actinic questions

[linty]

Sorry, but I am just starting in this stuff and I can't find the answers anywhere else.  On customsealife's page they sell a kit that has daylight bulbs that are much strongers than the actinic ones, but on ahsupply they with the 2x36 watt kit they say you can mix one daylight bulb and one actinic.  Which is more appropriate?  Is it overkill to have a 36 watt actinic in a 10 gallon tank?  

 

Also, in a normal setup does the actinic stay on while the daylight bulb is on too, or is it used only for dusk/dawn.

 

Sorry for asking such beginner questions...I'm sure you've answered them before but I'm having a lot of difficulty finding these things out.

 

thanks!

[NanoReefer53]

no problem linty....we were all in your position at first.

 

1x36 on a 10g is not a problem at all but only keep easier softies under this. Daylight bulbs always produce more light than the actinic. For reefs we use a mix of both because actinic light is what feeds the symbiotic algae that live inside corals and in turn the corals eat. You can have 2x36 on a 10g and keep some of the more light lovin corals but heat might be a problem if it's in an enclosed hood. If you decide to go with 1x36, you can try the 50/50 bulbs which are half actinic and half daylight.

    The actinic stays on while the daylight is on. For the dawn/dask effect you just turn on the actinic 30min-1hour longer and shorter. Example, the actinic is on for 12hours a day while the daylight is on for 10 hours a day. It's not totally necessary though. It just helps fish and corals not get shocked by a sudden burst of light.

[HuBu]

2 36 W on a 10 gal is better. allows you to keep more stuff. yeah its better to have one daylight bulb and one actinic bulb. this combination is better than having 2 50/50 bulbs.

[linty]

Great! thanks for the help!  I'm gonna go with the 2x36 with one of them being actinic.  I plan to mostly keep molluscs but I have been given the impression that some types of clams (maxima?) are very dependant on strong lighting.

[thegr8tdane]

you also don't want to do all actinic cause then that throws off how you see your tanks colors and you don't want to wash out all of colors. Thats why a daylight and a actinic work and look good too.

[NanoReefer53]

You can try squamosa clams under that lighting. Before that though make sure your waters are in very good condition.

[fish04]

I have the exact setup you are talking about. AHSupply 2x36, one bulb is 6400K the other is Actinic. (on my 10)

I have so much growth I trim the stuff once a month!

 

I can keep just about anything LPS, SPS, softies, and clams. I am planning on thinning out my corals a little bit and adding a small squamosa. Good luck!

 

I think you'll be very happy with your investment.

[linty]

Just got it in, the only thing I'd change that they should offer a kit with two ballasts for dusk/dawn (or am I wrong here, can it be done?)