I'm running two 65 watt 10,000K and two 65 watt True Actinic 03 Blue straight pin base compact fluorescent lamps. I mainly have zooanthids, polyps, mushrooms and frog spawn. What would be the first indication they are not recieving the light they need? Do I even need to worry about light with this setup?
lighting
- Thread starter dawgface
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IMO, yes, you should pursue new lighting. What size tank and where are your corals located? I had the same lighting at first and it made everything shrink until I got a t5 set-up. I'm not saying they won't live but they will not grow or show full potential.
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Hmmm.. generally zoanthids won't open up all the way.. or their base will "stretch", or even start detaching if they aren't getting enough light.
For the frogspawn I would watch for bleaching of the tissue.
B
For the frogspawn I would watch for bleaching of the tissue.
B
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Look for browning, too. Many corals will lose their color and turn brown if they aren't getting enough light. With a tank that deep, you might want to think about upgrading your lighting, especially if you want to consider keeping other types of coral in the future.
You have inadequate lighting-IMO.
Using the old, but still useful, guidline of watts per gallon-you are at 1.8W/gal. A good rule of thumb would be to look for at least 5W/gal. (all you lighting experts, please hush for a minute
. LED's are probably about 50-70 percent of that (2-4 W/gal.). The reasons are very technical, but I'll explain it simply. Most lights shine in all directions. LED's are highly directional (think focused here/so more efficient).
The best way is to define what you want to keep (ie-soft coral, LPS and/or SPS, and then decide which light will work best for YOU. The W/gal rule dictates that you should be somewhere above approximately 5W/gal. However, education is key in this hobby, so I will spare the dialog and suggest some reading instead. I could bore you into submission by citing what I have learned about lighting, but it's not about me. It's about you, and your passion for this hobby, and your specimens. So Aquarist, go enlighten</em> yourself!
(Sorry for the clumsy pun, and happy reading)
FWIW- I do not agree with <u>everything</u> the author on that site write's, but it IS the most comprehensive single resource on aquarium lighting, that I have found-
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html">http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html</a>
PS-in the end it will come down to T-5 flourescent, metal halide or possibly the newer LED's. After reading up on this, feel free to ask questions.
Using the old, but still useful, guidline of watts per gallon-you are at 1.8W/gal. A good rule of thumb would be to look for at least 5W/gal. (all you lighting experts, please hush for a minute
. LED's are probably about 50-70 percent of that (2-4 W/gal.). The reasons are very technical, but I'll explain it simply. Most lights shine in all directions. LED's are highly directional (think focused here/so more efficient).The best way is to define what you want to keep (ie-soft coral, LPS and/or SPS, and then decide which light will work best for YOU. The W/gal rule dictates that you should be somewhere above approximately 5W/gal. However, education is key in this hobby, so I will spare the dialog and suggest some reading instead. I could bore you into submission by citing what I have learned about lighting, but it's not about me. It's about you, and your passion for this hobby, and your specimens. So Aquarist, go enlighten</em> yourself!
(Sorry for the clumsy pun, and happy reading)
FWIW- I do not agree with <u>everything</u> the author on that site write's, but it IS the most comprehensive single resource on aquarium lighting, that I have found-
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html">http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html</a>
PS-in the end it will come down to T-5 flourescent, metal halide or possibly the newer LED's. After reading up on this, feel free to ask questions.
PSS-
PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) is what is important to corals. Sometimes this will be discussed as PUR (photosynthetically useful radiation).
PAR- is based on the active spectrums of all photosyntheic pigments (ie-what is possible).
PUR- is based on those pigments a given organism actually posesses and wavelenghts it can actually absorb/use (ie-what is probable).
PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) is what is important to corals. Sometimes this will be discussed as PUR (photosynthetically useful radiation).
PAR- is based on the active spectrums of all photosyntheic pigments (ie-what is possible).
PUR- is based on those pigments a given organism actually posesses and wavelenghts it can actually absorb/use (ie-what is probable).
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ichthyoid;601102 wrote: You have inadequate lighting-IMO.
Using the old, but still useful, guidline of watts per gallon-you are at 1.8W/gal. A good rule of thumb would be to look for at least 5W/gal. (all you lighting experts, please hush for a minute
The best way is to define what you want to keep (ie-soft coral, LPS and/or SPS, and then decide which light will work best for YOU. The W/gal rule dictates that you should be somewhere above approximately 5W/gal. However, education is key in this hobby, so I will spare the dialog and suggest some reading instead. I could bore you into submission by citing what I have learned about lighting, but it's not about me. It's about you, and your passion for this hobby, and your specimens. So Aquarist, go enlighten</em> yourself!
(Sorry for the clumsy pun, and happy reading)
FWIW- I do not agree with <u>everything</u> the author on that site write's, but it IS the most comprehensive single resource on aquarium lighting, that I have found-
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html">http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html</a>
PS-in the end it will come down to T-5 flourescent, metal halide or possibly the newer LED's. After reading up on this, feel free to ask questions.[/QUOTE]
I was hoping you'd chime in! Anytime someone asks about lighting, I think of the threads you have posted in the past. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the one I'm looking for...
I'll keep looking.
