Tank runnin question

[rhomb]

Hi guys

My tank is almost done and im startin to like it, but, i still think it looks empty, but i have lotsa live rocks, maybe i could add corals or shrooms, but i dont know wut coral would be ok for a nub, and i dont want to change lighting

2nd, i would like to know how much time of lighting does my tank need everyday, is it ok if i turn it off when im sleeping?

MY live rock seems to not be living, theres things on it but its not expanding as much as i read in your tanks it does.

Also, my last question, theres no algae in my tank, i add a hairy algae bloom 3 weeks ago, but nothing till that time, should i be concerned, is it normal ( my tank has been running for 2 months...

TIA cya

 

[fishfreek]

No algae sounds like a good thing to me.

I dont quite understand what you say about live rock expanding. The rock itself is not alive but the term live rock comes from the things that live on/in the rock. If you look at your tank at night after the lights go out with a flashlight I think you will see you have more life than you realized.

I suggest shooting for 12 hours on and 12 hours off per day. I use a cheap timmer to keep the light exposure on a regular schedule.

Please describe your lighting so we can properly suggest a beginner coral.

 

[rhomb]

My lighting system
is 2 fluorescent bulbs
1 is actinic (not sure how we say)
the other one is power glo
i fitted 2 regular bulbs in one

What i meant with expanding, i was talking about the coraline and stuff like that.

 

[cj10488]

With that lighting it will most likely not grow as the LR in our tanks.. Most of the tanks that you see consist of 3-4wpg and some are even higher like my tank I have 10wpg MH lights.. I would suggest getting better lighting as it seems as though it would only suffice for a FO tank..

HTH,
James

 

[fishfreek]

Ok. Ya with two standard florecent bulbs you wont get much growth in the way of corline. The growth you do have will be slow so you might see some growing on your glass, etc after a few months as small purple spots.

 

[rhomb]

ok... so what type of lighting would you suggest, and maybe do you know a place where they explain how to DIY , i cant really afford 500$ ok lighting!
TIA
Mark

 

[rhomb]

oooo yeah... and dont forget, the tank im talking about is a 20g nano tank.
Perhaps i should go with a third bulb, maybe ill build a wooden rack myself anf fit 4 bulbs

 

[fishfreek]

A 20 gal tank you can get your lighting setup for well under $500. Infact you could probably do it for under $200 or even under $100 if you looked for bargans.

A pair of 36W power compact bulbs would look good on your tank and give you enough lighting for soft corals like leathers and mushrooms. I personally have a pair of 55W power compacts on my 20 gal tank.

www.hellolights.com for bulbs and www.ahsupply.com for the balast and light kits. The ballast will come with everything you need to wire up the lights and they have some fairly easy instructions. The onlything you have to do at that point would be to build a light box to put the lights in.

 

[steve-s]

A 20 gal tank you can get your lighting setup for well under $500. Infact you could probably do it for under $200 or even under $100 if you looked for bargans.

Don't forget we're talk'in CND $$...

oooo yeah... and dont forget, the tank im talking about is a 20g nano tank.

Try this... 23" PC Retrofit 2-55W (SQ)

Cheers
Steve