Lighting question

[Mike1995]

I have one of those finnex marine 24/7 lights on my 75g. know not the best but it's what I could afford for now. Would this light be okay for any corals? Maybe soft corals like zoanthids? Or toadstool? Or mushrooms?
If not, would two of these lights be effective? Believe me I'd go buy a few ecotech lights if I could

Also I was wondering about the ai prime hd lights. If they're Coral capable, how many would I need for a 75g?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Two is your best bet yes.
For the budget most go for a couple of the mars aqua style black box lights.

And yea the primes grow coral well. Youd need two at a minimum

 

[Orm Embar]

You could also try a strong bar light to add to what you have; I saw a recent ad for Orphek's bar lights which would boost your wattage (and presumably PAR). https://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/orphek-launches-powerful-strip-lights

Not sure which to go with, however.

Black boxes, or 2 AI Primes would be another way to go. I have a Hydra HD 26 on my Red Sea Reefer 170, and I get into more trouble with it being on too high (I've got my UV turned to zero as I was bleaching Ricordea) so I've toned the wattage down.

 

[Katrina71]

Look at reef bar lights on eBay. There are some economical add ons. 21ledusa is a reputable seller and will point you in the right direction. Or...contact your local reef club and see if anyone has a second hand light within your budget.

 

[Mike1995]

Thanks everyone I'll go look into those ideas!

 

[Mike1995]

Two is your best bet yes.
For the budget most go for a couple of the mars aqua style black box lights.

And yea the primes grow coral well. Youd need two at a minimum

For the Mars black boxes, Is there like a bracket or something I could attach to the back of my tank to hang them? My ceilings are old and aren't really suitable for hanging anything with any kind of wieght.

 

[Mike1995]

I'm also wondering for the Mars lights, to set a lighting schedule, would I just go get a couple of those timers from home Depot or something?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Mike, yes and couple of timers from HD or Lowes will work well.

And IMHO, 2 of the Mars Aqua basic fixtures will be more than enough for your tank. You could sell the other fixture or just use it as an accent or for some sunrise/sunset lighting before and after the Mars Aquas are running. And that will be enough light for you to grow any kind of coral. The difference in cost between a Mars Aqua and an AI or Radion is WAY less about the light they make and how well they grow coral and WAY more about other features that your coral couldn't care less about!

It's like the difference in cost between a new Fiat 500 and a new Ferrari. They both will get you where you want to go by providing good basic transportation, but the Ferrari is more about features for your comfort or enjoyment.

 

[Mike1995]

Mike, yes and couple of timers from HD or Lowes will work well.

And IMHO, 2 of the Mars Aqua basic fixtures will be more than enough for your tank. You could sell the other fixture or just use it as an accent or for some sunrise/sunset lighting before and after the Mars Aquas are running. And that will be enough light for you to grow any kind of coral. The difference in cost between a Mars Aqua and an AI or Radion is WAY less about the light they make and how well they grow coral and WAY more about other features that your coral couldn't care less about!

It's like the difference in cost between a new Fiat 500 and a new Ferrari. They both will get you where you want to go by providing good basic transportation, but the Ferrari is more about features for your comfort or enjoyment.

Is there a bracket or something I could buy to hang them? My ceilings are aren't the best to hang from, they're also really high.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Some of them come with “legs”.

A lot of folks use a flatscreen tv mount to hang them from the wall behind the tank.

Ferrari wax is $200 for 6oz.

 

[TankLife86]

Hey Mike,

I saw your thread regarding the lights on your tank. I have 2 black boxes for my 120gal and I made an L shape bracket behind the stand that goes 16in above my tank. I used the hanging brackets that come with the lights. Here is a pic of what my tank looked like after I installed. Maybe you can get an idea and it cost my no more than $10 for all the materials.

 

[Ron Reefman]

You can buy very inexpensive 'L' brackets used to mount shelves on a wall and hang the fixtures off them. They are only a couple of bucks each. My hanging job here isn't the best looking, but then this was just a work tank in a spare room and very few people saw it. With two 16" fixtures you'd only need 2 brackets but 3 would be more stable and the fixtures would be less prone to rotate.

Tanklife86's look much better. And I think there is some kind of metal framing that you could use rather than using 2x4. But his 2x4 system looks pretty darn good!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

 

[Mike1995]

Hmm good ideas! I might try the 2x4 method first. My walls are cinder blocks or bricks under the paint so that might be best option. The L brackets don't look too bad. Assuming the included hanging wires are too short, would like steel cable from home Depot work? I'm just asking because I don't wanna get the wrong stuff and have it rust into my tank lol.

 

[Ron Reefman]

You want stainless steel cable. But most fixtures come with good hanging kits and enough cable for anything but an ultra high ceiling mount.

I have cement block walls as well. The 2x4 mounted into the block or brick will be super stable.

 

[Mike1995]

You want stainless steel cable. But most fixtures come with good hanging kits and enough cable for anything but an ultra high ceiling mount.

I have cement block walls as well. The 2x4 mounted into the block or brick will be super stable.

Ah alright thank you!