Need some help.

gavinsepanik · 06/26/2015, 12:52 PM

I am setting up a new 10 gallon fowlr (only 2 juv. occ. clowns) and i was wondering what type of lighting I should use. I might want to add xenia down the road. What Lighting would be sufficient for this setup?

Thanks!

jon99 · 06/26/2015, 04:52 PM

For fish and something easy and not very light demanding like Xenia, you can start with regular t-8 fluorescent lighting. 4 tubes over the 10gal will be plenty for Xenia to grow. If you think you might get more into coral down the road, skip the t-8 and just go ahead and get a t-5 fixture. If money's not an object, get some led's. More controllable so you can dial in the exact color of lighting that suite your needs/style.

ericarenee · 06/26/2015, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon99

For fish and something easy and not very light demanding like Xenia, you can start with regular t-8 fluorescent lighting. 4 tubes over the 10gal will be plenty for Xenia to grow. If you think you might get more into coral down the road, skip the t-8 and just go ahead and get a t-5 fixture. If money's not an object, get some led's. More controllable so you can dial in the exact color of lighting that suite your needs/style.

a reg t8 fixute is good BUT NOT A REG BULB for anything in a marine tank.
Get a t5 fixture and 10k bulbs . Led lights are OK For a small tank but get some that are of a fixed spectrum that have been tried and proven. not something where user adjustments can cause wrong spectrum.. Lights that The user can tinker with the spectrum. (unless you are a lighting expert with measurement equip) Should be Avoided at all cost..
especially cheap led lights.
Get what is tried and true so you know your money is going to something that works.

CStrickland · 06/26/2015, 08:11 PM

I would think the absolute cheapest fluorescent bulb that they sell for turtle tanks or whatever (T8 prolly) would be perfectly fine for fish and xenia. There's a really good chance that in a couple months you'll be upgrading to a tank that's big enough for a mature clown pair, and you might decide that it makes sense to go for something that can fit more fish too. Thats when I would buy proper lights, they don't keep resale value very well.

jminick2 · 06/26/2015, 10:02 PM

I would never spend money on a t5 fixture for a tank like that, buy LEDs ull never have to change any bulbs, you won't have heat issues. i would get like a kessil 160.

tennesseebob · 06/26/2015, 11:37 PM

meh, i would do LED, but i wouldn't spend any real money on it, for a 10g you could light it with almost anything, so i would get a cheap chinese light with a dimmer.

gavinsepanik · 06/28/2015, 10:01 PM

Thanks for all the responses. I am gonna go with aqueons modular leds 10k because they are cheap and efficient for my purposes.

06/26/2015, 12:52 PM	#1
gavinsepanik Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Lake villa IL Posts: 236	Need some help. I am setting up a new 10 gallon fowlr (only 2 juv. occ. clowns) and i was wondering what type of lighting I should use. I might want to add xenia down the road. What Lighting would be sufficient for this setup? Thanks!

06/26/2015, 04:52 PM	#2
jon99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Atl Ga Posts: 817	For fish and something easy and not very light demanding like Xenia, you can start with regular t-8 fluorescent lighting. 4 tubes over the 10gal will be plenty for Xenia to grow. If you think you might get more into coral down the road, skip the t-8 and just go ahead and get a t-5 fixture. If money's not an object, get some led's. More controllable so you can dial in the exact color of lighting that suite your needs/style. __________________ Current tank: 210 gallon mixed reef 2x250w radium, 1x400w radium, 2x vortech mp40, 2 seaswirls. 40 gallon frag tank 250w radium, vortech mp10, seaswirl. 55 gallon sump w/ remote DSB, turf scrubber, SR Current Tank Info: 210 in the works

06/26/2015, 08:11 PM	#4
CStrickland Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New England, U.S. Posts: 4,595	I would think the absolute cheapest fluorescent bulb that they sell for turtle tanks or whatever (T8 prolly) would be perfectly fine for fish and xenia. There's a really good chance that in a couple months you'll be upgrading to a tank that's big enough for a mature clown pair, and you might decide that it makes sense to go for something that can fit more fish too. Thats when I would buy proper lights, they don't keep resale value very well. __________________ If you're havin tank problems I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems but a fish ain't one Current Tank Info: 3/2016 upgrade to 120g. Chalk bass, melanurus, firefish, starry blenny, canary blenny, lyretail anthias, engineer gobys, kole tang. Softies / LPS / NPS. <3 noob4life <3

06/26/2015, 10:02 PM	#5
jminick2 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 1,226	I would never spend money on a t5 fixture for a tank like that, buy LEDs ull never have to change any bulbs, you won't have heat issues. i would get like a kessil 160. __________________ “Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.” Current Tank Info: 300g sps tank

06/26/2015, 11:37 PM	#6
tennesseebob Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Tennessee Posts: 423	meh, i would do LED, but i wouldn't spend any real money on it, for a 10g you could light it with almost anything, so i would get a cheap chinese light with a dimmer. __________________ 150g tall D/T (48x24x30), 40b Sump 2 Arctic t247 LEDs 2 Jebao RW-8, 2 RW-4 Skimz Monzter SM201 Current Tank Info: 48",24",30" 150g tall

06/28/2015, 10:01 PM	#7
gavinsepanik Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Lake villa IL Posts: 236	Thanks for all the responses. I am gonna go with aqueons modular leds 10k because they are cheap and efficient for my purposes.