Lighting for my 6ft tank

legolas9737 · 09/09/2009, 12:23 AM

Okay guys i just swapped my 4ft to be marine tank for a 6ft to be marine tank! yes thats right.

nothing in it yet and i'm still trying to buy all the equipment first before i go any further as i have been advised to do, now a question on lighting, i have a 6ft tank but 6ft lighting in new zealand is pretty elusive as far as i can see so i thought about two things, A) building my own lighting fixture to save money as i am on a student budget and B) can i just get 4ft light/bulbs/fixture (whatever i end up doing) and place this in the middle of the tank? providing i have no corals ect on the end of my tank will a 4ft fixture do the job? any and aqll feedback would be amazing! thanks alot

muttley000 · 09/09/2009, 04:09 AM

Some people are OK with the dark ends and some not, a matter of personal preference I would say. What about getting two 3' fixtures?

kube · 09/09/2009, 07:05 AM

i used 4 ft lighting on my 6ft tank and was surprised that the ends where not really dark at all. I wouldn't put any coral on the ends but with the canopy on a stranger wouldn't even know that the ends on each end where not lit.

sdc19982002 · 09/09/2009, 07:57 AM

Just stagger 2 sets of 3 footers or 4 footers in the canopy

dahc1979 · 09/09/2009, 10:51 AM

Do a retro fit kit in your canopy

TwistedEnvy · 09/09/2009, 11:17 AM

Go with an IceCap 60" fixture. I got mine for 576.00 including ATI bulbs (very good price-you need to shop around and look into your local reef society to see if you can get any discounts). The ballast over drive the bulbs and give you very high output. I have a 155 bow and I will have to post pictures later this week to show how it looks.

09/09/2009, 12:23 AM	#1
legolas9737 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: New Zealand Posts: 7	Lighting for my 6ft tank Okay guys i just swapped my 4ft to be marine tank for a 6ft to be marine tank! yes thats right. nothing in it yet and i'm still trying to buy all the equipment first before i go any further as i have been advised to do, now a question on lighting, i have a 6ft tank but 6ft lighting in new zealand is pretty elusive as far as i can see so i thought about two things, A) building my own lighting fixture to save money as i am on a student budget and B) can i just get 4ft light/bulbs/fixture (whatever i end up doing) and place this in the middle of the tank? providing i have no corals ect on the end of my tank will a 4ft fixture do the job? any and aqll feedback would be amazing! thanks alot

09/09/2009, 11:17 AM	#6
TwistedEnvy Acan Freak Join Date: May 2009 Location: West Allis, Wisconsin Posts: 731	Go with an IceCap 60" fixture. I got mine for 576.00 including ATI bulbs (very good price-you need to shop around and look into your local reef society to see if you can get any discounts). The ballast over drive the bulbs and give you very high output. I have a 155 bow and I will have to post pictures later this week to show how it looks. __________________ -Nikki, acan addict Current Tank Info: 29 Red Sea Max, LPS Dominated

09/09/2009, 04:09 AM	#2
muttley000 MTS Sufferer! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 1,926	Some people are OK with the dark ends and some not, a matter of personal preference I would say. What about getting two 3' fixtures?

09/09/2009, 07:05 AM	#3
kube Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Dakota Posts: 79	i used 4 ft lighting on my 6ft tank and was surprised that the ends where not really dark at all. I wouldn't put any coral on the ends but with the canopy on a stranger wouldn't even know that the ends on each end where not lit.

09/09/2009, 07:57 AM	#4
sdc19982002 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Wills Point,Texas Posts: 925	Just stagger 2 sets of 3 footers or 4 footers in the canopy

09/09/2009, 10:51 AM	#5
dahc1979 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Rock Island Posts: 78	Do a retro fit kit in your canopy