Light this tank of mine

octoman2707 · 04/18/2011, 11:56 AM

I have this what should I be looking for in the terms of lighting and what could I do to get a pretty cheap setup like DIY

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...26amp%3B+Bowls

zigzag1 · 04/18/2011, 12:42 PM

What are the tanks dimensions? And, what livestock do you plan to keep?

octoman2707 · 04/18/2011, 01:47 PM

Just a general reef tank

the link explains the tank dimesions

greech · 04/18/2011, 04:16 PM

The link sais that tank is:

30-1/4"L x 18-1/4"W x 57-7/16"H

At that height you'll need a street lamp to get light to the bottom. Is that the correct height, has to include the stand height I guess. Anyway it's a tall tank so if you you should you will need a fair amount of light to grow corals on the bottom. Maybe you can find a used MH fixture.

octoman2707 · 04/18/2011, 07:23 PM

what wattage? its like 27 inches tall

streak · 04/18/2011, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by octoman2707

what wattage? its like 27 inches tall

I made the rookie mistake about wattage when i was working on my first tank..
Looking for coverage and lumens(output of light) 2x150 mh would for penatration.. depending on what color you go with you may or may not need actenic supplimintation.

Or you could look into going with LED's they seem the Wave of the future. and have great light penatration and low heat/eletric cost ratio.

125G Reefer · 04/18/2011, 07:38 PM

27" deep? WOW. i'd go 250w halides on a diy. That'll do ya. Auction site would be easy place to get ya done pretty cheapish. I'd say around $250-$300 would be it for 2 halides.

OregonReefer · 04/18/2011, 08:36 PM

IMHO you should keep shopping.

Locally I found a 120g with stand and a 4 light T5 for $400

Plus with that stand having a glass door you're going to be able to see all the stuff under the tank

octoman2707 · 04/18/2011, 09:57 PM

No I already have it

So should I go halides or led ? or T5 ??

streak · 04/19/2011, 09:31 AM

36 3wt led's mixed about 60-70 degree optix would be sweet on there imho. 3 banks of 12.. make them all dimable.. so you can control the color the way you like it. The optix would allow you the par to grow your corals even on the bottom of that deep monster.

Im not an expert.. but i think there affordable enuff now that you could DIY and have a long lasting light source that alot less heat issues than the MH over the tank.

But also looking at your tank now 2 250's i dont think would work too much light overerage.. 1 400 wt with the right reflector i think would do the job. T-5's i dont think they would make it to bottom in any siginificant amout to grow much..

octoman2707 · 04/19/2011, 10:56 AM

I found some light fixtures(350ish wattage) that have halide and actenic fixtures for around 200 on ebay is that good enough?
and is wattage all I should care about or is it lumens and other things also important because the leds seem to have really low wattage

ian09 · 04/19/2011, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by octoman2707

Just a general reef tank

the link explains the tank dimesions

Hi, I'm new to the hobby as well but I learned very fast that without a definite plan for what kind of reef tank you're trying to accomplish you will be wasting time, effort, and lots of money. For example, your post stated you wanted a light source that would be sufficient for a "general reef" tank and that you want one that is a "pretty cheap setup (DIY)." This may be a difficult task to accomplish as each lighting system or fixture has its pros and cons. Another way you can accomplish your goal may be to aquascape your rock so that you can position your future corals at various heights in your tank based on what would be optimal for their growth. LEDs seem great but really costly so if you're on a budget like many of us you may want to consider MH or T5s. MH and T5s are affordable but each has its pros and cons as well.
I would try to figure out what type of coral you may want to keep and then plan for it. But you can pretty much choose any type of lighting and be successful. The tedious and difficult part is researching the benefits of each type of lighting and making sure they fit your plan.

octoman2707 · 04/19/2011, 06:18 PM

would this be good?http://cgi.ebay.com/30-Metal-Halide-...item43a650fb24

livfortoday · 04/19/2011, 06:35 PM

I bought 36" light from the seller you linked and was initially pleased with it....however after about 2 years It is starting to flicker quite a bit, gets extremely hot because the fans work occasionally. The light may work for another 5 years or it may make it 5 days.

At this point I am upgrading to a bigger tank and going to bite the bullet and go LED. Save on heat, electricity bill, and bulbs.

Someone on here once told me you can pay a lot up front for equipment and be done with it, or pay a little now and then pay alot in a few years replacing the shoddy equipment you are buying now.

Long answer, the light it self worked great when I got it, but did not last long.....just a thought

octoman2707 · 04/19/2011, 10:32 PM

but is wattage the only thing I should be thinking about , or are the lower wattage Leds the same quality?

04/18/2011, 11:56 AM	#1
octoman2707 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Near Ft worth Texas Posts: 141	Light this tank of mine I have this what should I be looking for in the terms of lighting and what could I do to get a pretty cheap setup like DIY http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...26amp%3B+Bowls __________________ Was going for Octopus before I fell in love with a community tank Current Tank Info: 55 g +25g fuge

04/18/2011, 12:42 PM	#2
zigzag1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Anderson, Indiana Posts: 1,276	What are the tanks dimensions? And, what livestock do you plan to keep? __________________ :beer: Mixed Reef, started 10/2004: 6' BB 125g DT, 100lbs LR, 40g sump, Dual Ehiem 1000 returns, Eshopps dual overflow, JBJ ATO, Vertex IN-180, PM Ca reactor, 250w MH w/VHO Actinic, AC3 w/Aquasurf, Tunze 6105 pair & 40B frag tank 8 Fish, 20+ corals, shrimp, snails, worms, bugs, etc.

