Lighting advice?

Laura and Jim will be hosting the May meeting this Saturday the 12th and it will be the usual of food, drinks, raffle and fun.
 
Doors will be open at 6:00 pm for social talk and the meeting will start at 7:00.  Parking gets a little tight and the city says you can't park on 4th but there is a parking lot a block away.   Meeting is usually held in the backyard so feel free to bring your favorite lawn chair, weather permitting of course.

If you need address/directions, contact a club member.

Best if you park at Mini Mall (where the spaghetti establishment use to be)
 
You will get to see his new frag tank set up in the making.
 
Hope to see you there!

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[Ryan]

Hey, so I'm new here, hope to meet some of you on the 28th, but in the meantime I need some lighting advice.

I have a 65g hex. It's a deep tank. Eventually it will be a reef but for now I just want fish and some live rock. I plan to start with a lot of base rock from hirocks.com and add a few pieces of live rock here and there, slowly building things over time.

OK, so what can I get away with on lighting? I have the hood that came with the 65g, it has 45 watts of fluorescents (three 15 watt tubes). I also bought a 96 watt CF fixture (http://www.hellolights.com/201xcoaqpcho.htm). My LONG TERM plan is to put the 96 watt CF on my 20 gallon fuge and buy a big halide pendant for the tank. Is that a good amount of light for a fuge?

But my SHORT TERM plan needs help. Here's what I want to do:

1. Keep my live rock looking nice.
2. Get the live rock to "spread" over the base rock.
3. Have some nice corraline algae growing, if possible.
4. Have a few fish swimming around.

So, there are two ways I can go here! I can:

1. Put the new 96 watt CF fixture on the fuge now and grow some live rocks in there, and maybe even some small corals. Then leave the display with just fish and base rock until I can upgrade it's lighting. OR,

2. Put the 96 watt CF on the display and put the 45 watt on the fuge, then try to grow some live rock near the top of the display tank (stacked on the base rock). No corals until I can upgrade the lighting.

What is your opinion?

Also, does anyone have some cheato I can buy? I want to grow it in my fuge to help suck up excess nutrients and prevent micro algae growth.

THANK YOU!!!

[angelscrx]

I have some razor cualerpa and I can give you some if you want.  All it takes is a small peice and it starts to grow really well.  I would put the 96 watt in the main display and spread you live rock around in it.  Keep the macros in the fuge. IMO

[Rico]

Ryan,

Is the 65 hex a true hex, or a flat back hex?  What are the dimensions of the tank.

I agree wth Angel, put the brightest light on the main tank.  You will need it so you get light penetration to the bottom of the tank.   If you have a true hex you will have a problem finding bulbs to fit the tank.  I think the 96watt pc bulbs are 28" long, then you have to add a couple inche for the endcaps.

Rick

[Ryan]

It's a true hex. The 96 watt fixture I bought is only 20" x 7". It will fit on top, I checked that.

OK, so I'll use the new 96W unit on the main tank and the existing 45 watts of lighting will go on the fuge. Eventually I'll upgrade to a halogen pendant fixture, and then I can move the 96W down to the fuge. Thanks for the info!

[angelscrx]

It's a true hex. The 96 watt fixture I bought is only 20" x 7". It will fit on top, I checked that.

OK, so I'll use the new 96W unit on the main tank and the existing 45 watts of lighting will go on the fuge. Eventually I'll upgrade to a halogen pendant fixture, and then I can move the 96W down to the fuge. Thanks for the info!

Hopefully you meant you will upgrade to a halide not a halogen fixture?  Halogens have different light spectrums and are not good for tank life.  (I learned that from folks on here.!)  

[Ryan]

LOL, yes, I did mean halide. They both start with "hal" so I must have just typed "halogen" without thinking.  :lol:

[Les]

Ryan,
I have some extra 400 watt MH ballast if interested.

[BSHANE651]

Ryan,
I have some extra 400 watt MH ballast if interested.

hey les, if ryan doesnt want this, how much were you wanting for this

[Les]

This is not a complete system, only the ballast. You need to purchase a reflector with socket and a bulb.

[angelscrx]

Les how many of them do you have?  Are you wanting to sell or were you being your usual "ever so helpful self" and jsut offering to help Ryan?  I may be interested.

[Ryan]

Les, I'm absolutely interested. I'll send you a PM.