Is this enough lighting???????

[plateboy3293]

I am currently using 4 50 watt incandescent bulbs 1 19 watt actnic
1 30 watt florescent and 1 19 watt florescent.
I would like to keep mushrooms, frogspawn, hammers, plates,candy canes, ric's, and acro's. Will this lighting sufice for these types of coral?

If not I am planning on buying a 48 in sunpod 150 watt or 250 watt (Advice needed on which is better for a 90 gallon)

[demonsp]

Your light setup very weak for a 90 gallon. I would get the 250 and use the PC's for some antics.

[seapug]

Incandescent bulbs are pretty worthless. There are a number of really good MH+Flourescent (PC or T5) Actinic combo fixtures that work well on 90 gallon tanks. Good lighting on a reef tank is well worth the investment.

[downhillbiker]

i dont even think 1 mh is enough for a 90 gallon. i think you should get 2 250w MH and actinics. especially for some of the acros and ricordeas.

[styndall]

First, read this article:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/cj/index.php

Second, take careful note of which corals you want to keep and the conditions they need. Plan your lighting around their needs.

Third, make sure you're buying the species you planned for. Purchase from places you can trust to make good IDs.

[NeveSSL]

You're pretty much going to need metal halides or T5HOs. Incandescents ARE worthless on reef tanks.

Personally, I would recommend 6 54w T5HOs with individual reflectors. You can get a fixture or a retrofit kit, whatever floats your boat.

Brandon

[Playa-1]

Originally posted by demonsp
Your light setup very weak for a 90 gallon. I would get the 250 and use the PC's for some antics.

[nalbar]

You can easily do a 90 with a single 250w MH.

Here is a pic of mine with a single 250;



And that is a DIY pendent! Previous to that light my 90 had a Home Depot flourescent SHOP LIGHT on it for 6 months. Growth was fine, not great, but fine.


nalbar

[nalbar]

A close up;



Those of us that kept tanks in the 80's well remember before there was MH and compact lighting. MH was a dream on the far horizon that some crazy dood was experimenting with in his garage. How do you think those old tanks were lit?

You just have to be judicious in your coral choices and placement.

And yes, you can keep a 'reef tank' with incandescent, although 'twist' flourescents would be a far better choice. Just a few years ago twist flour were an acceptable and common option for nanos.

In fact, if you go by the narrowest definition of 'reef tank', you can have one with no lighting at all.

Just because we live in the present does not mean the past did not exist at all.


nalbar

[nalbar]

[Robgixxer]

ok, i have a question too about lighting. I have 2 175w 20K halides, 4 65w dual actinic PC's, 2 65w 50/50's and 4 white, and 4 blue moonlights. this is on a 150 g that is 4' long and alomost 3' ft high. will i be able to keep acro, monti, and some nice clams?

[downhillbiker]

Originally posted by Robgixxer
ok, i have a question too about lighting. I have 2 175w 20K halides, 4 65w dual actinic PC's, 2 65w 50/50's and 4 white, and 4 blue moonlights. this is on a 150 g that is 4' long and alomost 3' ft high. will i be able to keep acro, monti, and some nice clams?

yes. it is all about placement. just choose wisely where to put things. just make sure you center the two halides on each half, and build a good pile of rock to make area for all types of critters.

[Robgixxer]

see here is my tank now. i have 1 clam in it to try it out and he seems to be doing well.

[Robgixxer]

don't mind my crappy camera

[avp]

Robgixxer-

If your tank is three feet deep, those 175's and PC's probably won't be enough to support much in the way of clams, montis or acros on the bottom. DHB is on the right track with rock piles and strategic placement of corals.

-avp

[Robgixxer]

Originally posted by downhillbiker
yes. it is all about placement. just choose wisely where to put things. just make sure you center the two halides on each half, and build a good pile of rock to make area for all types of critters.

Oh, I have plenty of rock, I think? have close to 300lbs in the tank. and another 20-25 in the fuge.. by looking at the pic of my tank do you think i should raise the clam higher in the tank or should i leave him in the sand? also the reflectors that i have on my lights could be better. I built my light canopy custom. but i used the reflectors out of my old lighting fixtures from my old tank. but i needed something for the time being. was planning on getting some new spider reflectors for the halides or lumenarcs. and just getting some new reflectors for the PC's. see this is the old crappy reflectors i am dealing with at the moment.

[Robgixxer]

Originally posted by avp
Robgixxer-

If your tank is three feet deep, those 175's and PC's probably won't be enough to support much in the way of clams, montis or acros on the bottom. DHB is on the right track with rock piles and strategic placement of corals.

-avp

yeah, i just measured it. it is actually 30" fom the water line to the sand. I was maybe, eventually also thinking about stepping up to some 250's it would give me another 150 of halide anyway. and maybe stepping up to the 96w actinics? would this be better? i am open for any intelligent suggestions.

[Robgixxer]

Originally posted by avp
Robgixxer-

If your tank is three feet deep, those 175's and PC's probably won't be enough to support much in the way of clams, montis or acros on the bottom. DHB is on the right track with rock piles and strategic placement of corals.

-avp

well i was gonna actually keep those sps corals closer to the surface. and keep the softies more mid to lower levels if this sounds correct?

[downhillbiker]

i would place your clam on the shelf on the right hand side of your tank on the lowest tier, but i have never kept clams so i am not the one to ask.

[seapug]

yeah, put the clam higher up on a flat rock. It'll attach to it and be much happier in stronger light.

[Robgixxer]

cool, sounds good. i'll give it a try. thanks.

[Peter Eichler]

Ugh... is that a Goniopora and Ritteri anemone? I'd suggest maybe swapping spots with the clam and Goniopora. Good luck with those two, they have miserable survival rates in captivity.

A few other things... You're going to find it quite diofficult tom place corals with the way you have your rock stacked, it also looks like it's stacked in a way that will promost deadspots and not allow much waterflow bhind the rock wall. Lastly, I'd look into upping the flow in your tank considerably.

[nalbar]

http://www.socalireefs.com/totm/totmfebruary2008.html