Reef Lighting

[pph_2ppr]

These are the lights that i am currently looking at(for a 10 gallon nano reef)
First there is the metal halides
http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp...ROD&ProdID=337
Then there is the compact Fleurescents
http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp...ROD&ProdID=309

I want the CFs but to have healthy coral is this lighting good enough or do i need the metal halides?? Money is a major factor so please try to be very convincing What coral can i keep with each set?

[Devilishturtles]

First off, a 10 gallon is 20 inches, not 24

Second, I think with CF you should be fine. No need to spend the extra money on MH.

http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp...OD&ProdID=1323

[Ziggy953]

I have to agree with Linds on this one! A MH on a 10g tank would probably cook it.

[austinsdad]

Reef soup anyone???? No MH unless it's mounted 6 feet above the tank.

I agree with the others.

[pph_2ppr]

thanks for the words, that was the answer i was hoping for, and with the 24" on a 20" i will rig something up, i think you can slide the mounting arms around .....mayb ,if they dont im always up for a challenge. what kind of corals could i keep with this lighting?

[pph_2ppr]

how much heat can the CFs potentially add to the tank? I would have to put the lights on for different time intervals to find how much it affects it. should there be any major problem?

[Kurt_Nelson]

If I remember right, you've got a 55g sitting idle full of water and sand because you didn't have the $$ to "upgrade" it. That's why you're using your 10g, right? Honestly, if it were me, I wouldn't pour a dime into a 10g to upgrade it with MH for SPS corals. By the time you get done spending money on the 10g, it sure seems like for just a bit more $, you could've gotten the 55g ready to go. And with a larger tank, you have LOTS more water to work with so you're not constantly fighting your water parameters like you will in a 10g reef.

Just my nickel's worth...

[pph_2ppr]

Earlier in this post people said that metal halides on a ten gallon would pretty much torch the water, is there a way i could avoid this heat problem? There is soo many metal halides out there could you check out some sights and tell me which ones you think are the best( i am no pro) but once again there is this system that i had my eye on... http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp...ROD&ProdID=337

Could these possible be too bright, I could make the lighting sit however high above the water i want it to.... what is the usual distance MHs are above the water?

[Kurt_Nelson]

Originally Posted by pph_2ppr

Money is a major factor so please try to be very convincing

Well let's see... everyone that's responded so far has said MH on a 10g is a bad idea. How convincing do you need people to be?

Yes... you could buy a chiller to put on a 10g, and that would get rid of heat issues. Chillers are not cheap though. And yes... you could hang your MH really high to avoid heat issues, but then that just negates the whole reason for having MH because you've reduced the amount of light going into your tank.

CFs will add heat to your tank, but not much. If you left the top open, you could manage the heat issues with a fan blowing across the top of the tank.

If you're determined to get MH, at least do some internet searches on that brand you've listed. Odyssea MH lights don't get rave reviews from a safety standpoint. Also don't forget Devilishturtles comment... a 10g is 20" wide - at least the ones I've seen are.

[pph_2ppr]

they are 20" , but i have stands figured out that i can use as they wont be visable how the tank will be sitting. I really want a closed brain coral, i saw one at a fish store and they are pretty much amazing. how hard are they to keep in the home aquarium setting?