Is this light quality ??

[mrg02d]

Thanks Jimbo7, I didn't know I would need to replace the lights that came with the fixture. I found a MH and T5 combination light at fishneedit.com. Total of 456 watts !!?? Would that be overkill on my tank ??

It has 2 150w MH, and 4 39w T5HO lights..

Yea, id say 456w is an awful lot for a 40g tank. Id maybe go with 2 of those MH lights...

Matt

 

[Jimbo7]

Thanks Jimbo7, I didn't know I would need to replace the lights that came with the fixture. I found a MH and T5 combination light at fishneedit.com. Total of 456 watts !!?? Would that be overkill on my tank ??

It has 2 150w MH, and 4 39w T5HO lights..

No, that sounds fine. Just start with the light like 24" off the water surface, and bring it down 2" a week tops. It's hard to overlight a tank, its easy to change too suddenly, too much and damage things.

I always recommend over buying lights on a small tank, chances are you will upgrade sometime soon, and you can reuse the fixture.

 

[milhous3er]

Thanks. The only thing that I don't care for too much is the color of the fixture. Surely I can paint the thing black right ?? Of course it would be with some high heat (for the MH fixture) spray paint.

I have so many options right now its not funny. This is the fixture I like the best (456w....can you blame me) but I keep finding different light fixtures that I think I like too.

When I pick out a color for the MH, Should I stay with the 8ks, 10ks or even go with a brighter light like a 65k ??

 

[mrg02d]

Thanks. The only thing that I don't care for too much is the color of the fixture. Surely I can paint the thing black right ?? Of course it would be with some high heat (for the MH fixture) spray paint.

I have so many options right now its not funny. This is the fixture I like the best (456w....can you blame me) but I keep finding different light fixtures that I think I like too.

When I pick out a color for the MH, Should I stay with the 8ks, 10ks or even go with a brighter light like a 65k ??

The higher kelvin rating of the bulb, the bluer the color. 6500k would look yellow. I like bluer tanks, so Id go with something much higher. 10,000k should look white and 12,000k should like like a very crisp cool white.

Matt

 

[Alpha_03]

"can't over light a tank" are you serious?

I surely hope not.

The height of your tank and what is contained there-in, is all that matters.

And contrary to the above - yes, you most certainly can over light your tank.

My advice, be more concerned with kelvin over watts, why?

Simple - the higher the kelvin of any quality rated bulb the deeper it will illuminate the tank, all be it, with less visable "white" light, which for salt water critters, is usually better. (esp. with corals)

This also allows for those eye poping colors everyone wants so much.

Were it me, considering the fixture you have:

Coralvue 14k's or XM 15k's for the MH- dont waste your money on the other brands- they have no advantages, and two 420mn atinics, and two 460nm atinics.

The above allows for great diversity, and excelent PAR, which is what matters most.

Is this fixture a mogul based or de based MH? This also makes a big difference, caution with de bulbs- they have no coating like moguls do, they require the lens to be in place, otherwise, the radiation from these bulbs will kill your live stock.

 

[Jimbo7]

"can't over light a tank" are you serious?

I surely hope not.

The height of your tank and what is contained there-in, is all that matters.

And contrary to the above - yes, you most certainly can over light your tank.

My advice, be more concerned with kelvin over watts, why?

Simple - the higher the kelvin of any quality rated bulb the deeper it will illuminate the tank, all be it, with less visable "white" light, which for salt water critters, is usually better. (esp. with corals)

This also allows for those eye poping colors everyone wants so much.

Were it me, considering the fixture you have:

Coralvue 14k's or XM 15k's for the MH- dont waste your money on the other brands- they have no advantages, and two 420mn atinics, and two 460nm atinics.

The above allows for great diversity, and excelent PAR, which is what matters most.

Is this fixture a mogul based or de based MH? This also makes a big difference, caution with de bulbs- they have no coating like moguls do, they require the lens to be in place, otherwise, the radiation from these bulbs will kill your live stock.

I didn't say can't, i said its hard. It's easy to kill/bleach coral when you change your lighting and drop a huge fixture right on top of your water.
Your specs on the wavelengths are correct, but coral can grow anywhere from below 150 to above 1200 PAR. In our own aquariums, if you are patient and do things correct, provided you can control things like heat and temp flux, I stand by that it is "hard" to overlight a tank. Coral is amazingly adaptive given enough time and correct water parameters.
Welcome to AA.

 

[Alpha_03]

hello, Jimbo

While I will agree, acclimation is a pre-requsite, the amount of light- given the live stock, is what matters far more- remember this is a single aquarium- not a shop.

Necessity is what drives life forms- would you place zoo's under 1000 watt MH's -or even 400 watt's, I surely hope not! (considering the tank involved)

Depending upon tank depth, and water volume /flow, lighting requirements become simple, again, depending on the live stock that you keep.

Therefore, wattage (per say) is not a prereq. to any enviroment, just a variable for a given tank size ~based upon what factor? Enviroment!

Necessity, or a given enviroment is what is called for here, or, that of any aquatic environment for that matter. Sometimes Overkill is just that - over-Kill.

And death will follow, done wrong- better to under lumen than over- ALWAYS.