4x65watt Vs 4x96 watt

PuNanny

Large Fish
Feb 6, 2006
154
0
0
38
Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany
#1
My LFS told me if i where to go reef 4x65 watt power compact that it just wont work that I had to get the 4x96watt powercompact. Is he just blowing smoke or will the 4x65 watt be fine. Because 250 dollars more for the 96 seems out of my wallet reach just seeing if the 65 can do it. I have 2 feet of depth in my 64 gallontank. *SUNSMILE* *SUNSMILE* *SUNSMILE*
 

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wayne

Elite Fish
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#2
You can keep plenty of stuff under 4* 65 tho' some things will only thive under the 4*96. So it's time for some questions you need to ask your self....

1. What do I want to keep. What are it's lighting, water movemnt needs - don't know this, do research before spending money. Do you want to respend the money in 6 months time?

2. How good at maintenance are you - if you're real sharp at keeping things clean, replacing bulbs every 6 months, running carbon continuously you can get away with a lot less light than you think

3. Deep water is bad for underpowered bulbs - inverse square law rules - deep water = big bulbs. You might need to keep stuff near the surface. If you want to keep clams or brightly coloured sps in 2 feet of water you will be talking MH rather than PC anyway.

I would bear in mind you'll be changing those bulbs every 6 months. 250 dollars more for the 96's seems ridiculous to me. I am assuming this tank is something like 4 feet long, 2 feet deep and 12 inches wide (very narrow for decent aquascaping, but thats a separate artice). And you live in Germany I think(?). I'm amazed anybody even stocks PC bulbs there as they aren't especially efficient, I'd go down the shops of ebay and et 2 150 Watt DE Metal Halides (HQI to the germans). Should be about 400 dollars for the 2. If not thatt, get a 4 tube T5 luminaire
 

PuNanny

Large Fish
Feb 6, 2006
154
0
0
38
Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany
#3
thanks wayne if you can answer my other question on the clown fish in the one "How fast can your tank cycle" lol thanks wayne for all your help =) and yeah im station here in germany put germanys use 220v plugs instead of 110 like in the states so if i buy one here I cant bring it back to with me to the states. =(
 

wayne

Elite Fish
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#4
You really need to learn enough german to negotiate german e-bay - you can get skimmers and lights for comically low prices there. Far cheaper than the US, and far better quality
 

wayne

Elite Fish
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#6
I've been buying 10K MH bulbs there for approx 10, 12 dollars equivalent. If you don't know the german for skimmer and so on, try searching for brands like Aqua Medic or Deltec.
You may as well forget US brands. There simply is no demand in Europe for AquaC's et al, it's all Grotech, Tunze, Deltec et al