lfs told me this

[NEWTOSALT]

lfs told me i needed very expensive light if i wanted live rock in my tank im getting different info here, is it just a matter of the rock being more colorful if i have the expensive light? or does the lfs just want to make more $

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

live rock alone needs no more NO flourecents, and u will still see growth of coarline algea, and other cool sponges and hitchhikers of All kinds. Expensive lights will only serve to keep alive some more demanding and rare hitchhikers such as corals. Otherwise the only other benefit to expensive lights for live rock is that the growth will be more dramatic.

 

[runway1]

I disagree. I've personally seen LR grow coralline much better with just NO lights. Then, I visited a new lfs in my area and he maintains many commercial and home tanks as well as the store. He keeps all his LR curing and growing under NO lights as well. He also says his experience has been that NO lights grow purple coralline far better than higher output lights.

regardless, you certainly don't need expensive lighting to maintain healthy LR.

 

[quarryshark]

Agree with above, I have NO in my system and my coraline and rock are doing great.
Some sales pitch there....I would check out a few more stores. If they are giving you info like that, I would have a tough time trusting them.

 

[IfoundNemo]

It depends on what your LFS guy meant on expensive light. He could sell you a so so lights for a very expensive price as well. You could use NO flourescent lights for FOWLR tank setup. You will definitely have to use MH or high power wattage PC light with atleast 2x 10,000 K white plus 2x actinic lights if you are doing a reef tank. These are more expensive lights.

 

[RLG2182]

Well, my NO setup only cost me $30... tops... would hardly call expensive. HD fixture and a couple 48" bulbs on www.petguys.com. If I don't need to be buying PC lights now for just some LR and a couple fish, then I definately will wait, especially since the costly PC bulbs only last MAX 1 year. My LFS here doesn't use PC on their cured LR, and it has a ton of green and purple coraline growing on them. When I get my system hooked up, I'll be sure to buy it from them @ 3.99/lb.

Not sure what your LFS is trying to do, swindle you or otherwise... but I would check/call other LFS and see what they have to say.

~~Rob

 

[loganj]

I'm not sure I'd go as far as to say they are trying to swindle you...a lot of folks are of the opinion that coraline won't grow under anything less than high intensity lighting. They are wrong of course. I maintain a 75g FOWLR for a lady in town. It has one 40w 6.5k and one 40w actinic. Coraline grows so well it's a nusiance to keep it scraped off the front glass. If you decide you want to keep corals, then you will have to upgrade the lights. Check with us here before you buy anything though...we can steer you away from products that are poor quality if nothing else.

 

[quarryshark]

Maybe I was a little strong in my criticism of the LFS. The original statement was that expensive lights were needed to keep LR. That is just a false statement. Either the LFS is misinformed or looking to cash in IMO?

 

[millipede]

I don't know much, actually nothing, about all that kind of lighting but I suggest not asking them questions anymore. If things look healthy and their prices are ok I'd still shop there. Just ask ALL your questions here first. I also doubt buying LR from them would be a good idea... of course, you never know. But most often you'll find cheaper and healthier stuff from online sources like one of our sponsors liverocks.com.

 

[Brad]

My experience is that the coraline seems to prefer areas of my tank that aren't so directly hit by the MH lighting.

 

[NEWTOSALT]

U GUYS/GIRLS ROCK THANKS A BUNCH

 

[frshwaterfinatc]

Agree with Brad.