Watts Per GalL.

[AWExotics]

Thanks Nicole. I am in and out. I get tired of walking on eggshells sometimes... Hockey is kicking my arse.. but is too much fun. My 1 and under team had a heartbreakin overtime loss in the Pacific Cup finals today. 3 straight years with a championship game loss for this group of boys. They got heart...

Lee-Mar's standard 100 gallon is 23 1/2" Tall. I belive the standard 100 from Marineland/Perfecto is 24"

Aquarium Companies have faulty calculators

60 x 18 x 20 = 93.5 gal

60 x 18 x 24 = 112 gal

lol...

sorry to highjack the thread with the hockey story.. I am stillbummed.. it just happened this afternoon

 

[NicoleC]

Yeah I know. None of the tanks hold what they say they do. :rolleye1: We ought to sue for false advertising!

 

[brandon0350]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7676954#post7676954 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NicoleC
Yes, but he said it was 5 feet long, so I'm guessing it's the same dimensions as mine -- 60x20x18.

24" deep would seem to definately call for metal halides for most generic purposes.

Glad to see you back around, Todd.

my 90 cube is 24" deep and is a tank full of sticks. i just changed about a month ago from a 400w halide w/ 150w vho to a 6 bulk tek t5 fixture with only 144w and my tank is coloring up and growing better than it was befoe. i also have acros down 2" off the sand bed. halide is not the only option for 24" deep tanks

 

[salt e]

oooOOooOooO NO~!.... im sorry you guys...i started all the talk about the tank being 24" tall...its only 20"...so so sorry...lolz...but any ways.... i dont really plan to get into too many hard to keep corals....so since it seems like i have everyones attention on this thread... a simple vote...knowing that i will be sticking with the not too hard corals for awhile....

what type of lighting would be the best for the money and safest for a newb so i dont burn the house down, along with keping the electricity bill down....

sounds to me like the vote is leaning towards the MH... but are they NOoB SAFE~!?

 

[bromion]

Just go for some power compact fluorescents, then. Simple, effective, cheap, and you won't have to worry about heat or fire! Not sure how many or how many watts you need, however.

I started with MH, and I'm quite happy with it, but heat is an issue, as is electricity usage.

 

[NALCOMIS]

Would halides consume more energy than a t5 setup of equal wattage?

Or is it that watts are watts no matter what type of bulb you are running?

 

[salt e]

HAPPY 4th everyone... *~~~~======>


here is what i have come up with.... would i be able to use the power comps for normal viewing set on a timer and still set up the MH for the anenome's and corals? leaving the MH on about 4 hours a day... i guess from about 11am to 3pm...

i would have to agree with AWExotics about the color and shadows that the MH cause... i used to live in Palmdale and there are not many LFS'd down there that use the MH's so when i moved away and saw some other LFS like down in the OC area.... the lights caught me off guard...MH to the max...

 

[NicoleC]

In a 20" tank, I think you will be fine with PCs or T5s if you choose that route. But yes, you can run MH's for a few hours a day for supplemental light. Yes, they are noob friendly, but a pendant might be the best way to go. More expensive though. Or a used MH setup where someone has pieced everything together already.

Sam, watts are watts. However, MH generate more PAR that goes deeper (hence the discussion about deep tanks). But, MH also generates more heat, so in the summer you are more likely to consume extra electricity running a chiller to compensate.

 

[salt e]

i see that the MH's at the pet shops are set up kinna high off the tank... is that standard. what is the best way to mount the MH's over the tank...especially if i already have a canopy.(?)


i was also thinking about adding some different types of Caulerpa to the tank mostly but i dont know how well the fish will do with it added directly to the tank and not the refug...Ogo Hawaiian, Grape, and Grass Caulerpa...are a few for short...along with some Purple Condy...are these safe in a tank with fish or will the fish eat off them til they die ...if they are safe in a tank.... how much light if any do they require

 

[brandon0350]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7680028#post7680028 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Halides don't penetrate any deeper than any other light. They reason they typically provide more intensity at the sandbed is they start out much more intense. a 4x54 watt Ice Cap T5 setup will put more light to the sand than most 250 watt halides.

