Ok so let's see. Checked my 29 gal biocube lighting...its 2 compact fluorescent strips...1 is 36-watt 10000k daylight and the other is a 36-watt true 03 actinics...now thats 72 watts = 2.5 watts per gallon. If the tank is only 19 inches deep and the sand bed is 3 inches it only needs to reach down about 16 inches...and I can tell it does because the sand shines a good 3/4 inch down the side of the tank. What's wrong with this amount of lighting for anemones and corals? The guys I talked to today with flourishing coral tanks and biocube tanks in the stores say they use the stock lighting also and it runs fine.
Lighting :-$
- Thread starter joker577
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Not near enough. I have the a 29gal tank with two 36W bulbs that I use for a QT. About 6 months ago as a test I put a few polys of a med light zoa in it about 8-10" down. The first week or two it looked fine. Then they just started getting smaller followed by the skirts disappearing. 2 months later they were barley opening. I put them back in my frag tank and worked them back into the light slowly. They fully recovered.
It's not near enough light. To start with, fluorescent lighting doesn't have the "punch" that metal halides have. That doesn't mean that you can't use fluorescents...it just means that the Watts/gallon rule is pretty useless. Fluorescents spread the light throughout the entire length of the bulb. To make up for this, you need higher wattage bulbs. Even if your way of figuring worked, 2.5 watts per gallon MIGHT..just might be enough for soft corals. It's definitely not enough for LPS, SPS, Clams or Anemones. Sorry to tell you that, but it's the facts.
What are the surface dimensions of your tank? I don't care about depth. I need the side to side dimensions. Maybe we can come up with a different fixture that'll work. On my 29, I ran a 2X65 watt fixture. That wasn't really enough lighting, although my RBTA did very well. I consider myself lucky. My 29 was a standard tank though and the dimensions were completely different than a cube. That same fixture probably wouldn't work on your box. Let me know dimensions and we'll try and figure something out.
What are the surface dimensions of your tank? I don't care about depth. I need the side to side dimensions. Maybe we can come up with a different fixture that'll work. On my 29, I ran a 2X65 watt fixture. That wasn't really enough lighting, although my RBTA did very well. I consider myself lucky. My 29 was a standard tank though and the dimensions were completely different than a cube. That same fixture probably wouldn't work on your box. Let me know dimensions and we'll try and figure something out.
The Dimensions are 20"L X 20.75 W x 19.25" H...keep in mind the height is less due to the DSB. I saw this link here that has some compact lights on it that are higher wattage?
"Actually nothing more than a straight tube bent in half, compact flourescent lamps deliver a higher concentration of light energy in a smaller space than standard-length tubes do. Their VHO nature gives them the ability to deliver the right amount of lumens in whatever color temperature (CRI, K., etc.) you choose.
I ran a 20 gallon long on 6-9 watt compacts for three years. One 9-watter is equivalent to a standard 75 watt incandescent, so you see my little tank was well illuminated! Yeah, I had SPS frags in there, too. " Found that quote in this article. http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/lighting/l/aa031300c.htm
"Actually nothing more than a straight tube bent in half, compact flourescent lamps deliver a higher concentration of light energy in a smaller space than standard-length tubes do. Their VHO nature gives them the ability to deliver the right amount of lumens in whatever color temperature (CRI, K., etc.) you choose.
I ran a 20 gallon long on 6-9 watt compacts for three years. One 9-watter is equivalent to a standard 75 watt incandescent, so you see my little tank was well illuminated! Yeah, I had SPS frags in there, too. " Found that quote in this article. http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/lighting/l/aa031300c.htm
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pledosophy
Active member
With the lighting and tank you currently have IMO you could keep many things. Several species of macro algae are pretty and desirable. They add a nice color, would demonstrate good growth and are very decorative. There are a few species of carnation corals that would do well in there. Some species of gorgonia's that are non photosynthetic. They do need to be target fed, but the macro algaes would help absorb the other nutrients. You could also keep a variety of colorful sponges.
IMO compact flourscents are not going to be able to sustain much else long term. They do not have the same spectrum and intensity that is needed for many corals that are photsynthetic to survive and thrive long term. The corals are animals and would slowly starve to death, I'm sure this is not what you want.
IMO you should either keep corals from the great selection you have, or upgrade you lighting to something with more intensity to keep other animals if you desire them.
