which lighting?

[bishop82476]

i am new to the whole salt water experience but i have a marineland 29 gallon tank. i am going to make it a reef tank and was wondering what type of bulbs i needed or if i have to replace the whole thing and get metal halides or what?

[dallemand]

compact flourecents will be good for your soft corals,and your metal halide is needed for your sps and clams and so forth and so on.

[D to the P]

Well you'll want to know what kind of corals you want. Is it going to be a mixed reef, softy dominant, or LPS or SPS? That'll let us know what kind to recommend. I would look into T5 lighting as an option though, no matter what kind of corals you decide.

[bishop82476]

thanks for the help and do they make any bulbs that i can just plug into my existing canopy

[Fish_wiz2]

You defiantly have to change it but not necessarily to halides because they can cost a lot but if you can do it then do halides because then in the future you don't have to upgrade or worry about coral variety but if you can't do halides then do T-5 fair price and a very good amount of light

[bishop82476]

thanks

[D to the P]

I would really recommend T5's for a tank of that size. Unless it will be SPS dominant in which case you wouldn't need anything more than 70 watts (if you can find it), but 150's aren't too absurd. T5's can match halides pound for pound, as long as you can get a system (or retro fit one) with good reflectors.

[bishop82476]

yeahh i have heard alot of good things about t5s and vhos

[D to the P]

For some really good information, and answers to any of your T5 questions for a true expert (grim reefer), check out this thread
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1384575

It has split about 100 times, but there is a lot of good information all through out it (not that I expect anyone to read it page by page, the corals you want would be extinct by the time you were done).