Lighting, What Is Right

[Cumminz]

ive been looking in books and alll over the internet and i cant seem to find the difference, people say to go with mh, but i dont know why. Can i get a little help please.

 

[CoolWaters]

metal halide is used mainly because of its high lumens output and photo flux (something like that...in other words its the closest light system to the sun) and the color temp. (kelvins) are easly controled.
thats what iv noticed so far.

oh and because of its light output intensity it can penetrate farther then PC or other bulbs.

 

[Cumminz]

What is a descent inexpensive brand of mh lighting

 

[Cumminz]

ok i was jus looking at mh online and the cheapest one i found was around 700 dollars, what is the next best thing next to mh

 

[Mushroomman]

it depends on what size lamps youre looking to get. I know liveaquaria.com sells hamilton pendant halides, like a 250 watt 14,000K for around 300-something. That lights up little more than half of a 4 foot long tank.

Another option would be t-5 VHO flourescents, or power compact flourescents.

 

[Cumminz]

im looking at t-5 flourescents, about how many watts should i be looking at?

 

[MrBungle]

Don't know if I missed it but how big is the tank?

 

[Lotus]

Along with tank size, what are you planning to keep? SPS corals, LPS corals, soft corals, fish only?

If you do decide on T5 lighting, get a HO (high output) fixture with individual reflectors.

Reef lighting is by no means cheap. It would be better to save up to get a really good system than to get a lesser system "for now," then have to get another one later.

 

[Cumminz]

my tank is 125 i want a reef, but this will be my first sw, and i am not sure what kind of corls i will want. I will probably go with soft corals and around 150 Lbs of LR

 

[1979camaro]

With a tank as deep as a 125 metal halides will be your most economical and effective method of keeping corals with much success. Metal Halide is a more expensive option to begin with, but the amount of T5 or PC you will need over that size tank will be considerable and the replacement costs will be significant over time.

 

[Cumminz]

ok, well that just delayed me starting my tank around 2 months while i save more for the damn mh. thanks alot. hehe. thank you for your help, it is much appreciated

 

[1979camaro]

Don't expect this to be cheap...you are either going to have to spend money on good equipment or spend your life doing maintenance if you wish to be successful. Sometimes, even a lot of maintenance isn't enough if the equipment is too low quality.

 

[Lotus]

The good news is... some people recommend allowing your tank to mature for six months or a year before adding corals. It certainly doesn't hurt to take things slowly. That will give you time to save up for lighting

 

[Cumminz]

Ya well i know it isn't cheap. I already have all the ballasts and stuff for the flourescent because my friend gave them to me when he used the tank for FW. So, could i set those up, get all my live rock in there and let it rest for the 6-8 weeks before I do anything, Then when I am ready to put coral in it, could i switch over? That is just a thought.

 

[TRe]

ok, well that just delayed me starting my tank around 2 months while i save more for the damn mh. thanks alot. hehe. thank you for your help, it is much appreciated

if this is your first sw tank id take it slow and start off with a FOWLR setup.... keeping in mind that you want a reef id only get reefsafe fish as months go by and you gain more and more knowlege slowly work your way into a reef.... not to mention your tank should be established well before you start to add corals.... before puchasing your lights youve got plenty of other things such as live rock,skimmer,ect that are kind of nesecerry

 

[Cumminz]

Ok, I am getting a skimmer in a few weeks. Thank you for the help.