29 Gallon New Reef: Question on Lighting

[tlkng1]

Evening all

I finally have my 29 (regular type tank) aquascaped and the liverock continues to "cook"....about 2 and a half weeks now. I am currently just running a dual tube striplight with a 10,000 Daylight and a 50/50 Actinic (store was out of full actinic). I want to get a metal halide set-up for a glass canopy..no wood canopy on top. The light I am looking at actually has two strengths. Either 150W or 250W..Pics from the Drs Foster and Smith site below. This is the SunPod HQI Metal Halide Fixture with Lunar Lights..the pic shows a 20" but I would be getting the 24".

Since the tank is only 29 Gallons, is 250W too strong? This particular light has to be suspended a little for heat dissipation. I am not that familiar with how halides "expand" in their light penetration if they are suspended.

These do not have actinics but according to some of the reviews, with the halide at this strength, the actinics aren't necessary. "All models include appropriate number of 14000°K HQI double ended lamp(s)" Thoughts?

Thanks

T

 

[ccCapt]

I would recommend not using glass lids. It may affect your pH.

The 150w is more than enough. The 250 will cook your tank or at the very least will force you to get a chiller.

You don't need actinics with any aquarium/reef MH bulb. Any bulb from 6500k up to 20,000k has enough light in the blue spectrum for photosynthesis. Actinics are more to make the colors of the corals pop.

 

[tlkng1]

I have cats, very curious cats, in the house. I have to have some sort of covering to keep the "fishing" down to a minimum. Suggestions?

Good on the 150W..it's cheaper

Thanks

T

 

[Zer0]

Right now, i use netting over my tank. It is a combination of screen rim, and bird netting. Got everything from home depot. If you want to do it this way, just go to home depot and get these things: Screen Rim, Screen Rim Corners, Some type of mesh screening that doesn't have too small of holes, because you still want the full light to get through it, and the last things you will need is Spline, and a Spline tool. It's pretty simple.. and self-explanitory. Just cut the screen rim to your dimensional needs, cut the netting to your dimensional needs, and then just use the spline tool and squeeze the spline tool in to the screen rim. Everything to do this is in the same isle at home depot, and once you see them, you will instantly know how to do it.

I also hear that you can use eggcrate over your tank, but i also hear that it deflects some of the light away from the tank. So i'm not really sure. But like i said before, just make sure the netting you get is a decent size, because anything too small and your light will be dimmed. Just like mine is right now.. -_- I got too small of netting, and my tank is a ton dimmer then what it should be.

 

[Aquarium1]

Right now, i use netting over my tank. It is a combination of screen rim, and bird netting. Got everything from home depot. If you want to do it this way, just go to home depot and get these things: Screen Rim, Screen Rim Corners, Some type of mesh screening that doesn't have too small of holes, because you still want the full light to get through it, and the last things you will need is Spline, and a Spline tool. It's pretty simple.. and self-explanitory. Just cut the screen rim to your dimensional needs, cut the netting to your dimensional needs, and then just use the spline tool and squeeze the spline tool in to the screen rim. Everything to do this is in the same isle at home depot, and once you see them, you will instantly know how to do it.

I also hear that you can use eggcrate over your tank, but i also hear that it deflects some of the light away from the tank. So i'm not really sure. But like i said before, just make sure the netting you get is a decent size, because anything too small and your light will be dimmed. Just like mine is right now.. -_- I got too small of netting, and my tank is a ton dimmer then what it should be.

what size netting would you recommend? Also how would you be able to put a filter such as an hob in the back of thank (although I doubt it would be needed for sw but just wondering)

 

[Zer0]

Well, i've been told that 1/4" netting is a good size, and doesn't deflect any light, but it is still small enough for the fish to not be able to jump out and go carpet surfing.

If you have the netting.. you can just cut a hole in the netting that will allow you to stick the HOB filter return part, in the netting. I just cut small holes in the netting so i could put the wires from the powerheads and heaters through it. Works perfectly. I just need to use larger holed netting :s

 

[tlkng1]

An additional question...what is a decent wattage anyway? Is 150W the minimum for a 29? There is a flourescent HO that puts out 108W with the daylight and actinic, but I wasn't sure that was enough.

And what in the world is "eggcrate?"

 

[Zer0]

150w over a 29G tank, like ccCapt said.. is PLENTY of light. You should have n o problems keeping any type of coral.

Google eggcrate.

 

[fishmonkey]

150w the minimum for a 29 gallon? haha thats more like the maximum. as stated above, that is PLENY of light.

 

[melosu58]

As many have said go with the 150. The 250 will be to much.

 

[mdaniel2882]

just use eggcrate and cut it like this. I painted mine black. no light is blocked.

 

[thincat]

Here is the way I did my netting, It's like Zer0 explained.
You can see where I cut to allow the pump cords through.

 

[Zer0]

Yeah, that's exactly how i did mine to TC. Just like that.

But mdaniel, that is an awesome light setup you created. A+ for effort and efficiency!

 

[mcgrady7761]

daniel great looking tank

 

[mdaniel2882]

Yeah, that's exactly how i did mine to TC. Just like that.

But mdaniel, that is an awesome light setup you created. A+ for effort and efficiency!

Thanks

 

[Zer0]

Your sand is so white.. how do you keep the surface that clean? Do you vacuum stuff up during water changes?

 

[mdaniel2882]

Your sand is so white.. how do you keep the surface that clean? Do you vacuum stuff up during water changes?

lots of the snails you hate. and a lot of work. I am OCD about my sand.

 

[Zer0]

Hate those maggot sacks. I blame my dirty sand on my rocks though.. because when i first started cycling my tank with the live rock, they had an abundance of decaying junk and already dead animals.. so it just dirty up the sand soooo bad that i couldn't get anything out. But then, since i had those snails.. they were digging through the sand and they brought all of that junk back up from the depths of the sand lol. So now everything is uber dirty again. I'm about to go OCD on my sand too because things are starting to build up and turn grey in some corners of the tank.. so i don't think that means anthing good lol.

 

[mdaniel2882]

Get the scraper that comes with 3 different heads. turn your pumps off and use the rack to pull the stuff to the top of the tank and drop it in your hand.

 

[thincat]

Get the scraper that comes with 3 different heads. turn your pumps off and use the rack to pull the stuff to the top of the tank and drop it in your hand.

Ow...that sounds dirty!!!!