Lighting Question

[dansemacabre]

Aighty. My tank is 72" long and 18" wide. It is 20" deep (top to bottom). I want to get _2_ SETS of 36" 4x96w PC. This would generate a total of 768 watts of lighting, 384 watts on each side. I would have 2x10,000K and 2x03 Actinics in each set. Alternating in order in each set. Will this work, is it good? If funds are pressing, is it ok to light one side, and then light the next about a month (though hopefully not that long) later? Or is it best to wait and buy it all at once? Thanks for any/all input.

 

[fishfreek]

Hm this tank sounds exactly like my tank. An odd shaped 80 gal right?

I have the exact lighting setup you described.

4 X 96W PC with 2 10K bulbs in front and 2 Actinics in back.

 

[dansemacabre]

Hmmm, mine's a 120. As a question though, why do you have them seperated front and back? Why not (from front to back) 10k, 03, 10k, 03? I've got a while before I get them, but I was wondering. Thanks!

 

[fishfreek]

I have two banks of lights.

FRONT OF TANK

---10K--- ---10K---
----03--- -----03---

BACK OF TANK

Maybe the above photo will help show how my bulbs are setup. I dont have room for 4 bulbs all in a line

 

[fishfreek]

Ah. 120ish gal tank.

Mine is 72X13X20. Its really ODD shaped

 

[dansemacabre]

That looks like a cool setup. I'm thinking about moving my tank (go figure, after I've filled it) to the other side of the room. The computer room is on the other side of the wall (maybe 8'x12'). It'd be easy to remove the computer and put the sump back in here. Hide all that ugly stuff and keep the noise level down. Anyways! So, if need be, would it be ok for me to buy one side (4x96) and then the other side (another 4x96) if funds are pressing? Or should I wait and buy it as a whole. I don't care how funny it'd make it look having one lighted side, as long as it was starting to help out my LR (and eventually my corals, when I get them). Thanks for the help fishfreek!