Lighting a 5g frag tank?

MushRoomie · 11/01/2009, 02:06 PM

Hey Reefers! I am thinking about starting a 5g frag tank for my nice zoos, leathers, and mabye chalices. I was wondering what the thoughts were on lighting such a small tank to get nice growth and slamming color. Anyone care to share? Thanks in advance guys!

redfishsc · 11/01/2009, 04:15 PM

Pretty much any of the smaller PC lights out there will work for the corals you mentioned.

Use a 50/50 bulb and shoot for around 40 watts, that's a LOT of light over a 5g.

Also, if you are handy with electronics, you could wire up a 6 LED array (Cree XRE LED's) that would work fine. Definitely not the cheapest route, but you won't have to replace the LED's for 10 years.

magnoliarichj · 11/01/2009, 05:41 PM

why......

MushRoomie · 11/01/2009, 05:50 PM

I have a lot of really nice pieces in my show tank that I want to frag and grow but space in place is constricted. That's why.

magnoliarichj · 11/03/2009, 05:17 PM

and you dont think the frags will out grow that.... im just saying if your going to do somthing like that why start with such a small tank when you know your prob gonna upgrade it anyway.

MushRoomie · 11/03/2009, 07:00 PM

Because I have everything I need to start it. I am not made of money dude.

jsc0787 · 11/03/2009, 08:26 PM

everything you need? Obviously you don't have a light. What's a 5 gallon tank worth anyway? $10?

Moebuis · 11/03/2009, 08:37 PM

I have one 5,500k daylight CF screw in bulb and one blue CF party bulb over mine. I'm just playing around with it and don't have any livestock in there, but it looks pretty cool. The blue bulb reminds me of the blue+ bulbs I have on my main tank. the combination is more like 12-14kish looking.

grigsy · 11/03/2009, 10:32 PM

just use a small PC light. You should be able to get a Coralife from your LFS or even online.

tkeracer619 · 11/03/2009, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsc0787

everything you need? Obviously you don't have a light. What's a 5 gallon tank worth anyway? $10?

5g is plenty of room for a couple small frags. It's not the box its whats inside that counts. Ive seen $3 tupperware containers with $1000+ worth of coral in each of them.

I agree with the 50/50pc. How are you planning on drilling the tank? I think they are all tempered but maybe not.

11/01/2009, 02:06 PM	#1
MushRoomie Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 37	Lighting a 5g frag tank? Hey Reefers! I am thinking about starting a 5g frag tank for my nice zoos, leathers, and mabye chalices. I was wondering what the thoughts were on lighting such a small tank to get nice growth and slamming color. Anyone care to share? Thanks in advance guys! Last edited by MushRoomie; 11/01/2009 at 02:11 PM.

11/01/2009, 04:15 PM	#2
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	Pretty much any of the smaller PC lights out there will work for the corals you mentioned. Use a 50/50 bulb and shoot for around 40 watts, that's a LOT of light over a 5g. Also, if you are handy with electronics, you could wire up a 6 LED array (Cree XRE LED's) that would work fine. Definitely not the cheapest route, but you won't have to replace the LED's for 10 years. __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

11/01/2009, 05:41 PM	#3
magnoliarichj Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: florida west coast Posts: 1,455	why......

11/01/2009, 05:50 PM	#4
MushRoomie Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 37	I have a lot of really nice pieces in my show tank that I want to frag and grow but space in place is constricted. That's why.

11/03/2009, 05:17 PM	#5
magnoliarichj Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: florida west coast Posts: 1,455	and you dont think the frags will out grow that.... im just saying if your going to do somthing like that why start with such a small tank when you know your prob gonna upgrade it anyway.

11/03/2009, 07:00 PM	#6
MushRoomie Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 37	Because I have everything I need to start it. I am not made of money dude.

11/03/2009, 08:26 PM	#7
jsc0787 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Newport Beach, CA Posts: 169	everything you need? Obviously you don't have a light. What's a 5 gallon tank worth anyway? $10?

11/03/2009, 08:37 PM	#8
Moebuis Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hampstead, MD Posts: 236	I have one 5,500k daylight CF screw in bulb and one blue CF party bulb over mine. I'm just playing around with it and don't have any livestock in there, but it looks pretty cool. The blue bulb reminds me of the blue+ bulbs I have on my main tank. the combination is more like 12-14kish looking.

11/03/2009, 10:32 PM	#9
grigsy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 2,307	just use a small PC light. You should be able to get a Coralife from your LFS or even online.