Lights n' Lids (more Questions!!)

[Shultz]

Looking through the couple of books I have I can't really find a proper answer to this?

My new setup (This weekend hopefully) is a tank (36x15x18) with no lid as I intend in a few months time (hopefully) to add some soft corals to it.

To recap I'm to start with LR to cycle & then fish, then the coral... Now one book seems to indicate I need light for the LR, the other says it doesn't?? Do I need lights?

I don't really want to waste money on tubes I'll use for a short period, I've been told already that I'd need a 4 tube T5 setup for my 3ft long tank for the coral (wifey says no MH hanging from ceiling) But from what I can find in shops/internet, at 3ft I'm limited to a 2 tube option???

If I can get a 4 tuber can I change those tubes for something else whilst I have the FOWLR? Or am I better off getting some cheap lid/tube unit until I'm ready for the T5's?

I'm UK based as well as far as options are concerned....

Cheers Shelton.

 

[Atari]

from what I can find in shops/internet, at 3ft I'm limited to a 2 tube option???

There's 4xT5 setups for 36" tanks. There's two switches so you can have either 2 or 4 tubes lit at a time. For some unfathomable reason they didn't put them on separate power supplies so timers will only control all 4 tubes at once.

 

[Shultz]

from what I can find in shops/internet, at 3ft I'm limited to a 2 tube option???

There's 4xT5 setups for 36" tanks. There's two switches so you can have either 2 or 4 tubes lit at a time. For some unfathomable reason they didn't put them on separate power supplies so timers will only control all 4 tubes at once.

hehehehe, thanks Atari (you must be bored of all my questions!) you think I should buy one of these & change say 2 tubes whilst I'm fish only? Buy a single cheap tube setup? Or something else?

(EDIT) OK, my bad after a better look around (better search keywords) I can find 4 tube units, but the price is shocking!

Looks like my best bet might be 2x 2 tube Retrofit kits in either a bought lid or make one myself thus I can buy 1 at a time, will the T5 tubes be alright (although overkill) for the FOWLR or should I replace atleast one tube with something else until I go coral?

Cheers Shelton.

 

[Atari]

It's really up to you and your budget.

Personally, I like to get everything I need upfront so I don't have to worry about upgrading later and ending up with obsolete equipment.

There's no reason you couldn't use this light while you have a FO tank. Infact if you're going FOWLR then it would be ideal as you can just add softies as and when you're ready without having to worry about lighting.

Bear in mind though that this won't be enough for SPS or clams.

 

[Shultz]

Anybody got any views on the retrokits & compacts available here in the UK, the main ones seem to be

ASL, D&D, A.N.Other?

Cheers Shelton.