What is the best lighting for a FOWLR tank?

PuffersKick · 02/01/2006, 09:35 AM

What is the best looking lighthing for a FOWLR tank? I'm upgrading to a 215 gallon 6' long rectangular tank that is about 29" d.

I want the tank to have more of a blue look rather than white. But I think I might need a hint of white too to bring out all the colors in the fish. I'm not going to keep any corals in this tank either (I already have a separate reef tank).

I was thinking of going with two 3' 3 bulb florescent fixtures and using 2 marine glow bulbs and 1 white bulb each.

OR

Coralife makes a 6' fiture with half acintic and half white, but when everything is on the white kind of drowns out the blue which I don' t like.

I will not be able to mount the lights in the canopy or hang the lights above the tank so that limits my options somewhat. Whatever lights I get will have to sit on the glass tops on my tank.

What do you guys suggest that will look the best?

flyingace2005 · 02/01/2006, 10:04 AM

I feel the same way as you. I am setting up a 125 and have decided to go with an aquatinics t-5 light. From my experience t-5 is about the best type to get for a FOWLR. Yea, you can get a MH system but there is no point. I haven't recieved the aquatinics fixture yet but I will let you know how it looks.

SW1TCH · 02/01/2006, 10:15 AM

Have you thought about getting the coralife 6' and buying two 50/50 bulbs for it to replace the 2- 10,000k that come with it. And leave the 2 actinic bulbs in it. That should give you more of a blue color than a white.

Boat Racer · 02/01/2006, 10:27 AM

Aquamedic is what I have.They make a 6' that has four8 T-5's that go 4 on each side that go half the length.I think they are 39".You could do that and only run one 20,000k white bulb in there on ech side.It will set ontop the tank as well.The T-5's dont get too hot to melt the top.These lights can hang from ceiling,canopy or set on top.Priced about the same as the 36"triple tubes you spoke about.

PuffersKick · 02/01/2006, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Harley Dude
Have you thought about getting the coralife 6' and buying two 50/50 bulbs for it to replace the 2- 10,000k that come with it. And leave the 2 actinic bulbs in it. That should give you more of a blue color than a white.

That would get very expensive. Just the replacement bulbs for a coralife fixture run about $30 each. So I'd be wasting about $60 by not using the bulbs that come with the fixture. Plue those Coralife fixutures run very hot anyway.

I'm leaning towards the flourescent. Just not sure if I should go with the standard or T-5s.

justgeorge · 02/01/2006, 11:55 AM

I used 4x40w standard (T-12) florescents on my 240. Coralife bulbs, 2 10k and 2 20k. Nice blue tint, but not too blue.

jda · 02/01/2006, 12:07 PM

I have a 7' 210G tank. I use 2 250W halides. They grow a lot of coralline and even some weed type corals (mushrooms and GSP) which feed my fish. Some fish really look great under halides. It is not necessary, but I like it. I have always like the shimmer effects.

Ironsheikh · 02/01/2006, 02:13 PM

I have the orbit --I don' mind the daylight bulbs becuase i'll run it actinics only aroun 7 -9 pm. I threw in a ricordia and a few mushrooms for the glow

stevebydac · 02/01/2006, 03:48 PM

I wish I could show you pics of my recent tank before the teardown. I think I had exactly the look you are searching for. A nice bluish/white look - no yellow. Not TOO blue.

An equal mix: Coralife 10,000K and Coralife Actinics. It really brought out the colors of my fish without making them "glow" like a full actinic tank.

PuffersKick · 02/02/2006, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stevebydac
I wish I could show you pics of my recent tank before the teardown. I think I had exactly the look you are searching for. A nice bluish/white look - no yellow. Not TOO blue.

An equal mix: Coralife 10,000K and Coralife Actinics. It really brought out the colors of my fish without making them "glow" like a full actinic tank.

Were you just running a regular flourescent fixture with the coralife bulbs? I figure I can mix and match bulbs with a flourescent fixture until you find what you like...

Jim_S · 02/02/2006, 12:42 AM

I run Tek T-5's on my 125. They work great.

Jim

stevebydac · 02/02/2006, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PuffersKick
Were you just running a regular flourescent fixture with the coralife bulbs? I figure I can mix and match bulbs with a flourescent fixture until you find what you like...

Yes. It was a FOWLR, no corals, so I just popped in the aforementioned NO tubes into the AGA light fixtures, sat them on my glass, and that was it.

PuffersKick · 02/02/2006, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stevebydac
Yes. It was a FOWLR, no corals, so I just popped in the aforementioned NO tubes into the AGA light fixtures, sat them on my glass, and that was it.

So what would you recommend if I went with a 3 bulb flourescent fixture for the bubs?

