New lighting...is it too much?

[faerykisses]

Hello all, I just got new lighting today from my LFS, he was having a 20% off everything sell and I got the lights for $250.00

The lighting is for my 55 gallon that has 4 fish, 2 feather dusters and two urchins and one shrimp. I plan on adding some anenomes later.

The lighting is as follows:

48" 65 watt (4 lamps)

8 lamps in 4 dual daylight (6700K-10000K) and dual actinic (420 NM/460NM)


What do you guys think? MY boyfriend is worried that we might be pushing it. Is the lighting too much???

Will changing out lighting out create algae growth or any other problems?

As usual TIA.

-faerycrystal.

[morgan24]

that gives you about 4.7 wts per gallon. I would say that is just about perfect..

[faerykisses]

Thanks, now I just have to find an acrylic hood with a hinge....any ideas?

I also want to ask about a warning that was on the instructions for the lighting. It says : DO NOT place fuxture underneath a canopy or hood.

Does this mean that I can no longer use my nice wooden top that covers the lights and filter on top...that would be a tragedy it makes the tank look sooo nice....

[Reese]

You can use a hood. BUT, you may find that you have to make some alterations such as adding fans and/or opening the back. I have a similiar problem right now as I have 4 36" VHO bulbs under my hood @ 95 watts each. I don't have any fans in my hood right now but I'm going to add them ASAP. Right now I have a fan cooling the sump.

And yes, algae will also love you for your lighting upgrade...

[ColdFish]

And yes, algae will also love you for your lighting upgrade...

That is no joke. When I upgraded from regular fluorescents to my 2 X 96 watt CF fixture on my 50 gallon the algae went nuts. Had to cut back on my light cycle for a while.

[faerykisses]

I just can't get over the difference the new lighting has made. My old lighting (though I didn't know it at the time) was crap!!! Seriously, the new lighting had taken my tank to a new level asthetically. I am going to have to adjust my hood, it doesn't fit with the light on, especially since the light has little "feet" and is above the top.

Our light is a dual satellite and came with a fan in it! Yay. Also need another timer for my moon lights.

One more question: Can you let me know your lighting schedule...I am getting a little confused with the moonlights...

blue in the morning
white mid morning?

It's a litle confusing....how do you guys time your lights?

[jasno999]

I am confused. YOu said "48" 65 watt (4 lamps)" and then went on to say "8 lamps in 4 dual daylight (6700K-10000K) and dual actinic (420 NM/460NM) "


How many bulbs do you have? How much wattage is each bulb?

4.7W per gallon is fine. However if yo uever want to do mroe light intensive stuff (specific corals) then this lighting will not be enough. For what you have it is probably perfect.

I have a 96W fixture on a 10 gallon tank so imagine my algae issues.

[robertfah]

For lighting times, I turn my attinics on at 3pm, then my flourecent lights at 4pm and the flourecent shut off at 10pm and attinics off at 11pm and my lunar lights on at 11pm and off at 5pm.

That usually emulates the day fairly well and the fish seem to enjoy it more. I live on the east cost in FL so the days last a little longer and my tank is under a window which gets some sunlight from 11am to 2ish.

[faerykisses]

Sorry about the lamp specifics...my boyfriend is the lighting guy I am just kinda relaying the message...as far as I can see there are 4 bulbs total. But we have three settings:

-light only
-blue only
-or light and blue together

(and then the moonlights??)

the moonlights (two small circular lights) seems lighter than the "blue only" light.

this is whats confusing me. I think he has a better grasp on it, but I was just wondering what everyone's lighting schedule is like.

[jasno999]

are the bulbs 65W each or 65W alltogether?

65W each means 65x 4 = 260W

260/55=4.7 W per gallon

I am guessign that the white light is 65W and the blue light is 65W for a total of 130W

that is 2.36W per gallon

[faerykisses]

http://www.current-usa.com/products/satellite.html

We are running the Satellite Dual:

Dual Daylight 6,700k/10,000k- 2x65 watt

Dual Actinic 420nm/460nm- 2x65 watt

Lunar Light Moon White- 1

Total watts- 260

Hope that helps.

I'm still just confused on the schedule. I am picking up my second timer today so maybe that will help...thanks guys.

[ram6519]

I had these lights on my 55 Gal and I had it set up that the Dual Antinic's came on at 2 pm and the Dual Daylight's came on at 3pm. Then the Dual Daylight's would go off at 1 Am and Dual Antinic's would go off at 2 AM. The moon lights I left on all the time. HTH