulb and get decent growth and color.

 

[aquarius77]

MH all the way for zoos. when i switched over to MH my zoos went nuts and have never stopped.

 

[shred5]

You do not need halides for zoos that is one of the benefits of them, some actually prefer less lighting..

T-5 is fine but that fixture will not do it.. You need a good t-5 fixture or you are wasting your money... A t-5 fixture with individual reflectors is what you need.

Dave

 

[mfinn]

People that have good quality T-5's swear by them, but I'm a fan of 14k or 20k mh.
I have a pair of JBJ 70 watt Vipers on my 20 long zoa tank.
If I were to do it over, I'd got with a couple 150 watt or just a 250 watt 14k.

 

[geoxman]

zoos will live under sub-par lighting but you will not get great color and growth. I use to use a 400w Lumenarc M59 XM 20k on my main tank, which is 3ftx3ftx10in and just switched about a month ago to two 250MH PFO HQI Phoenix 14k HQI pendants-and it is OK. I am debating about doing two 400w on the tank because the spread is not wide enough for the Lumenarc single, and the polyps on the outside of the tank reach for the light. So..... I would say a 250 14 or 20k for your tank. BTW it does not have to be fancy! It is a frag tank. good luck

 

[macawmagic]

you don't think that 2 150's would be too much for a 20L? I'll have it plumbed into my whole system so the heat shouldn't be that big of a problem. probably just 1 fan blowing between the lights and the water. we'll see...right now im kinda waiting for a good deal to go rolling accross. I remember someone was selling a dual 70watt ballast for 20 bucks. How much do you think everything else would be to get that rolling?

 

[mfinn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10155444#post10155444 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macawmagic
you don't think that 2 150's would be too much for a 20L? I'll have it plumbed into my whole system so the heat shouldn't be that big of a problem. probably just 1 fan blowing between the lights and the water. we'll see...right now im kinda waiting for a good deal to go rolling accross. I remember someone was selling a dual 70watt ballast for 20 bucks. How much do you think everything else would be to get that rolling?

I am a little disappointed with the 70 watt vipers I'm using now on my 20L.
I wish I had gone with the 150's myself.

I am thinking about going back to my old setup with a Hamilton 250 watt 14k bulb on a little bigger tank.

 

[macawmagic]

if you end up selling those lights send me a pm as I might be interested!

 

[geoxman]

dual 150 would be fine, you will just overshoot your tank sides. 1-250 14k would be perfect. good luck

 

[macawmagic]

how far off the top of the tank would a 250 need to be? I've got one of those metal shelves with about 4 inches between the top of the tank and the shelve(mispelled?) but I would imagine since its one of those metal shelves i'd be able to place it right on the shelf and have the light shine through? anyone think this would be too hot for the shelf?

 

[jessp]

i think that the metal would be fine as long as it does not have any type of coating.

 

[mfinn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10155586#post10155586 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macawmagic
how far off the top of the tank would a 250 need to be? I've got one of those metal shelves with about 4 inches between the top of the tank and the shelve(mispelled?) but I would imagine since its one of those metal shelves i'd be able to place it right on the shelf and have the light shine through? anyone think this would be too hot for the shelf?

A 250 watt mh bulb 4" from the water would heat a 20 gallon tank a considerable amount.
You would want it to be at the very closest, 9 to 10 inches. I would place one about 10-11 inches myself.

 

[geoxman]

I am about 12 inches off the surface. You are not talking about one of those flimsy HD metal shelves are you? If so I would just build a stand out of 2x4's. That would cost maybe $20

 

[macawmagic]

well the tank is under the shelve on a nice stand...but the damn shelve is right in the way! I was just going to place the MH on the shelve...but yea its one of those ones from HD. but it's pretty sturdy....I would almost trust it to hang from.I guess I could even put the metal hallide a little over that shelve...we'll see what I end up with!