1 Coralife 10,000K bulb
1 Coralife Acintics bulb

and then what for the 3rd bulb?

i could do a coralife 50/50 bulb, keep the stock bulb that comes with the fixture, or maybe try a marine glo bulb?

what do you think?

flyingace2005 · 02/02/2006, 11:07 AM

For the money, standard flourescent is not worth it. You can get a retro t-5 system for about the same price as the standard fixtures.

flyingace2005 · 02/02/2006, 11:11 AM

As for bulb specturms. I am planning on using 6 t-5 bulbs total. I am going to run 4-20k and 2- actinics. Tom at Aquatinics told me that this would give a good blue look.

yoDavid · 02/02/2006, 11:20 AM

Ive tried regular NO florecsents, I liked them but too pink for the fish.

I tried powercompacts, too yellow no matter how high the actinic to daylight ratio is.

I tried VHO florescents, too pink again, and so bright that i couldn't appreciate the suttle colors of my fish. THey all got a horrible glare to them unless they were at the bottom of the tank. (alot hotter than I thought)

I like using either 175w or 250w(depending on tank depth) true 12000k sunbursts. and hang the lights not too high so there is not so much glimmer. Its just my personal preference but i think they give the tank (at least a fowlr) the best feel. Its still realy bright, but super duper clear, that even though you know its hot, the water looks , ice cool, clear blue.

I bet adding some NO florescents could give it a realy trippy look for soft corals too. It would make the tank have a little glimmer but add the blueish pinkish color to everything. It looks crazy if you have alota xenia.

never tried or seen t5's (in person) yet though...

moggyhill · 02/02/2006, 11:31 AM

I've got 10,000k T5's on my 300 and love them.

stevebydac · 02/02/2006, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PuffersKick
So what would you recommend if I went with a 3 bulb flourescent fixture for the bubs?

1 Coralife 10,000K bulb
1 Coralife Acintics bulb

and then what for the 3rd bulb?

i could do a coralife 50/50 bulb, keep the stock bulb that comes with the fixture, or maybe try a marine glo bulb?

what do you think?

Well, it's hard to say without looking at a tank with that exact mix. All I know is I really like the look of my 2 bulb types. *In theory* what you propose shouldn't look much different, but you won't know until you try.

jda · 02/02/2006, 03:11 PM

BTW - clean water will help the looks of the tank. A bit or carbon will take the yellow and green out of the water and make the lights look a lot better. It is highly worth is IMO.

If your tank water in a 5G bucket is not the same color as freshly mixed saltwater in a 5G bucket (put them side by side), then your tank color is not as good as it could be.

techigirl78 · 02/02/2006, 04:26 PM

I'd go with MH or T5s. Definitely stay away from NO flourescents, they don't do any fish justice. Just maybe cut back on the number of bulbs you use as it isn't a reef.

Boat Racer · 02/04/2006, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Boat Racer
Aquamedic is what I have.They make a 6' that has four8 T-5's that go 4 on each side that go half the length.I think they are 39".You could do that and only run one 20,000k white bulb in there on ech side.It will set ontop the tank as well.The T-5's dont get too hot to melt the top.These lights can hang from ceiling,canopy or set on top.Priced about the same as the 36"triple tubes you spoke about.

Maybe you missed this the first time

These lights will allow you to have three blues and one white wich would give you the color your after.The fixture is very low profile.You should look them up.$300

sean48183 · 02/04/2006, 08:07 AM

What ever you choose remember to keep the light low. Live rock does not need alot of light and you don't want massive algae blooms. If your goal is to keep big messy eating fish their waste will create alot of fertilizer for algae and if you add bright lights your asking for trouble. I think adding a fuge to this tank would also be a nice bonus for water filtration. Anyways I think 2 3' pc fixture's with 2 10k and 2 actinics might be nice. Can get them real cheap on ebay.

02/01/2006, 09:35 AM	#1
PuffersKick Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 773	What is the best lighting for a FOWLR tank? What is the best looking lighthing for a FOWLR tank? I'm upgrading to a 215 gallon 6' long rectangular tank that is about 29" d. I want the tank to have more of a blue look rather than white. But I think I might need a hint of white too to bring out all the colors in the fish. I'm not going to keep any corals in this tank either (I already have a separate reef tank). I was thinking of going with two 3' 3 bulb florescent fixtures and using 2 marine glow bulbs and 1 white bulb each. OR Coralife makes a 6' fiture with half acintic and half white, but when everything is on the white kind of drowns out the blue which I don' t like. I will not be able to mount the lights in the canopy or hang the lights above the tank so that limits my options somewhat. Whatever lights I get will have to sit on the glass tops on my tank. What do you guys suggest that will look the best?

02/01/2006, 10:04 AM	#2
flyingace2005 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Waukee, Iowa Posts: 454	I feel the same way as you. I am setting up a 125 and have decided to go with an aquatinics t-5 light. From my experience t-5 is about the best type to get for a FOWLR. Yea, you can get a MH system but there is no point. I haven't recieved the aquatinics fixture yet but I will let you know how it looks. __________________ --Joe S. Current Tank Info: 400 gal SPS system

02/01/2006, 10:15 AM	#3
SW1TCH Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: North central Wisconsin Posts: 377	Have you thought about getting the coralife 6' and buying two 50/50 bulbs for it to replace the 2- 10,000k that come with it. And leave the 2 actinic bulbs in it. That should give you more of a blue color than a white. __________________ "Don't flip the Switch" V.O.A. M/C Current Tank Info: 75 gal aggressive 260 watts pc lighting. 72 bow front reef 460 watts of pc lighting.40 fowlr 80 watts lighting.

