Need Some lighting Help

[WarOrks15]

Ok so i just got a 46 gallon bow front tank. i bought a wet/dry filter for it and i would like to make it a reef tank soon. i have not fish it it now and i am waiting for my live rock to come to my house. So my question is what kind of lighting would i need to get this reef tank up and running so i could grow coral and anemones. now if at all possible you guy could give me like names and models numbers that would be great. i would like to spend about $200-$300 just lighting. so lets hear what you all have to say. Thanks

 

[reefrunner69]

So my question is what kind of lighting would i need to get this reef tank up and running so i could grow coral and anemones

i would like to spend about $200-$300 just lighting

How much lighting you need will be determined by what your wanting to keep, softies, LPS, SPS, clams, etc, etc...

How much it costs is greatly determined by what you need and by how much DIY skill you have.

need to get this reef tank up and running so i could grow coral and anemones

It is not recommended for you to attempt anemones until you and your tank have at least a years experience and maturity in the hobby. Anemones tend to be very short lived in the aquarium due to poor collection and handling and also largely because of the ignorance of the hobbiest. This is really very sad, cause in the wild anemones are virtually immortal.

 

[WarOrks15]

well i would like to put in some soft coral like tree coral maybe some LPS but for sure some SPS. but i really do not know what i want far as names. Lats year i got in to fish . i started a FW and have had it up for a wile and now i am growing plants in it. for a gift i got a 46 tank and wanted to make it SW because the look is so much better then FW i think (as far as color goes)
i like to do a lot of my own work. i have a lot of the tools and the DIY knowledge to take care of a lot of things.

 

[jackdp]

How long and deep is the tank? I would go with metal halide if you want to keep sps. 2 lamp system at either 175 watts or 250 watts. Supplement with PC or VHO for actinic, with 250's you could keep just about anything you wanted. Look around for MH retrofit kits that you can build into a canopy that is suspended over the tank. Stay away from an enclosed canopy that sits directly on top of the tank as this can cause heat issues. Plan on building a couple of fans into the canopy also.

 

[WarOrks15]

but what would some thing like that run me. over 200? sounds like a lot.

and my tank is 36" long 20" high and 12" wide at the smallest and 17" at the widest part (the center)

 

[jackdp]

It's not to cheap to keep sps, you could go with a PC lighting set up. That would save you money but you wouldn't be able to keep higher light corals like sps and anemones or clams.

 

[jks1]

it will prob be consiredably over $200 but it is necessary if you want to keep SPS. Try these links

http://www.championlighting.com/e/e...ts.html?link=/Products/Lighting/lighting.html

http://www.aquariumlight.com/product_info.asp?dbid=311

 

[WarOrks15]

ok so what could i grow if i had a lighing system that was about $200 is is any thing that really looks cool or would i have to spend more. you see the problem is that i am only 18 and the job that i have dose not pay vary well. but i would need some lighing that i could use to keep the live rock alive. and may be grow some thing from it.

 

[jackdp]

You could look at PC lighting. You can get a 3x96 or 4x96 watt PC set up from http://www.ahsupply.com for around $200. Keep in mind that that doesn't include the bulbs which are $20-30 each. Shop around and see what you find. With 3 or 4 96's you would have enough light for coralline growth on the LR and could keep some softies and mushrooms.

 

[WarOrks15]

thank you all you all have been a lot of help.

 

[steve-s]

With even 3x96w PC on a 46 gal at that height you would be able to keep a wide variety of soft, LPS and even a few select species of SPS.

Cheers
Steve

 

[WarOrks15]

ok i think i found the lighting it is a Coralife Aqualight Compact Fluorescent Strinp light and i am going with the double strip light 36" 2 96 watt bulbs and it comes with a actinic and a 10,000k bulb for $209.99. will that let me grow some things? and i was thinking of then also getting a single 96 watt light and then put a 50/50 bulb in that. with just the 2 i have like 4.1 watts per gal and if i add the 2nd light it is up to like 6.2 watts per gal.

 

[steve-s]

2x96w would be sufficient for most soft and some types of LPS but if you are going to be looking for a pre-build as apposed to DIY, I would instead suggest a 4x55w or even <<3x96w>>. The only drawback would be the cost of changing out 1 more bulb. The added strip will consume alot of area above the tank and you may not like the look.

Cheers
Steve