Lighting For 20g

[xalex1]

Im deciding on what lights to get for my 20g tank. Ill be keeping some fish , and maybe a red starfish, Im still not sure but for corals ill im planing to get only one or 2 . I was thinking about getting this light setup for my tank. :

 

 

Lighting :

 

1 x Actinic blue 15 watts 18 inch

1 x Metal Halide 175 watts (from HomeDepot )

1 x 13watt PC light 50/50 (I had on my last tank)

 

 

What do you guys think ??

 

Thanks for your help

[xalex1]

MH bulb : Philips 175 Watt Clear Mogul Base ED28 Metal Halide Bulb

[NanoReefer53]

most likely that bulb will be around the 3000k rating which is useless in a reef. You can buy the ballast from homedepot but get a different bulb like a 10k.

[Brianc_4]

I agree with the last post, Home depot MH bulbs do not have the proper spectrum to be of use in a reef, you want at least a7000k

[Dave ESPI]

F it... put 400 watts on it ! you can keep sps and have a frag fest every month !

[xalex1]

Now i understand, the most important things are the K's then, Well thanks for your help !!

 

 

And what the real purpose of having actinic blue inthe acuarium ??

[xalex1]

These are the specs of th MH bulb:

 

Model 257592

 

White light source

Energy efficient

Long life

 

 

 

 

 

Sell Pack Description:

Each

 

 

Bulb Application:

High Intensity Discharge Bulbs

 

Type:

Metal Halide

 

Watts:

175 watts

 

Life:

10000 hrs.

 

Lumens:

13500

 

Number Of Bulbs:

1

 

Ansi Code/ballast Code:

M57

 

Manufacturer:

Philips

 

 

Is lumens the same as k ?? Sorry for the ignorance !

 

I really dont know

[NanoReefer53]

lumens is the amount of lighting being produced. In the reef hobby though it's better to look at the PAR rating ( Photosyntetically Available Radiation....i think). All light cannot be used by corals, only certain ones in ceratin wavelengths. That's the purpose of actinic. The symbiotic algae inside uses actinic light and therefore feeds the corals. The M57 ballast u have is a standard US ballast that will fire all 175w MH bulbs, although the german made bulb won't fire optimally on it but it can still be done.

[xalex1]

Thanks for the info nanoreefer !!!

[Demosthenes]

Go with any wattage you want, but for the bulb, get a 15K Xanium Bulb They are perfect. I run a 400W MH Pendant with a 15K Xanium bulb from HelloLights, and it's bright and beautiful. I would go with the 175W, and run the 15K, and that's it! The 15K provides a perfect look, with bright white, but it also has the blue/actinic that is needed by corals.

[Palmetto]

Why do other people's Home Depots have cool things like Metal Halide ballasts and SouthDown sand and mine do not?

 

Do we just get the leftovers down south?

 

Is that on a pendant or what? That could be a lot of heat on a 20-gallon tank, depending on how it is configured and what you do to cool it.

 

I have a couple of 20-gallon High tanks that I am running Power Compacts on, one has 2 x 65 and one has 2x55 in a fan-cooled enclosed hood with one actinic and 10k bulb.

[xalex1]

Can this setup produce the Nice purple coriline alge look on my rooks ??

 

 

1 x 18" 15 watts Actinic blue

1 x 18" 15 watts day light 10.000k or 20.000k

1 x 13 watt PC bulb 50/50 (Wich i had on my previuse tank)

 

What do you guys think ??

[xalex1]

What about :

 

2 x 18" (NO, T8) 50/50 Fluorescent, 15W -Coralife

1 x 13 watts PC 50/50

[xalex1]

What you guys think about my tank light combos , is it to little lighting ??

[spectre]

Xalex, I don't think that will be enough light. I have a 20 gal H with 2x65W PC's and this is not enough to keep sps's..

Does great for lps's and polyps though HTH

[Palmetto]

Spectre, have you tried keeping SPS under your 2x65? Most SPS will do OK in that, although without the growth rate they would have under MH.

 

Less light demanding species such as Pavona (an excellent starter SPS) will do fine at 130 watts of PC on a 20G.