can you tell its christmas yet??

[chizzle]

two weeks ago, instead of just moving our 55gal tank, we decided to upgrade. the LFS was having a pretty good sale on black friday (75gal for $75 - we didnt need stand, lights, ect. but even if we did it was still $150), and we got sucked into it. anywhoo, after about 8 hours of work, we finally got everything together & happy.

now, with christmas around the corner, all we can think about is upgrading our lights. we were planning on doing it before, but good thing we didnt. here's the question: what kind, exactly, do we need? we dont really know what kind of corals we want to keep, but i dont want to upgrade more than once, or necessarily be limited in our choices of corals either. money isnt any issue ( this is the only thing we are getting for christmas, from entire family - everyone is chipping in ). i dont really need advice on brands, although that is always a help , but more or less, the best combo of lights - compacts, MH, T5, ect.

also, i havent gotten a chance to update my info yet but the new tank is 75gal, long (48"), and we are planning on doing about 6 WPG, or a little higher.

thanks in advance!

 

[roka64]

I just bought these lightshttp://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12113&N=2004+113352 for my 125G and love them. You can buy these, as drs don't charge extra for weight.

 

[loyalrogue]

The best combo that won't limit your possibilities in the future is definitely like what roka posted, a MH and actinic PC/FLO fixture.
That Coralife is a great brand, probably top of the line, and if money isn't an issue go for it.

Hmmmmm... on the other hand... if money really wasn't an issue for me, I would just have to be one of the first to try out the cutting edge of reef lighting and get one of those fully programmable, computerized LED fixtures.
http://www.solarisled.com/
It looks like the 48" model would run you just over $2300.

 

[roka64]

Hmmmmm... on the other hand... if money really wasn't an issue for me, I would just have to be one of the first to try out the cutting edge of reef lighting and get one of those fully programmable, computerized LED fixtures.

LOL! I was going to say the same thing!

 

[fishrfreinds]

How much are those?

 

[roka64]

It looks like the 48" model would run you just over $2300.

You can beta test them!

 

[fishrfreinds]

LOL!






Those will always be expensive. or atleast for the next 20 years.

 

[lando]

Congrats on the upgrade! Lighting is really dependant on what you want to keep. Some species of anemones, most soft corals and LPS corals will do just fine under the proper amount of CF, VHO or T5 lighting. If you have aspirations of keeping clams, SPS corals or high light anemones then MH will be in order.

 

[chizzle]

Thanks for all the quick responses & suggestions.

Ahh, but money is an issue when we are talking about $2300. but...extra financial aid money may help with those...12 credits instead of 18...or maybe lights for the fish tank instead of a ring & a wedding...eh, the lights can wait

roka, the model you posted was the one i have been looking at. which definatly makes me feel better about the purchase. was that the one with the built in timer, or am i thinking of something else...?

the one i am leaning towards is the 48" 492W, would would put me at 6.56 WPG. If I went with the higher one, 696W, I'd be getting 9.28WPG, which is a little extreme right? and for those of you that dont want to click on the link roka posted...Aqualight Pro HQI/Compact Fluorescent/Lunar Light Fixture.

and then with those lights, if someone wouldnt mind throwing me out a quick list of what we can/can't keep, it would be greatly appreciated because you all are the best.

thanks again for the help.

 

[loyalrogue]

Those will always be expensive. or atleast for the next 20 years.

Maybe, maybe not...

There's been some awesome discoveries in the last year that could position LEDs to make traditional lighting a thing of the past.
Check out this MSNBC article on coating LEDs with quantum dots to produce "full spectrum" white light.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9777070/

When the light from the LED shines on the quantum dots it causes them to produce their own white light.
Now imagine coating your aquarium reflectors with a quantum dot mixture or even coating the inside surface of your whole hood.
Less energy, More light, No additional heat.

 

[roka64]

roka, the model you posted was the one i have been looking at. which definatly makes me feel better about the purchase. was that the one with the built in timer, or am i thinking of something else...?

I think, if you read the link for the LED lighting system, that one, I believe has a built in timer. The unit I linked did not. I bought this outdoor timerhttp://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDU...ID=ccgdaddjigmldfecgelceffdfgidgin.0&MID=9876 from HD....actually it is not that exact unit, mine had 6 outlets. I got that one because my lighting cords are under my tank, and it is water proof. I also bought a similar weather proof outlet protector, but I can't find it on the HD web site.

 

[Dr.Nate]

and then with those lights, if someone wouldnt mind throwing me out a quick list of what we can/can't keep, it would be greatly appreciated because you all are the best.

thanks again for the help.[/quote]




At 6.6 wpg with MH, you could keep even the most light hungry species including clams. You'll have to be careful going the other way, ie exposing lower light corals to too much light and bleaching them--but if you keep 'em near the bottom of the tank they should acclimate. Also, you might want to read the article on acclimating your tank to new, more intense lighting. It could help keep 'em from bleaching also. congrats on the new light! This is the one I've been wanting for some time also--let us know how big a difference it makes.

wow, I just found this on ebay....hopefully you haven't bought your light yet....check it out:
http://cgi.ebay.com/48-CORALIFE-AQU...ryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[chizzle]

okay, so the decision is finally made. that is the model im going with.

Dr. Nate, thanks for that link to ebay, I had looked at that early, but somehow missed that seller. I think we are going to be buying from him.

at the moment, we dont have any corals so we dont need to worry about acclimating...but i will definately keep it in mind for the future.

Roka, I think you are right - I was looking at a different model. And thanks again for the suggestion, smart choice. I'll definately look into it.

we should be making the purchase in the next week or two, so I will let everyone know how things go a little while down the road. Thanks again!