new lights

[Kristall-99]

Hey guys Quick question. Sometime tomorrow i should be getting 45lbs of live rock for my aquarium. Even though it is a 20gal i need to beef up my regular stock lights to something that puts out more watts. Would i be safe with and go pick up a 70watt metal halide and just run the one light?

As for my cycle it should be instant but I don't think I want to put fish in right away. can I still run the raw shrimp in the aquarium so the bacteria on the live rock can still eat?

The reason for the ammount of live rock is I will be moving and have a 55gal waiting for me there and would like to start off with a good batch of live rock.

Thanks for and comments or advice
Kristall

 

[CaptainAhab]

Sounds like a well researched plan though you'll want to address that light when you get the 55.

 

[Kristall-99]

oh yes. this is just for the 20gal. when i move up to the 55gal ill get 1-2 more of the same lights

 

[melosu58]

Does sound like a good plan. Usually MH`s have a 2 ft footprint.

 

[Kristall-99]

are you talking depth wise?

 

[melosu58]

No length wise

 

[Kristall-99]

ahh okay. makes sense. does the depth depend on the wattage of the bulb?

 

[melosu58]

No , The intensity of the bulb is what matters. MH`s have the most followed by T5HO`s. T5HO`s are supposedly good up to 24 inches of depth.

 

[Kristall-99]

So i got my live rock earlier today and got my tank setup. rock sand salinity 1.023. Its been id say 6 hours, how long does it usually take for a tank to be clear? Im still getting a hazyness

 

[Kristall-99]

So the cloudy went away sometime over night. I dropped in the raw shrimp befor i went to class last night and readings are currently at

Ammonia - .5
Nitrate - 5.0-10
Nitrite - .25
Ph 7.8
Salinity 1.023

 

[cmor1701d]

Readings looks good. Do you plan on keeping th shrimp in there for a week or so and going through a full cycle?

Hey Mike, let's not forget about LED lighting. The newer units have pretty good coverage too, although at a price.

 

[Kristall-99]

yes i plan on leaving it in there for a week. although i might get a cuc on Friday.

 

[cmor1701d]

Make sure those readings come down to 0 for the ammonia and nitrite and below 30 for nitrate before adding any livestock.

I would wait till the readings are down, then do a large (30% - 50%) PWC, wait a week, check the parameters and then add livestock if everything checks out. Just being safe.

 

[melosu58]

Do not add anything till your cycle is over.

Yes I hear you Cmor. Sorry about leaving those out. I guess I need to get updated to the times.

 

[Kristall-99]

Quick question for you guys. When i need to get replacement bulbs for my lights. what range should i get color wise? Right now my bulb is more of a clear since i had a MH fixture lying around used for Outside lighting. Will this even work correctly?

 

[REEFFLIX]

Quick question for you guys. When i need to get replacement bulbs for my lights. what range should i get color wise? Right now my bulb is more of a clear since i had a MH fixture lying around used for Outside lighting. Will this even work correctly?

I used 12k and 20k MH bulbs with T5 Atinics.

Make sure you watch out for heat in the summer... They get very warm.

Here is a explanation of a Kelvin rating for aquariums.

Color change due to light spectrum
The light spectrum, or Kelvin Rating of aquarium lighting will also alter the appearance of corals. In general, bulbs with lower Kelvin ratings will cast a "warmer" yellow light while bulbs with higher Kelvin ratings will produce a bright, crisp, white to blue light. Different light fixtures with different spectrum bulbs impart varying color effects on corals. For example, bulbs that emit light heavy in the actinic blue range bring out dazzling fluorescent colors not visible under full spectrum daylight bulbs. While different hobbyists prefer different combinations of light spectrums, a typical lighting system for a reef aquarium consists of 50% white light with a high Kelvin rating and 50% blue, actinic light.

 

[Kristall-99]

Im currently having a hard time find that range for my 70w ballast. Anyone know of a good source they went to for MH bulbs?

Edit - it looks like i might have a source for some cheap MH fixtures running at 250 and 400watts. Hopefully ill beable to run those bulbs in the 12k-20k range

Edit x2 - Have you guys ever seen anyone make a hob filter into a compartment to store some cheato? I figure if i put some sort of think filter infront of the spout id be able to contain the cheato. But just throwing out the idea until i get the sump/refu built

 

[thincat]

Quick question for you guys. Right now my bulb is more of a clear since i had a MH fixture lying around used for Outside lighting. Will this even work correctly?

So are you using that old fixture. It more then likely is not made for an AQ. and the K rating is way off. Not to mentinon how old the bulb is? How many watts is it as they are not interchangeable? All the bulbs are clear, they just burn at different K ratings and give off different colors that way.

 

[cmor1701d]

DO NOT buy CHEAP bulbs. The chinese made bulbs you find on eBay are garbage. The spectrum is off.
Try Hello Lights for starters.

I use 10k MH with 03-Actinic PC bulbs. The PCs are on 12 hours (11am -12 pm) and the MH are on for 10 hours (12pm - 10pm).

That combination gives me the look I want. The higher K rating, the bluer the light. Some like a 12k or 14k MH bulb. Some like 20k, but I believe MH is all the lighting they have (no PC actininc).

 

[Kristall-99]

Hopefully this seller of some 250 and 400watt MH fixtures will respond and ill let you guys know if these fixtures will work correctly and have yall recommend me some bulbs to go in combination