02/01/2006, 02:13 PM	#8
Ironsheikh Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: SYRACUSE NY Posts: 1,124	I have the orbit --I don' mind the daylight bulbs becuase i'll run it actinics only aroun 7 -9 pm. I threw in a ricordia and a few mushrooms for the glow __________________ You have been weighed... You have been measured... YOU have been found wanting! Current Tank Info: 20G fowlr some zoas

02/02/2006, 12:42 AM	#11
Jim_S Timo Boll Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 5,333	I run Tek T-5's on my 125. They work great. Jim __________________ We will survive in this world of competition, shooting guns and our ammunition... Bradley Nowell Current Tank Info: We're recreating the ocean in our livings rooms. With that said, I've had some ups and downs.

02/01/2006, 10:27 AM	#4
Boat Racer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sarasota Florida Posts: 268	Aquamedic is what I have.They make a 6' that has four8 T-5's that go 4 on each side that go half the length.I think they are 39".You could do that and only run one 20,000k white bulb in there on ech side.It will set ontop the tank as well.The T-5's dont get too hot to melt the top.These lights can hang from ceiling,canopy or set on top.Priced about the same as the 36"triple tubes you spoke about.

02/01/2006, 11:55 AM	#6
justgeorge Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 127	I used 4x40w standard (T-12) florescents on my 240. Coralife bulbs, 2 10k and 2 20k. Nice blue tint, but not too blue.

02/01/2006, 12:07 PM	#7
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	I have a 7' 210G tank. I use 2 250W halides. They grow a lot of coralline and even some weed type corals (mushrooms and GSP) which feed my fish. Some fish really look great under halides. It is not necessary, but I like it. I have always like the shimmer effects.

02/01/2006, 03:48 PM	#9
stevebydac Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Rhode Island, USA Posts: 410	I wish I could show you pics of my recent tank before the teardown. I think I had exactly the look you are searching for. A nice bluish/white look - no yellow. Not TOO blue. An equal mix: Coralife 10,000K and Coralife Actinics. It really brought out the colors of my fish without making them "glow" like a full actinic tank.

02/02/2006, 11:07 AM	#14
flyingace2005 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Waukee, Iowa Posts: 454	For the money, standard flourescent is not worth it. You can get a retro t-5 system for about the same price as the standard fixtures. __________________ --Joe S. Current Tank Info: 400 gal SPS system

02/02/2006, 11:11 AM	#15
flyingace2005 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Waukee, Iowa Posts: 454	As for bulb specturms. I am planning on using 6 t-5 bulbs total. I am going to run 4-20k and 2- actinics. Tom at Aquatinics told me that this would give a good blue look.

02/02/2006, 11:20 AM	#16
yoDavid Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 70	Ive tried regular NO florecsents, I liked them but too pink for the fish. I tried powercompacts, too yellow no matter how high the actinic to daylight ratio is. I tried VHO florescents, too pink again, and so bright that i couldn't appreciate the suttle colors of my fish. THey all got a horrible glare to them unless they were at the bottom of the tank. (alot hotter than I thought) I like using either 175w or 250w(depending on tank depth) true 12000k sunbursts. and hang the lights not too high so there is not so much glimmer. Its just my personal preference but i think they give the tank (at least a fowlr) the best feel. Its still realy bright, but super duper clear, that even though you know its hot, the water looks , ice cool, clear blue. I bet adding some NO florescents could give it a realy trippy look for soft corals too. It would make the tank have a little glimmer but add the blueish pinkish color to everything. It looks crazy if you have alota xenia. never tried or seen t5's (in person) yet though...

02/02/2006, 11:31 AM	#17
moggyhill Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Port St Lucie Florida Posts: 2,249	I've got 10,000k T5's on my 300 and love them.

02/02/2006, 03:11 PM	#19
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	BTW - clean water will help the looks of the tank. A bit or carbon will take the yellow and green out of the water and make the lights look a lot better. It is highly worth is IMO. If your tank water in a 5G bucket is not the same color as freshly mixed saltwater in a 5G bucket (put them side by side), then your tank color is not as good as it could be.

02/02/2006, 04:26 PM	#20
techigirl78 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,739	I'd go with MH or T5s. Definitely stay away from NO flourescents, they don't do any fish justice. Just maybe cut back on the number of bulbs you use as it isn't a reef.

02/04/2006, 08:07 AM	#22
sean48183 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: michigan Posts: 1,577	What ever you choose remember to keep the light low. Live rock does not need alot of light and you don't want massive algae blooms. If your goal is to keep big messy eating fish their waste will create alot of fertilizer for algae and if you add bright lights your asking for trouble. I think adding a fuge to this tank would also be a nice bonus for water filtration. Anyways I think 2 3' pc fixture's with 2 10k and 2 actinics might be nice. Can get them real cheap on ebay.