Where can I find an 18" bulb for LR?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

boardsurfer

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Messages
830
Location
Charleston, SC
1).Where can I find an 18" bulb (with the two pointy-things) that can put out enough light/energy to support live rock.

Anyone know?

2).Also, which is bettter: Metal halides, or Smartlights?

Thanks.
 
What size tank. If all you want to do is support live rock you dont exactly need high output light.

If you want anything other than 'normal output florecents' then yoru gonna have to go with a different light fixture with a different ballast.

What are smartlights?

If you want to stick with florecent you could look into Powercompact Florecents. These will require new ballast, new endcaps and more or less a new hood to house the lights.
 
I have a 45 gallon corner tank (more than 24" tall) with one live rock, dead sand, 5 yellow-tailed damsels (giving 3 back to the LFS), 6 red-legged hermit crabs, a skimmer, and a dual bio-filter.

I plan on keeping this tank a FOLR.

**All I want to do is keep the LR living, while possibly promoting new growth.**
 
Well im sure someone is gonna want to debate me here but you really dont need light to keep live rock living. Live rock is alive with many different forms of life and there is not much other than some decorative algae that is photosynthetic.

What makes live rock live.

Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate consuming bactera
Coraline algae (photosynthetic)
Small crustations commonly called "pods"
Small worms (aka bristleworms)
Small crabs (occasionally)
Sponges
Macro algae (photosynthetic)
Small coral fragments (occasionally)(photosynthetic)


For a tank that deep a single or even double normal output florecent bulb should basicly only be used for viewing the fish. Your not going to get much benifical light for photosynsis out of those bulbs at 2+' depth.

I would go for some short VHO bulbs or some Power Compact florecents.

Of course your corner tank is ideal shape for a single MH bulb with a few actinic florecents.
 
Thanks for the reply.

The thing is, is that I'm starting to get worried. The rock seems to be loosing the plants and living things on it. Everyday after work, I come home at 5:30 to find that it looks more and more dead.

Is it from poor lighting, or could it be because the ammonia is still so high because my tank hasn't cycled?
 
Is it from poor lighting, or could it be because the ammonia is still so high because my tank hasn't cycled?

I supect its a combo of both. If you want to salvage the life on the rock then you can perform a few water changes during the cycle. It will prolong the process some but it will have a positive effect of saving some of the extra life on the rock that you described.
 
Back
Top Bottom