PowerCompact Lighting

[kae_shields]

Okay, the debate starts again (as I'm sure this has come up before) about lighting. I have a 65g reef tank that I've been adding bit by bit and up to this point, I've used the standard florescent lighting (coralife bulbs atinic and 10k i believe). I have a double light hood and a single light hood over my tank now with several large pieces of live rock and a few green chromis. I want a better lightsource so I can begin adding softcorals, but the cost is too high for my budget right now. I have found a CSL (coral sea life) 36" 2x96w plus the moonlight powercompact/moonlight combo for about $140. Being new to the saltwater hobby, is this a good deal? The reason for the low price is because CSL went out of business. Is PowerCompact sufficient for a reef aquarium, versus MH, VHO, etc.

Kevin

 

[pecan2phat]

I think most here will say no. Definitely not for SPS. I use a CSL PC Moonlite on a 29g, but the tank consist of mainly leathers, shrooms, brain coral. I believe that this is the lower light needy corals.

 

[SquishyFish]

Power compacts are considered adequate for Softies and lps (at higher wattage). 100watt range you will basically be able to keep softies and some of the heartier LPS. I kept frogspawn, tortches and such under 110watt p/c lighting for years and saw a lot of growth.

Do you know the PAR rating on them?

Squishy

 

[fishfreek]

Definitely not for SPS.

I got some SPS under PC bulbs. Course they are at the top of the rock but I would do this for VHO lights aswell.

Squishy you refer to 110W pc lighting. The largest PC bulb I have ever seen is a 3' 96W bulb.

How deep is the 65gal tank. If its 20"+ deep then softies can go at the bottom and the more light intense should be in the upper areas of the tank.

Make sure you budget how ever you go for replacment bulbs. I replace my PC's on a 9 month rotation.

 

[SquishyFish]

I just check our equipment and lighting on the tank. I mixed up the wattage for the p/c and the VHO's. The p/c are 55 and they are what I kept softies under. The VHO's which were added later are 110. (then we added the m/h.)

Sorry..my bad.

 

[kae_shields]

I'm not sure what PAR stands for, but the lightfixture takes 2 96W bulbs of my choice (I plan on a 10000k and a ultra or true atinic) and contains 2 blue moonlight bulbs. I thought about using my current single lighthood with the 30w florescent and the new PC hood giving me 220W total in my 65 gal tank (3.4 W per gal). The tank is about 24in deep minus the 3" base (36x18x24).

 

[SquishyFish]

Par is easy...its basically the amount of usable (photosythetic) light emitted by the bulb. Most bulbs should show the par rating. The higher the better.

Squishy

 

[kae_shields]

The actinic says that it peaks at about 420 to 430 nm and the 10000k says it peeks at about 500 to 520 nm.

 

[sw-addict]

I was just wondering where you found the csl moon-lite fixtures at that price?

 

[kae_shields]

It was a close out price at championlighting.com (it is in thier scratch and dent) this fixture is missing the 2 96w bubls and lens, but that's only another $50.

 

[Mrbill]

That's a great price. I just paid $235 (including shipping) for the exact same light on eBay. Just got it yesterday and it's awesome.

 

[sw-addict]

Thanks I'll have to check for a 5' fixture. I bought a 4' fixture a year ago because they didn't have the 5's and paid $360.00 and it is a great light for anemones and shrooms but thats all that I have had.

 

[WarOrks15]

the 2 bubles are about 50 each. i have that unit. it is nice but if it is 140 and then a 100 for bulbs that is 240 i payed 2360 after shipping from capitvereefs. and if it is the 36" it has 3 moon lights in the hood.

 

[kae_shields]

actually, i got the 2 bulbs for 25 and 17. I can't remember the website (i've looked at so many recently.