lighting

[timmy]

Be nice I'm new

I have a 2x30 watts fluorescent lamps on a 36" canopy by Perfecto Manufacuring. I have a fish only marine tank w/ live rocks, and I'm thinking of adding corals can I change the bulbs for a higher watts using this same canopy?

 

[darb2]

unfortunately not. it may be time for a lighting upgrade

 

[saberry]

You might consider the 36" AQUALIGHT WITH 1-96W ACTINIC / 1-96W 10,000K LAMP SQUARE PIN BASE (W/ FANS). I have the 48" and they are great.

Click Here - LT-ES53104.

These would give you close to 3 watts per gallon although with PC the watts per gallon does not necessarily apply because the lights are more intense than NO or VHO.

 

[fishfreek]

The standard plastic hoods that come with tanks are only good for NO florecents. If you added a VHO bulb or a HO bulb to the hood you wouldnt get the benifits of the increased light output potental. You would need to swap out the ballast with a ballast that was designed to drive the VHO or HO bulbs. By the time you do this you might as well purchase or build a new enclosure because the heat outputed by the higher output florecents will be enough to make the plastic hood nice and soft.

 

[timmy]

Saberry, the 36" AQUALIGHT WITH 1-96W ACTINIC / 1-96W 10,000K LAMP SQUARE PIN BASE (W/ FANS) is that enough?? Do I have to remove the 2x30 watts or I can leave it there for extra lighting???

 

[saberry]

Saberry, the 36" AQUALIGHT WITH 1-96W ACTINIC / 1-96W 10,000K LAMP SQUARE PIN BASE (W/ FANS) is that enough?? Do I have to remove the 2x30 watts or I can leave it there for extra lighting???

timmy, I'm no expert on the subject, but I think this would be enough lighting to get you started with some of the low to medium light corals. As far as leaving your existing lights, I think that would be fine so long as you have enough room and so long as they are not adversely affected by the additional heat of the PC's.

Probably your best bet would be to determine what type of corals you would like to keep and then read up on the specific lighting and care requirements.

 

[fishfreek]

If you leave the dual 30W NO fixture there and put actinic bulbs in the fixture and 10K bulb in the Aqualight it would give you a nice coloration.