Lighting question ( buying it soon, so please try to answer it for me quickly )thanks

[cterzich]

Hello,

If I was to by lighting strip which as 4 lights each 65w for my 55gallon tank. I think it's going to be way to much for right now. I'm buying it for plans of a saltwater tank. I'm getting a really good deal on the light. I'm getting a $260 light for $100 from a friend. Could I dumb down the watts of the light bulb itself, so if the light can push out 65w can I put a 35w bulb in with out it causing a problem? I'm pretty sure I can I just thought I would ask.

[jsoong]

No, you cannot put in 35W bulbs instead of the 65W's. <Ballast won't drive it ... unless you have an expensive load sensing ballast like an Icecap .... the ballast is over $200 by itself, I doubt you'll have that in a $100 fixture! OTOH, there are cheap electronic ballasts out these day, so maybe you Do have a load sensing one? Can't tell unless you take out the ballast & look.>

BUT - get the fixture anyway! You can decrease the light 2 ways:

1. If the 4 fixtures are wired in parallel, you can leave 2 of the bulbs out & it will still light. <These fixtures usually have seperate switches for the 2 banks of light, so you can control each side separately.>

2. If the fixture must have all 4 bulbs to light, you can swap 2 of the bulbs with actinics. The actinics won't "count" as far as plants are concerned, so in effect you would be running only 1/2 the watts.

[mgamer20o0]

ill add a question into the mix. is that a light you really want for a 55 gallon sw tank? i dont know anything about salt water but i know before i spent the money on a light i hope to use for my set up i would make sure thats really the light you want. what kind of light is it?

are you going to have plants in the fw tank?

[cterzich]

It's mainly used for a sw water set up. I got a Aquarium Lighting: Coralife Lunar Aqualights Compact Fluorescent Strip Lights 48" for 80 bucks. I couldn't beat that, so when I move to sw in a year or less I'm ready.