Samc Posted July 3, 2004 Share Posted July 3, 2004 Ok. So I pick up my tank today at the LFS-a 29G (was planning on ordering but the owner, ken-who has like 25 years of experience keeping saltwater tanks-had a used one in the right color to match my stand and offered it to me for $25 vs. the $70 for a new one)-and I get into a discussion on lighting with ken, the owner, after telling him what I want to keep. I said I want to keep clams and sps in the tank and was planning on purchasing a 250 watt metal halide. He said I don't need that and a double bulb strip light will do perfectly fine-he also said I have been reading to much stuff on the internet. Anyway, I believe it can be done, but only for short periods of time (like the corals he kept-they stayed in the shop for the most a month and were gone) and they won't thrive. But, I am on a budget and $200 for a bulb is just a little expensive so I want to know (before everyone says it can't be done, because I have read more information on lighting than some people have read in their entire lives and I say it can't be done) who here has tried keeping corals for an extended period of time under a double bulb NO fixture WITH experince (so the rest of the water parameters were GOOD)-preferably higher light stuff like clams and sps. Also, who keeps these corals under two PC's out their? I know some of you keep clams in 20L's with 110 watts of PC. Let the games begin.... Sam Link to comment
Jahkaya Posted July 6, 2004 Share Posted July 6, 2004 I would be concerned with Ken. There is no way anyone has success keeping SPS anc clams under 2 NO bulbs. If you want SPS and clams stick with the original thought of the 250 halide over the 29 gallon. Link to comment
ReefMonkeee Posted July 6, 2004 Share Posted July 6, 2004 better spend the money now then spend more later to fix the problemz. Link to comment
Samc Posted July 11, 2004 Author Share Posted July 11, 2004 Thats my thought-buy pc's for $100+ and then decide you want mh latter and need to spend $200 on that-I think my deciding factor is bulb cost-$50 for a mh every 12-18 months or the same for less light in a pc every 9-12 months. I'm going to check out some T5's though-saw an ad for a double bulb fixture w/ bulbs for $50. How many do ya think I'd need-2 or 4? Sam Link to comment
Kool-cat Posted July 11, 2004 Share Posted July 11, 2004 130 watts of pc lighting for you. I got a coralifeaqualight on line for $139.99 off doctor fosters and smith. You can get maybe a clam and some moderate lgihting corals. You cant keep clams under nos. BUt so far your decision to not trust your local pet shop is a dumbs up. Link to comment
Samc Posted July 11, 2004 Author Share Posted July 11, 2004 Yeah, I was thinking about that, then I looked at the bulb cost-$20/ bulb every 9-12 months, need two, so thats $40. I will double check hellolights if they have cheaper, but that is virtually the cost of a mh! My orginal question still stands-has anyone tried keeping clams and sps under no (maybe like 4 bulbs). According to what I have read, it isn't possible (on the web and in books) but this guy has been keeping saltwater since before synthetic sea salts were available and thus things like 10k mh bulbs didn't exist and pc didn't exist period. Your only option was full spectrum no lighting. So has anyone TRIED????? Sam Link to comment
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