lighting

paveni · 02/26/2006, 05:03 PM

I am setting up my 1st reef tank in 15 years and WOW!! has everything changed in lighting. I need soom advice on the type of light fixture I should look at. My tank is a 90 gallon wave shaped aquarium. Its 48" long X 18" wide on one end and 24" wide on the other and about 30" deep. I am planning to keep mostly Inverts with maybe 4 or 5 fish I will use Live Rock and about 4" of live sand. The tank is going to divide our Living room and Kitchen so I wont have a closed in Hood only a glass top. I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks
Pat Aveni

Blown 346 · 02/26/2006, 05:09 PM

I would get 2 400 watt halides and maybe 2 110 watt VHO actinics if the kelvin rating of the halides isnt too high. If the kelvin rating is higher than 14 or 15K I wouldnt use actinic supple mentation since the halides will be very blue.
Thehigher the kelvin rating or K the bluer the bulb is, also differnt manufacturers of bulbs, the color will vary.

necco · 02/26/2006, 05:16 PM

I had 2 400w MH's with 2 54w T-5 Actinics, but I found that 400w's was a little much. So I downgraded to 2 250w, I think the lighting in my tank is perfect now in my opinion.

Blown 346 · 02/26/2006, 05:55 PM

Ther tank is 30 inches deep, not 18 like the normal 90 gallons, that is why I reccomended the 400 watt halides. Without there strenght, they wouldnt be getting much light to the bottom of the tank.

Otherwise if it was a 18" deep tank I would reccomend the 2 250 watts.

bertoni · 02/26/2006, 05:57 PM

The MH setups are great, but they might be overkill, depending on the animals that you want to keep. Soft corals (and fish) might be fine with PC or VHO lighting. What animals are at the top of your list? Or have you decided yet?

paveni · 02/28/2006, 04:30 PM

Jonathan, I have not decided yet

bertoni · 02/28/2006, 05:20 PM

I'd probably go with 2x250 W MH, perhaps with actinics. 400 W are fine, though, as well, but electricity is quite expensive where I live. The 400 W would allow some higher-light animals at the bottom of the tank, though.

02/26/2006, 05:03 PM	#1
paveni Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Beaufort,South Carolina Posts: 31	lighting I am setting up my 1st reef tank in 15 years and WOW!! has everything changed in lighting. I need soom advice on the type of light fixture I should look at. My tank is a 90 gallon wave shaped aquarium. Its 48" long X 18" wide on one end and 24" wide on the other and about 30" deep. I am planning to keep mostly Inverts with maybe 4 or 5 fish I will use Live Rock and about 4" of live sand. The tank is going to divide our Living room and Kitchen so I wont have a closed in Hood only a glass top. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks Pat Aveni

02/26/2006, 05:16 PM	#3
necco Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: MA Posts: 228	I had 2 400w MH's with 2 54w T-5 Actinics, but I found that 400w's was a little much. So I downgraded to 2 250w, I think the lighting in my tank is perfect now in my opinion. __________________ Tim

02/26/2006, 05:57 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The MH setups are great, but they might be overkill, depending on the animals that you want to keep. Soft corals (and fish) might be fine with PC or VHO lighting. What animals are at the top of your list? Or have you decided yet? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/28/2006, 05:20 PM	#7
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I'd probably go with 2x250 W MH, perhaps with actinics. 400 W are fine, though, as well, but electricity is quite expensive where I live. The 400 W would allow some higher-light animals at the bottom of the tank, though. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/26/2006, 05:09 PM	#2
Blown 346 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Rockford, Illinois Posts: 6,596	I would get 2 400 watt halides and maybe 2 110 watt VHO actinics if the kelvin rating of the halides isnt too high. If the kelvin rating is higher than 14 or 15K I wouldnt use actinic supple mentation since the halides will be very blue. Thehigher the kelvin rating or K the bluer the bulb is, also differnt manufacturers of bulbs, the color will vary.

02/26/2006, 05:55 PM	#4
Blown 346 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Rockford, Illinois Posts: 6,596	Ther tank is 30 inches deep, not 18 like the normal 90 gallons, that is why I reccomended the 400 watt halides. Without there strenght, they wouldnt be getting much light to the bottom of the tank. Otherwise if it was a 18" deep tank I would reccomend the 2 250 watts.

02/28/2006, 04:30 PM	#6
paveni Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Beaufort,South Carolina Posts: 31	Jonathan, I have not decided yet