lighting for newbe

[sflyfish]

i just purchase a standard 55 gal tank and just for now i will do fowlr. What would be the best setup and the most afforable...wattage... types of bulbs...yes i finding sw isn' t easy but i didn't think it would be

 

[Salttanker]

If it's just a fowlr, you can use NO bulbs. If you're like everyone else on the board, you will find yourself wanting pc or MH eventually. Even though it is a fowlr per say, I would go with pc actinics 4x55 or 4x65. This will allow you to dwell in other things such as muchrooms, softies, etc. You will find in this hobby that it is cheaper to do things right the first time.

Mike

 

[Civicman86]

Just curious what is the difference between NO and pc bulbs?

 

[Phyl]

The difference is the amount of light put out and ability to penetrate the water. NO is dull and drab looking. PCs will make your tank POP! The difference is amazing. If I had it to do all over again I would have bought a PC retro kit so that I could put that in my canopy and then my upgrade path would be easier when the inevitable (needing MH lighting) happened. So now I've moved the PC fixture onto my 65g and put the MH into my hood. I'll be adding that PC retro to it to add a bit of actinic for the early morning/late evening light cycles.

HTH

 

[Civicman86]

Sweet I understand now. Is the lighting color alot different between MH and PC?

 

[luckycat]

Sweet I understand now. Is the lighting color alot different between MH and PC?

I'll throw into the mix here that you might want to consider T5 lights. I have a 4 bulb 4' (96w each) set from Sunlight Supply (Tek), and they work great. Search this site and others for T5 opinions.