First post - Lighting Questions

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AirManFL

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Sep 13, 2006
Messages
4
Sorry for jumping in so quick with questions when I just joined the forums, but I'm kind of at a stand still here.

My experience is short and spans only a month and a half. I have a 24 gallon aquapod reef tank with the 70w HQI lighting at the office. My wife and I miss the tank so much when we leave the office, we decided to start a larger reef tank at home. I bought 120 gallon Oceanic Systems 120 gallon Tech tank, ASM G2 skimmer, 25w Gamma UV sterilizer, a custom sump, 2 Eheim 1260 pumps, and a Classic Mission Series All-Glass stand cherry in color. I'm still waiting on the stand. The only final decisions I need to make pertain to lighting.

My questions are as follows:
Nothing is set in stone here (except lights are T5) so if you could provide feedback including changes in bulb types, I would really appreciate it.

Currently, still in the box, I have 3 Current USA Nova Extreme T5 HO retro kits for a 48" x 24" x 24" tank. The reflectors that came with the kits are pretty wide and I can't fit more than 6 reflectors in the canopy. There is about a 4" space down the center that I plan to add metal halides later on. No glass top. Teh relectors i currently have are about 3.5" wide.

I will be keeping soft corals, LPS corals, mushrooms, polyps, crocea clam, and fish.

Each Nova Extreme retro kit comes with 1 - 54w 10,000k slimpaq, and 1 - 54w 460 nm actinic.

10,000k x 3
460 nm actinic x 3

What order would you install these in a canopy?

What would the sequence of operation, including timing, be?

Should I switch out some of the bulbs to something different?

I was also wondering if I should get smaller reflectors and add another retro kit?

Please help me with as little or as much as you can. I really need to try and make a decision so I can move forward.

Thank you in advance,

Rob
 
What order would you install these in a canopy?

What would the sequence of operation, including timing, be?


These are the only 2 I think I know. I would install the bulbs everyother so to distribute the light. I believe many people set the acintics to come on 1 hour before and shut off 1 hour after the daylight bulbs.

I am not sure about switching bulbs. I think it is a lot to do with color prefrence like some showing more purple than blue and vice versa.
 
It is my understanding that crocea clams require metal halide lights.

Maybe someone else could chime in on this.
 
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