teacher needs lights advice

L

ladyfsu

Active member
Hi all, I used to be very active in this forum, and TBRC was very helpful with my classes. It's been a bumpy road for the last few years, but anyways, I seem to have a supportive new boss and I am a bit re-inspired.

Lights have changed over the years, and I'm somewhat out of the loop. I am NOT looking for an award-winning tank, but something functional with a bit of longevity (looking perty helps though).

2 55's
1 55 will house some local estuary critters...probably a few killi's and very small snapper and sheepshead (yes, I have a license to get them). But I want to grow some macro algae in there, and I'll have starfish and urchins.

the 2nd 55
I get donations from ORA of their "misfits." I want this tank to house clowns and some other fish, with soft corals and hardy anemones (and other inverts).

Lastly, I'm going to have a shallow 40 just for corals and some clean-ups. I don't think I'm going to even attempt SPS but I might.

None of these well have great filtration, but will do small water changes every few days.

Where is the best place to look? Each set of lights probably should be under $250. They also have to be able to handle a couple years of use....(yeah, I know). And this last thing is stupid...I have to buy new, and from a store (either online or local).

Thanks for any help!! (...and teachers are beggers...I'll probably be asking for donations of xenia and zoa's in a few weeks ;) and I like big flat worms and polychaetes :D ).


Laine
 
For the 55 gallons, I would get 3 of these for each tank($89.65 each). You may be able to get away with 2, but that may be pushing it. For the 40 breeder, I would get two of them. You will have more that enough light to grow anything you want and you will not have to replace bulbs ever, like you would with T5 lights, which you can find some good options below.

Good luck and count on a free frag from me once you get started. My wife works in the school system and I know how limited the budgets are.

The 165W LEDs you should get:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WELLPAR-165W-Dimmable-Full-Spectrum-LED-Aquarium-Light-Marine-Reef-Coral-SPS-LPS-/181686921507?hash=item2a4d626923:g:ex0AAOSwA3tXoWjO


These are some T5 options if you feel like changing bulbs every 6 months.
http://www.aquatraders.com/48-inch-4x54W-T5-Aquarium-Light-Fixture-p/62306.htm
 
The link webmanny posted of the black led boxes will be the best bang for the buck. I have one on my biocube and grow zoa's, lps, and sps just fine with it.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
Thank you!!!!! I'll let you know if I can get them and how it goes...and I'll definitely be hitting you up for that frag. :) Thanks again.
 
If you can't buy direct from eBay (I do the school PO thing too) find out if your LFS will buy them for you and you pay a mark up of 5 bucks or something. Ours did that once they found out about us doing it for a school. Good luck!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 
ladyfsu said:
Hi all, I used to be very active in this forum, and TBRC was very helpful with my classes. It's been a bumpy road for the last few years, but anyways, I seem to have a supportive new boss and I am a bit re-inspired.

Lights have changed over the years, and I'm somewhat out of the loop. I am NOT looking for an award-winning tank, but something functional with a bit of longevity (looking perty helps though).

2 55's
1 55 will house some local estuary critters...probably a few killi's and very small snapper and sheepshead (yes, I have a license to get them). But I want to grow some macro algae in there, and I'll have starfish and urchins.

the 2nd 55
I get donations from ORA of their "misfits." I want this tank to house clowns and some other fish, with soft corals and hardy anemones (and other inverts).

Lastly, I'm going to have a shallow 40 just for corals and some clean-ups. I don't think I'm going to even attempt SPS but I might.

None of these well have great filtration, but will do small water changes every few days.

Where is the best place to look? Each set of lights probably should be under $250. They also have to be able to handle a couple years of use....(yeah, I know). And this last thing is stupid...I have to buy new, and from a store (either online or local).

Thanks for any help!! (...and teachers are beggers...I'll probably be asking for donations of xenia and zoa's in a few weeks ;) and I like big flat worms and polychaetes :D ).


Laine
Click to expand...

Where do you teach?
 
+1 to the cheap eBay lights (basically Mars Aqua). When they're that cheap buying an extra for if one fails can be in the budget.

Having used both, I do like the color of the Ocean Revive lights more, but for a classroom tank it's not worth the premium.
 
Anbosu, I teach at River Ridge High School in New Pt. Richey. OK, I got denied on the eBay so I'm going to the LFS to see if they can help me out. Admins are willing to spend the $$, but I have to use certain places.

Thank you all for the advice.
 
Thank you. I should be able to get the the official "OK" this week...it drives me nuts as a teacher, knowing that you have to buy more expensively just because it's on the "vendor list." Then again....they're willing to spend more $$ from elsewhere, so I'll take it!! I'll let you know how that goes. The fish I have might go blind when they get real lights back on the tank, but I will definitely let you know when we're up and going.
 
I got 8 sets of the lights. The LFS bought them for us, and we bought from them...very nice of them. Thank you all for helping me find these lights. They're awesome!

Now I'm in search of glass aquarium lids for several times -- just to help with evaporation, and deter hands from wanting to touch everything when I'm not around...

Any suggestions where to start look for the most inexpensive?
 
WELLPAR 165W Dimmable Full Spectrum LED Aquarium Light Marine Reef Coral SPS/LPS
(that's the description from the eBay site). They're awesome!!
 
We got some lights up. We had a few hundred pounds of live rock donated a couple weeks ago. Today, ORA sent us 26 reject fish, a few coral frags, and 4 clams (never had clams before!!). I'll try to post some pics if I can remember how, lol! The students will be shocked when they go to class tomorrow because the fish showed up after they left, and several tanks didn't have real filters until after school...things weren't exactly done "properly" but I think (pray) most will fair well

edit: apparently I have forgotten how to insert pics....working on that!
 
Last edited:
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/8093120@N06/29957657374/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_3092"><img src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5617/29957657374_34aa2e0563_h.jpg" width="1600" height="1200" alt="IMG_3092"></a>******** async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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