With a tank that size you are kind of limited on lighting options. You could go with a 96w quad PC bulb, or a MH fixture. A 70w HQI or MH bulb would allow you to keep many things, and they are not super expensive. They even sell clip on varietys.
With the PC bulb you would be able to keep most softies, many LPS, with the MH's you could keep anenomes, or SPS.
On a side note IMO you should either add an inch or more to your sandbed, or remove an inch. 3" falls in the to deep but not deep enough catergory. It is deep enough to trap nutrients, but not deep enough to process them. Sandbeds of this size often lead to future problems. So IMHO remove some so it is under 2" or add some so it is over 4".
JMO
IMO compact flourscents are not going to be able to sustain much else long term. They do not have the same spectrum and intensity that is needed for many corals that are photsynthetic to survive and thrive long term. The corals are animals and would slowly starve to death, I'm sure this is not what you want.
IMO you should either keep corals from the great selection you have, or upgrade you lighting to something with more intensity to keep other animals if you desire them.
With a tank that size you are kind of limited on lighting options. You could go with a 96w quad PC bulb, or a MH fixture. A 70w HQI or MH bulb would allow you to keep many things, and they are not super expensive. They even sell clip on varietys.
With the PC bulb you would be able to keep most softies, many LPS, with the MH's you could keep anenomes, or SPS.
On a side note IMO you should either add an inch or more to your sandbed, or remove an inch. 3" falls in the to deep but not deep enough catergory. It is deep enough to trap nutrients, but not deep enough to process them. Sandbeds of this size often lead to future problems. So IMHO remove some so it is under 2" or add some so it is over 4".
JMO
Did some math in my head. Ok, if the rule of thumb is 3-5 watts per gallon, with all the stuff i have in the tank it only makes it about 15-18 gallons. At the least when dividing my wattage by gallon size I have 4 watts per gallon, and the light visibly penetrates 1/2 an inch into the sand bed
pledosophy
Active member
That's not really how it works Joker. You can't facor in rock, etc as a means to lower your total gallons, in just doesn't work that way. The sandbed does affect it overall since it reduces the depth that the light needs to penetrate, but rocks, corals, etc, etc do not factor in. Also just because the sand is illuminated does not mean there is enough intesity to sustain a photosynthetic coral.
The watts per gallon is just a rule of thumb. It's not an absolute. The more depth the light has to penetrate the more intesity you are going to need. Here is kind of a ridiculous example just to help you visualize. Say you have a tank that is 6 inches wide, 6 inches deep, and 48 inches tall. RUle of thumb says you only need 20w of light to light the entire tank, however if the light was on top of the tank, there is no way it would be able to penetrate 4 feet down to keep a coral. Dig?
If your short on cash then use what you got. Look into non photosynthetic stuff, or save for what you really want. No one says you have to upgrade today. Patience is a virtue in this hobby, and IME it is better to save for what you really want then settle, and end up upgrading later anyways.
JMO
The watts per gallon is just a rule of thumb. It's not an absolute. The more depth the light has to penetrate the more intesity you are going to need. Here is kind of a ridiculous example just to help you visualize. Say you have a tank that is 6 inches wide, 6 inches deep, and 48 inches tall. RUle of thumb says you only need 20w of light to light the entire tank, however if the light was on top of the tank, there is no way it would be able to penetrate 4 feet down to keep a coral. Dig?
If your short on cash then use what you got. Look into non photosynthetic stuff, or save for what you really want. No one says you have to upgrade today. Patience is a virtue in this hobby, and IME it is better to save for what you really want then settle, and end up upgrading later anyways.
JMO
I just saw these online. What do you think?
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_i...2ae05e28db3b030
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_i...2ae05e28db3b030
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_i...2ae05e28db3b030
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_i...2ae05e28db3b030
pledosophy
Active member
links don't work for me.
NaH2O
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2004
- Messages
- 8,568
That would be better than what you currently have on there. Is this a modification to the current hood? I'm confused by what the picture is showing. It looks like you will have to take apart the hood and retro fit the added 36 watt light.
loohunter
Fish lover
that is pretty cool i may try this for my cube. where are you located joker?
loohunter
Fish lover
is it the same kit for 30 dollars more
I believe so. They have one on www.nanotuners.com but the site is messed up. And theres also how to set it up on there