04/18/2011, 01:47 PM	#3
octoman2707 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Near Ft worth Texas Posts: 141	Just a general reef tank the link explains the tank dimesions __________________ Was going for Octopus before I fell in love with a community tank Current Tank Info: 55 g +25g fuge Last edited by octoman2707; 04/18/2011 at 01:55 PM.

04/18/2011, 04:16 PM	#4
greech Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 3,133	The link sais that tank is: 30-1/4"L x 18-1/4"W x 57-7/16"H At that height you'll need a street lamp to get light to the bottom. Is that the correct height, has to include the stand height I guess. Anyway it's a tall tank so if you you should you will need a fair amount of light to grow corals on the bottom. Maybe you can find a used MH fixture. __________________ ~Graham Current Tank Info: Tank: 40 breeder; 20H sump w/SWC 120; Sicce 3.0 return; Vortech MP-10; Sundial T5, DIY Actinic LED (3W Cree). Livestock: Pair of Black & Whites; Midas Blenny; Firefish; Yasha/pistol; Black Leopard Wrasse; LPS and SPS

04/18/2011, 07:23 PM	#5
octoman2707 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Near Ft worth Texas Posts: 141	what wattage? its like 27 inches tall __________________ Was going for Octopus before I fell in love with a community tank Current Tank Info: 55 g +25g fuge

04/18/2011, 07:38 PM	#7
125G Reefer Moved On Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Glendale,AZ Posts: 913	27" deep? WOW. i'd go 250w halides on a diy. That'll do ya. Auction site would be easy place to get ya done pretty cheapish. I'd say around $250-$300 would be it for 2 halides.

04/18/2011, 08:36 PM	#8
OregonReefer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 629	IMHO you should keep shopping. Locally I found a 120g with stand and a 4 light T5 for $400 Plus with that stand having a glass door you're going to be able to see all the stuff under the tank __________________ 120g drilled, 30G sump, 20g Fuge, RO NWB200 Skimmer, Glass Holes Overflow, mag 12.0 return, Reeflo Dart closed loop, 6-bulb Sunlight Tek

04/18/2011, 09:57 PM	#9
octoman2707 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Near Ft worth Texas Posts: 141	No I already have it So should I go halides or led ? or T5 ?? __________________ Was going for Octopus before I fell in love with a community tank Current Tank Info: 55 g +25g fuge

04/19/2011, 09:31 AM	#10
streak Reef Madness! Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Perryville, Missouri Posts: 616	36 3wt led's mixed about 60-70 degree optix would be sweet on there imho. 3 banks of 12.. make them all dimable.. so you can control the color the way you like it. The optix would allow you the par to grow your corals even on the bottom of that deep monster. Im not an expert.. but i think there affordable enuff now that you could DIY and have a long lasting light source that alot less heat issues than the MH over the tank. But also looking at your tank now 2 250's i dont think would work too much light overerage.. 1 400 wt with the right reflector i think would do the job. T-5's i dont think they would make it to bottom in any siginificant amout to grow much.. __________________ The Shoe String Budget Reef Aquarium. Possible?? Compared to 7 55 breeding Discus days well we see and try! :P Current Tank Info: 10g nano with 2 clowns 1 Royal Gorama 1 RBTA!

04/19/2011, 10:56 AM	#11
octoman2707 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Near Ft worth Texas Posts: 141	I found some light fixtures(350ish wattage) that have halide and actenic fixtures for around 200 on ebay is that good enough? and is wattage all I should care about or is it lumens and other things also important because the leds seem to have really low wattage __________________ Was going for Octopus before I fell in love with a community tank Current Tank Info: 55 g +25g fuge

04/19/2011, 06:18 PM	#13
octoman2707 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Near Ft worth Texas Posts: 141	would this be good?http://cgi.ebay.com/30-Metal-Halide-...item43a650fb24 __________________ Was going for Octopus before I fell in love with a community tank Current Tank Info: 55 g +25g fuge

04/19/2011, 06:35 PM	#14
livfortoday Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 100	I bought 36" light from the seller you linked and was initially pleased with it....however after about 2 years It is starting to flicker quite a bit, gets extremely hot because the fans work occasionally. The light may work for another 5 years or it may make it 5 days. At this point I am upgrading to a bigger tank and going to bite the bullet and go LED. Save on heat, electricity bill, and bulbs. Someone on here once told me you can pay a lot up front for equipment and be done with it, or pay a little now and then pay alot in a few years replacing the shoddy equipment you are buying now. Long answer, the light it self worked great when I got it, but did not last long.....just a thought

04/19/2011, 10:32 PM	#15
octoman2707 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Near Ft worth Texas Posts: 141	but is wattage the only thing I should be thinking about , or are the lower wattage Leds the same quality? __________________ Was going for Octopus before I fell in love with a community tank Current Tank Info: 55 g +25g fuge

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