Another Stupid Lighting ?

zoalover34

zoalover34

Superstar Fish
#1
Jun 5, 2006
1,269
2
0
43
Kent, OH
#1
i was just wondering if there was anyway that i could keep my LR alive w/ the standard hood if i just bought new bulbs? don't really have alot of money to spend a few hundred on a icecap or whatever.. i know the answer is probably no but i wanna get everything i need before i actually start putting stuff in a tank ( 55gal ) .. if anyone uses regular lights let me know! thanks
 

S.Reef

S.Reef

Superstar Fish
#2
Dec 1, 2003
1,830
0
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36
Michigan
#2
With regular fluorescent lighting you would be fine with keeping some live rock. Depending on how many bulbs you have in the fixture you may get away with some mushroom corals, etc. Keep in mind the rock may not look as colorful under regular flkuorescent lighting.
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#3
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#3
Yes, the LR will be ok, and coralline algae will probably grow better under NO fluorescents than anything else. Try to get bulbs that a re a bit more 'blue' like 10K , 18K rather than freshwater tubes
 

zoalover34

zoalover34

Superstar Fish
#4
Jun 5, 2006
1,269
2
0
43
Kent, OH
#4
so i could use the regular hood that came with the tank i would just need to use brighter bulbs? i think i read somewhere that there is away to switch the sockets inside the hood? is this true? and if it is how hard would be? that's good that i can still use my regular hood b/c i really wanna get my tank going but i was holding off untill i get everything i need! im about to pick up a sea-clone protein skimmer for kinda cheap.. its up to 100gal. anyone use this or hear any good reviews? im gonna post about it in the equipment fourm... thanks for giving me hope that LR can live with regular lights!*BOUNCINGS
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#7
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#7
Jim, there are vast amounts of reviews of seaclones on the web, and for other protein skimmers as well. If you want to make good choices with marine equipment it's very easy to simply google the particular device, or to google protein skimmer reviews. Also you need to become familiar with the big info sites like reef central, wetwebmedia et al.

You need to be able to do your own research else you will find it painfully easy to waste multiple hundreds of dollars. I think the seaclone is unmitigated rubbish. Even tho' there are a few people here who think they are decent, the vast majority would disagree, especially after you've seen a proper skimmer in operation.

A decent ability to search the internet will also enable to pick up some very good used deals on skimmers and other equipment
 

Lorna

Lorna

Elite Fish
#8
Mar 3, 2005
3,082
4
0
NE Indiana
#8
I have a CPR Bakpak 2R on my 20g that I just picked up for $70 on ebay new factory second and with the addition of an airstone in the bubble chamber it seems to be working just fine. I don't think there are too many reliable skimmers in that price range as most reliable ones run about $150 or more. You could do this without a skimmer in the beginning as your bioload should be pretty low. Just make sure that you are up for weekly water changes of at least 10-15%
 

Joe Fish

Joe Fish

Superstar Fish
#9
Apr 21, 2006
2,126
1
0
Penn State
josy.isa-geek.com
#9
Regarding the intial lighting question.... I'm looking at PC light that is 48" and has 2 x 65W bulbs that would be about 130 total watts. I currently have a regular floursent ligh with 2 40w bulbs. What is the difference of me getting another regular floursent fixture with 2 more 40w bulbs and getting the PC 2 65w bulbs?
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#10
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#10
Well on the amount of light emitted by the bulbs, there is I would suspect very little difference between 2 65's and 4 * 40. The difference will fall to the reflector technologies, and how much light they can direct down to the tank. This is where T5's kill other fluorescent tubes- with theor narrow profile it is possible to produce a reflector that is terribly efficient, especially comapred to PC. Other reflectors reflect light back into the tube. Of courese that means you need to reflect with a decent reflector (read Tek light, or for me deltec, aqua medic et al. Not corallife, sharing one reflector, you need individual gullwing reflectors)
In this case there is also the small q of 2 *65 versus 4 *40 watt being a bit mreo of a point source, less dispersed, a bit more controllable.

But as a consolation I am growning SPS under 4*40 so it can certainly work over shallow tank. But for a 55 (12 inches wide, 18 water depth) it might be tricky to get the reflectors right to get best vfm
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#13
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#13
Yes, and that makes a big differnce, but ultimately designed reflectors are evne better, by some 10's of percent. Lots of light gets reflected, but you don't have control where all of it goes, so losing maybe 30, 40% percent reflected light potentially. It would be very hard to make good reflectors for PC's (bent tubes make it tricky) and simple logistics make it unlikely to make good gullwings for T8, and worse T12's
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#15
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#15
If you don't have any reflectors then absolutely put foil behind the tubes, it will add about 40% of light. The only problem with foil is it get grubby, so white mylar is a better bet. Off the top of my head I'm not sure if, if you use foil, it should be smooth or crumpled
 

Joe Fish

Joe Fish

Superstar Fish
#16
Apr 21, 2006
2,126
1
0
Penn State
josy.isa-geek.com
#16
W

wayne

Elite Fish
#17
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#17
That would be a decent light. See if they'll swap the actinic for something more useful.
The only reserve I would have on that light is that you will go thro a lot of bulbs, especially actinics, high K bulbs. If you have the choice between that, and a single DE metal halide fixture, get the halide
 

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