lighting question????

[armyfishnj]

I am proud to say that my nano is coming along nicely....I am doing good on all my tests and am getting ready to go to the next step. I would like some input on what types of lighting I can use with my 30L. I was looking at a certain type but am still not too sure about it.

 

Exactly how much light do I need per gallon to have corals in my tank? I was thinking about 96w actinic and 96w 10,000K. Is this okay or can I go with less watts or do I need more watts? All help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[jasontatro]

Sorry, I dont have a response for you, but your post prompted me to ask a question.

 

I have seen several posts like yours and I am wondering how people are cycling their tanks without having lighting first. Or are you just usng NO lighting. I have not purchased my LR or LS yet because I thought I needed to have my lighting squared away first.

 

If anyone could clear this up for me I would appreciate it. If I could add my filtration and just use NO lighting it would give me some time to put together my lighting package while my tank is cycling.

[jdsabin1]

You need to do a lot more research from a lighting perspective. There is no right or wrong answer to how much lighting you will need. It entirely depends on what type of corals/critters you would like to keep.

 

96 watts may be okay for low light softies but not much else over a 30 gallon tank. You may want to check out Hellolights.com for DIY or complete hood PC light kits. Also head over to reefcentral.com and do some searches there.

 

Finally, have you read all the articles that are posted on this site? I do believe there are some that reference lighting for nanos.

 

HTH!

[Chupacabras]

I love the look of those 30L's... if I'm not mistaken, the 30L would use around a 36.5" fixture which you could get in PC from one of the various vendors. The ones I've seen are 2x96W rigs which would be quite a bit in a tank as shallow as that. Personally, I prefer PC's in these shallow tanks but YMMV. I think that they carry those over at Aquarium Authority just off of rt. 73... see if they have anything that looks good to you.

 

If they don't have what you're looking for you could always make a trip up to Hidden Reef up in Philly. It's a little bit of a trip but they stock just about every type of light on the planet.

 

If you need directions just let me know.

 

HTH

[armyfishnj]

Thanks Chupa.... If you could sen me directions over to Hidden Reef that would be great. I still am not 100% sure on my lighting. I do however want to keep corals which need moderate lighting. I want good lights that will last a bit. Which type of PC lights are you using?

[Chupacabras]

These directions are from Jays Elbow Room on 73N but you get the gist . http://thehiddenreef.com/[/url] . It's a pain to find the place the first time but if you turn right at the Taco Bell/ Dunkin' Donuts and then turn in behind them just drive a little past the library and you're there.

 

I'm using a Custom Sealife 30" 2x65w on my 20L btw.

 

EDIT: Bah, my mapquest link didn't work... there's a map on the hidden reef site, just bang that adress in and you'll be fine... 73N, over the Tacony, right on Harbison, right on Roosevelt, right at Welsh and just pull into the second or third driveway (can't remember which, it'll make sense when you see it) on the left.

[TiGs]

You have to ask your self how much are you willing to spend for lights? If you are willing to spend a lot, get metal halide. With metal halide in the long run you wouldnt have to upgrade your lighting if you wanted to keep more light demanding corals or clams.

 

Of course there are few exceptions of people who can keep high light demanding corals with just PC lights that do thrive.

[Chamkeeper]

Army,

 

I use a single 96W 50/50 on my 30L, ~$100 online. I have Frogspawn, Colt, Zoos, Leather, 'Shrooms, GSP, Keyna Tree all growing quite nicely. I am planning on upgrading to MH soon, probably one or two 150 HQIs. If you can swing the $$$ go MH, other wise a simple single 96W will get you off to a solid start.

 

Cham