Upgrading lighting

[sicklidkid]

HI, i would like to upgrade my lighting to some PC s. I fopund some pretty chaep ones on ebay. Has anyone bought any?http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...300042053&rd=1

If i do get this could i keep one of my NO s? So then i would have about 300Watts for my 55 gallon. Also if i keep 1 NO what bulbs should i use? 2 10,000K? 2 actinic blue? Or one of each?
THANKS!!

[flamron]

I have that setup on my 55 right now. It is a good deal. I haven't had any problems with it for six months now. One thing though, the way the bulbs are connected is cheap, just plugs on each prong, but still effective. I personally thought that the actnic were a little too blue, but it is my first tank.

[flamron]

Here is my tank with just the 10k bulbs on.

[reefrunner69]

Looks OK, but you will be limited in what you can keep.

[sicklidkid]

What will i not be able to keep? Also noone answered my question about if i should leave in 1 NO fixutre and what bulbs to use.

[reefrunner69]

I would go with 25 X 10K and 2 X actinics. You will be limited to low to med light soft and LPS corals, a few SPS, but for the most part no SPS.

[srgetz]

i would go with 2 10k + 2 50/50 bulbs or better yet 4 10k + a NO actinic bulb for your existing fixture.

10k bulbs are really what you want much more so than actinic for full spectrum light output, even Fenner in his book mentions that actinic lighting is a bit overrated and not exactly nessesary in reefs. This would also give you the opportunity to time the NO actinic to come on before and stay on after the 10k PC, to simulate dawn & dusk (and ease the light transitions).

[sicklidkid]

should i use my NO too?

[luntiz]

I don't think NO would do much because you have much more light intensity coming our of the PC in comparison to the NO. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt tho.

Looks OK, but you will be limited in what you can keep.

So even if we get, say...7.5 watts per gallon, PC would not be able to support some of the more light intense creatures? So in order to keep some of the more light intense creatures, we would have to have a MH setup? I don't want to steal the focus off this topic but I want to know if I NEED MH if I plan to keep a wide array of corals. I currently have 110watts for 40gallons and I plan to get another 192watts w/ Moonlights. I would then have 302watts of PC power and if that is inadequate then I might as well keep my tank FOWLR.

[srgetz]

as reefrunner said, there are lots of low to medium light corals you could get having 4-6 watts per gallon PC lighting

[reefrunner69]

Watts per gallon is not a good way to determne how much light you need, in all likelyhood, without par readings it is kind of a case by case basis. With what you have and what you plan to add, there are many coral you can keep and some of the more light demanding corals and clams might be possible in the upper potion of your tank

[sicklidkid]

Ok. So in terms of corals i can keep, i am thinking mushrooms, leather coral, polyps i am sure there are more but i dont know what they are! LOL. I would appreciate any suggestions!

[ellisz]

I am using that same light on my 75 gal with good results. I have mushrooms, star polyps, brown polyps, green polyps, a finger leather frag, a couple zoo frags and a xenia. I have 6 more simlar type frags I should get next week.

I want a halide fixture but don't have $500+ to spend on one. I need to see if there is a way to build one cheaper than that.

But for that fixture, it is pretty nice. The buy it now used to be cheaper though. They seem to be more popular now.

HTH

[sicklidkid]

Thanks for all the advice! I think i will leave my NO in with an actinic and 10k. I also saw some plate coral ant my lfs! It was awesome! Can i keep that with the PC lighting? Is it possible that my pink skunk would bond with it? Also i know i should probably get a kit to test stuff for reef. can any one reccomend an all around good kit i could buy?
Thanks!!