Hagen Showcase Bulb Clear 25 Watt duel
- Thread starter CoolWaters
- Start date
Is this a fluorescent bulb or what?..personally if this is a fluorescent I would upgrade. If its an incandescent definitly replace it. IMO the best lighting fro smaller tanks is pc this because you get more wattage intensity and its space conserving.
When it comes to Kelvin rating natural sunlight is aroun 10000K...a lot of people like to mix this with either actinics or 14k or 20k for more blue...there are also 50/50 bulbs that have 10k and actinic.
What it boils down to is wattage and kelvin are imortant for a reef. Kelvin for a saltwater tank I would keep between 6500k bare minimum to 20k. Wattage all depends on what kind of lighting it is IMo.
When it comes to Kelvin rating natural sunlight is aroun 10000K...a lot of people like to mix this with either actinics or 14k or 20k for more blue...there are also 50/50 bulbs that have 10k and actinic.
What it boils down to is wattage and kelvin are imortant for a reef. Kelvin for a saltwater tank I would keep between 6500k bare minimum to 20k. Wattage all depends on what kind of lighting it is IMo.
Lol...IMO...in my opinion, hopefully your not making fun of me lol. PC or power compact lighting can be picked up at any LFS, local fish store or basically any online vender. I personally like marinedepot.com. depending on the length and with of your tank you can choose a light accordingly. What are the dimensions and specs of the tanks? this can help with choosing a light
No prob..yea like i said look around at a few places at a few different options..i outlined a pretty standard way to go, there are plenty of other ways of doin it. If you spend some time at a good LFS they are also a good source of info for the most part, and I personally would rather do business with them then an online warehouse,
MH is just Metal Halide, PC Power Compact, just ask around if you don't know things. I asked a few questions here and there too. So are you planning on buying a set-up or doing one your self? Self projects can save you some $$$. Which tank are you going for, 6 gallons or 10? That can help us so we can help you. I from experience can say JBJ is my favorite brand. Sure many others work good and look good too, but it all depends on the taste you have.
im trying to do as much things as i can by myself so i dont have to get the pre-made, over-priced products.
i saw some parts at petsmart (but i might go to a hardware store) about PC lighting. i can make the reflectors myself just need the ballast and bulb.
so i should upgrade my cheap showcase lights for some PCs? (im glad to do that)
just wondering with my canopy on my tank theres a lot of evaporation and heat build up...its pretty much raining in there.
so would that damage the PC lights?
or should i get a glass cover to divide them? so the water doesnt get to it.
im also scared that my metal reflector will rust and contaminate the water. should i take them off and replace them with tin foil? or mirrors?
i think mirrors r better cuz they reflect more but heat is a problem. tin foil is just the other way around.
btw right now its 10g next up 46 XD
i saw some parts at petsmart (but i might go to a hardware store) about PC lighting. i can make the reflectors myself just need the ballast and bulb.
so i should upgrade my cheap showcase lights for some PCs? (im glad to do that)
just wondering with my canopy on my tank theres a lot of evaporation and heat build up...its pretty much raining in there.
so would that damage the PC lights?
or should i get a glass cover to divide them? so the water doesnt get to it.
im also scared that my metal reflector will rust and contaminate the water. should i take them off and replace them with tin foil? or mirrors?
i think mirrors r better cuz they reflect more but heat is a problem. tin foil is just the other way around.
btw right now its 10g next up 46 XD
Some fixtures have acylic lenses over the bulbs...umm keep it high enough off the water maybe. PC lights have a base that is enclosed in plastic, so if you just wipe off moisture every once in a while it you should be fine....I have a 96 watt pc light without any cover...and there is always a little moisture on the bulb.
Just to let you know, I had a screw-in PC bulb on one of my freshwater tanks where the water was splashing onto it (there were no sheilds). It did short out and flames came out of it. Luckily, I was at home at the time. I have since learned my lesson. I use a glass canopy under the hood, if I have to, even if it doesn't fit right after that.
Make sure the electrical components are sheilded from water!
Make sure the electrical components are sheilded from water!