Do I need new lights?

[scouncil]

OK, I took the glass off the top of my tank and it does seem that I have to put everything at the top of my tank to get it to live, but how much light DO I need and what do I need? I hate having bought all this not too cheap stuff and now I need new stuff? Can I add some lights to the current lights, or should I sell the whole bar (and who would want it? It's 6 feet, not the easiest thing to ship). Can I get bigger bulbs? Would that help? I think my husband will kill me if I spend a bunch more money (but if I need to, I will- uh Tommy, what kind do you have and will they do it?) I need advice.
Susan

 

[gflat65]

What size tank do you have? What kind of lighting set up (I've heard 150WDE-any supplementation)? What bulbs are you running?

I use, as a general rule, 250W MH for anything over about 24" deep, and would likely do 400W for anything over 30" deep, if keeping a lot of SPS. Over my 120, I have (2)-175W MH and VHO's and seem to do fine with softies, zoas, and LPS. I have a few SPS in there that are starting to look good, too.

 

[ironman]

Susan, you need at least 250 watt halides. Honestly tommies lights would be great for what you are doing. If you had intentions of setting up a high end SPS tank I would say go for 400 watt halides, but if you just want the accasional SPS, and a LPS and softy dominated tank you dont want 400 watt, they would tend to burn some lps and softies. I would say tommies might be perfect for you. otherwise you may want to consider making your own lights with lumenarcs like donny runs at the store, and maybe some T5 suplaments

 

[ironman]

I bet tommy would let you run his over your tank for alittle while to see if you like them! What a salesman, do I get a comision

 

[ironman]

Also did you ever get some carbon running on that tank, you really need something to clear the water. It is so yellow you arnt getting the light penatration you could be

 

[Saltysteele]

cough, cough, t, cough, 5's, cough

 

[scouncil]

I'm going to Donny's today to take some skimmer parts back from the old Tunze skimmer. So I'll get some carbon (I totally forgot- alzheimers, you know.....).

Gflat, I do have 3 150 MH bulbs with a 200gal tank that is 6 feet wide and 30 or 32 inches deep (same tank as Tommy's just 2 feet shorter and his is probably a nicer brand). I can hardly put anything below halfway down in my tank. I have supplementation (not T5, what are the other longer blue tubes? I used to do FOWMR tank for years and only kept mushrooms- so I am new to the lighting world).

Tommy is bringing by his light today and we are going to try it. It's only 4ft long, but it has 2- 250mhs and supplementation. I'm probably not ever going to do the high end sps tank since even Brandon AND Bryan kill SPS on a regular basis, I know I'll be killing everything.... Mostly softies and some SPS....

 

[scouncil]

Maybe Rev needs a lighting forum, or is that under the "new to SW aquariums" thread?

 

[gflat65]

You'll see a huge difference with 250W over 150W. Like Brian said, unless you want to go to full blown SPS, 250's will be fine. You are probably running VHO's as supplementation. That's what I'm running, but will likely switch to T5's for supplementation at some point (bulbs last longer). I like the denser colors and ripple effect of MH too much to swtich completely to T5's. (Solely) T5's tend to give SPS a pastel color that is eye candy, but not natural to my eyes. Not bad, but not really my tastes.

 

[ironman]

Hey susan, what you have are called P O W E R C O M P A C T S! :biggrin: HEHE! just wanted to say it slow so you can understand it. HEHE!

 

[gflat65]

Ahhhhhhh. Time for something new.

 

[bkv1997]

Susan:

You've killed more powder blue tangs in one year than i've kill polyps in my 10 year in the hobby and there are alot of polyps on your typical sps coral.

Do you really want to keep throwing stones?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Susan: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=30

 

[scouncil]

Well, sure if you count zoa polyps. Who could kill those anyway? The blue is still alive, but I'm not sure for how long. Very sad. My last powder blue. It should have jumped out of the tank before I brought it home. Poor thing. I just can't be as good as you at not killing things. I just think they are beautiful and really wanted one. I guess it's just not meant to be....

And Rev, thanks for the lighting thread, but it doesn't address my problem really (deep tank and what lights have par readings below 20 inches). I've got one of Tommy's lights now and he brought over his par meter (that he won as a raffle at the swap- I hate him- he won everything!!!) and WHAT a difference a 100watts for MH light will make. And now I just need to figure out what to do with the last 24inches of my tank (due to the tank braces, we couldn't put the light in the middle - two MH, two braces right under them. Ugh!!!) And OF COURSE Donny just sold the matching 24" light a few days ago for really cheap. I am, once again a dollar short and a day late.....

And Tommy, thanks for the help. I appreciate it. And Bryan, thanks for the bulb feeder thing. I had wanted one of those things for a while. That wasn't the last one, was it?
Susan

 

[bamachamp92]

i looked and the 24 inch is 439 through dr foster and smith also

 

[scouncil]

Ouch.... opinions? The 450 MH with the whopper fancy black hanger thing was $350.....
Susan

 

[reef-nut]

You know, most of the guys that use halides spends most of there time hiding zoos under rocks for shade. Ricordea likes lower light also. I have a 46 gallon BF and it has 114 watts of T-5's on it and it does great. It has mostly zoos, ricordea and a couple LPS. If you plan on having mostly SPS, then sure go with halides, but if you are doing softies or a lot of zoos, halides are not necessary.

 

[ironman]

Thanks reefnut, she is running several SPS, and it is a 30Inch deep tank, so no comparison to a 46 gallon depth.
Susan, Or should I call you thief! I set that feeder on the counter several weeks ago cause it was the last one, and I forgot to get it when I left, it was still there today so I put it with my stuff I was buying, and you intentionally STOLE it! I cant believe you. and you knew it, you looked and laughed as you ran to your car, and even tommy and alex knew cause they were laughing. this was no accident! There will be revenge. trust me.
I think the pendant donny had with a icecap ballast will look alot better than most options available, but for an extra $100 it looks like you can have the matching unit to your right? so tough call. I have a single ended halide pendant that is in a black casing is you want to try it, but you will have two different bulb colors if you do that

 

[scouncil]

And the bulb feeder really works nicely!!! After the conversation of you and Brandon messing (ok, screwing) Tommy before you even met him, I couldn't resist, and besides, I've been using a baby medicine dropper which works well, but is short. I can relinquish the thing to you, but it sure was fun getting you!!! I didn't know it was the last one. Can't Donny get any more?

I'll probably go with the matching unit. It's just killing me that Donny sold the same thing just 2 days ago for $250. I can't believe that.... Ugh!. The matching unit would look a lot nicer, don't you think? I feel bad not buying from Donny, but if he has to pay $440 for the thing himself, I don't think he can come close to Dr. Foster.
Susan

 

[ironman]

be sure when you figure total cost between buying from dony and buying from drsfoster that you figure shipping from drsfoster, but you also have tax with dony, so its never as cut and dry as a base price. I try and buy from donny if the price is relatively close, but im like you if he cant come close I will order it. nothing against donny, but I have to survive as well. I will pay the same or alittle more to help his store. (but unfortunatly paying the same as online prices to donny probly isnt making him any money , his cost on dry goods is nearly online retail most of the time. Sucks he cant get a normal margin to markup) Anyway, maybe you can find a good used one somewhere