lighting advice

[cluke1975]

I have a 55gal. with the demensions 48"x13"x20" right now its a fowler but i would like to add some corals. what are some hardy corals for a newbie? and what lighting would work best in a shallow setup like mine? any advice would be appreciated

 

[Ziggy953]

Welcome to AA!

How serious do you want to get with corals?

I have a 55g setup as a frag system and I have 570watts of light over it. Daul 175w Metal Halides with 220w of VHO actinics.

I think if you are wanting to make the transition from FOWLR to a partial reef then a 4x54w T5 HO fixture would work very well for you. You would be able to support most LPS and some SPS corals.

Good beginner corals:
Mushrooms, Zoanthids, some leathers, when you get the lighting set up, SPS corals such as Montipora Digitata or Montipora Capricornus are good starter SPS.

 

[roka64]

This is the one I should be getting tomorrow:
Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures

How rude of me.

Welcome to the site!!

 

[cluke1975]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I just ordered the nova extreme t5 ho myself it has the 2x54w 10,000k and 2x460nm actinics. Anybody have any experience with this fixture?

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

If you just ordered it you may get the "new version" that has been improved, or the old version, hard to say, most would tell you to wait and get the new version or something with individual reflectors.

For the money the catalina fixture is good:
Catalina Aquarium

 

[roka64]

I agree with speed. I am replacinig the older version for a few reasons:
1. Flimsy legs
2. The end caps are broken (some of them my fault)
3. LEDs no longer work.
I've had it for a little over a year.

Oh yeah, and for the individually contoured reflectors....LOL!

 

[cluke1975]

i think its the newer version it doesnt have the led's anymore, it ships tommorow so hopefully it will work for some begginer corals

 

[sleeve]

I am kind of brand new to this and just aquired an oceanic glass tank with cabinet and canopy used but in excellent condition. I am planning a reef tank with inverts and mushrooms fans and the lot. I just purchased a Rapids Pro PS4, mostly because it has the protein skimmer built in, auto fil, and the surface skimmer interrupts filter flow in case of power failure to preveny flooding and loss of tank water then reprimes and re-establishes water flow on power up. The tank is approximately 132 gallons, 72L x 18D x 24H. I am thinking of purchasing the following fixture for my tank.

108272" Nova Extreme Pro 12x39wattT5HO 6-10k/6-460nm actinics2Yes468w72" x 12" x 4.25"

• <LI \?\\\?\\\\\\?true\\\\\\?\\\?\??? _extended="">Individually contoured reflectors for maximum light intensity <LI \?\\\?\\\\\\?true\\\\\\?\\\?\??? _extended="">Cool running, performance-driven electronic ballasts <LI \?\\\?\\\\\\?true\\\\\\?\\\?\??? _extended="">Fan-cooled for superior color spectrum, output and lifespan
• Independent controls for dawn/dusk applications

The Nova Extreme Pro combines the best in both design and functionality, making it a great addition to any aquarium. The sleek black-aluminum construction not only maintains a low profile on the aquarium, its design also allows it to dissipate heat away from the aquarium, lamps and components. Individual polished reflectors coupled with highly efficient electronic ballasts maximize the light output and intensity of the SlimPaq T5 HO lamps.
SlimPaq high output T5 lamps offer a quantum leap in lamp performance, with more than 50% higher output compared to an ordinary T5, T8 or T12 fluorescent systems, and longer lifespan. Using our proprietary blend of tri-phosphors, the high levels produce stunning color rendition and penetrating intensity. The Nova Extreme Pro includes a fan-cooled aluminum housing, independent controls for dawn/dusk applications, individually contoured reflectors for increased light output, splash lens and docking mounts.

I will have to modify or replace the canopy to accept the fixture I chose but the last thing I want to do is choose the equipment for ascetic reasons and then watch my reef wither up and die on me. If anyone has any suggestions or thinks that my choice is up to the challenge I would love to hear from you.

 

[rive1404]

My Nova Extremes are 6 months old and are hanging in there pretty good. Just with the standard stock actinic and daylight bulbs I'm pleased with the coloration it brings out in corals and fish. I've kept many LPS corals in addition to Zoas and Mushrooms. However, I recently upgraded to MH but still used the actinics in the Novas because I like the color they put out. You'd be surprised what a good light fixture does for a fish's sense of security. Before my Novas I had a standard 2 bulb fluorescent light fixture over a 75 gallon tank, and I never saw my fish come out because they always thought it was night-time. i think if you don't intend on keeping SPS corals or intense light demanding LPS corals you should be ok with the Novas.

 

[cluke1975]

taking my time and being patient

Thanks for the advice, I have recieved my light in the mail and so far I am satisfied with the quality of the lighting. I am still tweaking my parameters to the requirements for corals. I am also waiting for a refractometer so I can get a accurate sg reading and from there I plan to carefully pick some corals. Any advice on some color for my tank would be appreciated