 

[NicoleC]

Do NOT add caulerpa to the display! You will regret it!

You want MH's to be close to the water, but not so close you can't maintain the tank when needed. Also, it's very important water does not splash on the bulbs (will shatter the bulbs), so that's another reason people raise them up. Best setup is close to the water, but with a slash shield and the ability to raise them up for tank maintenance.

Remember, despite the hype T5 is only another form factor for flourescent lighting. This is not to say they aren't good lights, because they certainly are. Just beware the hype right now that would have you believe they are perfect and will even make your coffee for you.

Non-technical thoughts on lighting choices:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-08/ac/feature/index.php

Slightly more technical, does not cover T5's. Also see great links at top of page:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm

MH vs. T5:
http://www.specialty-lights.com/aquarium-lights-faq-intro.html
(Click "next" at the bottom of the page to continue multi-page article. This is NOT an unbiased article -- so take it with a grain of salt -- and they are trying very hard to sel you more light than you may actually need. But good charts.)

Finally, a Google search for any lighting article by Sanjay Joshi will be very technical but highly informative. His homepage here:
http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/

 

[brandon0350]

have you ever had t5s? i can tell you now that after switching from my halides to t5s ive had better growth, color, less heat and money to run. thats just my experiennce though

 

[NicoleC]

And I suppose it makes your morning coffee, too?

Yes, I've had T5's. And MH. And PCs. I currently use PCs and have no intention of changing anytime soon. None of it is "bad" -- it's about choosing the right lights for your tank and your inhabitants.

 

[bassnman11]

4 80 watt T5ho would be great to start. If you decide on sps, you can add a couple more. I love my T5s. You can change the color by changing 1 or 2 bulbs and get combinations that give max growth and color. With halides you change bulbs for color or add additional VHO or T5. A fan or 2 is all you need for the heat, not a chiller. T5ho penetrate as well or better than halides.

 

[bromion]

My MH are certainly hot enough to make my coffee!

 

[salt e]

lolz...its obvious from where i am standing that every one here is very happy with their lights... and since each to his / her own seems to be having great success with what ever light they choose... apparently i cant go wrong... i have seen most of the lights and as far as looks and added extras im impressed with the MH's so far but as far as price and electricity are concerned im leaning towards the T5's....BUT i haven't PERSONALLY seen a tank in person running that particular set up so how the lights look and such im not too sure... i just know that the MH's make the tank look like you are diving about 8-10 feet in the shallows... very impressive looking... do the T5's give the tank the same added look? or are they more like the PC's im already currently using.... ( i really dont even know if what I CURRENTLY have are PC's yet~sigh~CORALIFE 2 light fixtures...4 bulbs total each bulb giving 65 watts...)

thanks Nicole for all the links...tomorrow will be a big review day for me before deciding what light set up to go with depending on what im looking at getting into. i think i will more so be sticking with more fish than corals, well; more so towards the easyer to keep corals...i also think that there will be one MUST HAVE coral later on that will force me over the edge into moving onto re-arranging the tank from a PRO fish tank to PRO-REEF... and that scares me but the last thing i want to do is have to buy later what i could have just bought the first time... whats the saying...? "If you do it right the first time..." ? or something the rather...

 

[bromion]

I don't think you can really go terribly wrong in your choice. Even if you go the I-won't-need-to-upgrade-this route now, you may find you want to change or upgrade some components down the line. There is no such thing as not upgrading!

 

[salt e]

perfect sence

 

[salt e]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7680488#post7680488 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NicoleC
Do NOT add caulerpa to the display! You will regret it!

im just wondering Why... sorry... just very curious :rollface: