Upgrading my lighting - need advice.

[WaterDogs]

I currently have NO lights over my 75gal FO, I want to move up to something like MH, PCs so I can get into the reef side of things. What
should I go with? :?

 

[mattseattle]

i went straight from NO tubes up to Metal Halides and definitely glad i did. I've had amazing growth on my frags as well as a major growth in coralline algae. the simmer effect is also nice!

i definitely recommend getting MH and maybe VHO or T-5's to supplement. Right now I'm running just 10k MH bulbs and it's a little white for my preference but i'll probably add some VHO's to my tank soon.

 

[scat]

I'm a newbie and trying the 4 foot T-5 units that I purchased at the place Roosevelt. They came with the bulbs, mounts, built-in electronic ballasts and cord. They were a piece of cake to mount under my hood.

 

[jazznreef]

"that I purchased at the place Roosevelt. "

are you talking about The Fish Store on Roosevelt?? If so, stay as far away from that store as you possibly can. I have 101 reasons why you should not step foot in there...

 

[WaterDogs]

What are T-5s and PCs, two names for the same thing? What wattage is good for a 75gal, 400, 250, 175? Is it safe to buy used?

 

[scat]

Yes, The Fish Store on Roosevelt. I have know the folks there for coming up on the 10 years that I have been a freshwater person. I don't, personally, have anything bad to say about them. They know my newbie level of knowledge and my budget. Unlike the folks at a particular eastside store, The Fish Store doesn't expect me to drop $500 on lights, when I drive a $500 car. A particular store in a northern suburb of Seattle will also get my business, as they seemed to understand my budget constraints. The nice thing about the folks at The Fish Store is that they give me my anticipated dosage of ribbing when I walk in. I would be disappointed otherwise.

 

[scat]

T-5 is a common name for staight fluorescent lights that are approximately 5/8" in diameter. T-8 fluorescents are approximately 1" (8/8") in diameter. T-12 fluorescents are approximately 1.5" (12/8") in diameter. My understanding is that the thinner bulbs are more efficient.

 

[jazznreef]

fish store

...they definately know fresh water fish, there's no doubt about that. just be VERY careful when it comes to reef tank advice and prices of equipment. trust me on that one. most of us don't include them on our list of salt water LFS's to do business with.

 

[WaterDogs]

Where is this list of LFSs to buy from? There sure isn't very many LFSs compared to 6 - 10 years ago! Most have gone out of business; as a former SBO I found the gov. was the only one making a profit. :idea:

 

[scat]

Ebay and/or Internet stores must be a major culprit in the demise of LFS.

 

[csleeman]

Thanks to Slowboat I got to upgrade form a nice JBJ setup to dual 175W MH's. He even threw in some gently used 10K bulbs. But I noticed my coralline was going from a nice deep purple to a light pink because I was only running the 10K's So I am getting 20 K bulbs to see if Ill get my color back. If this dose not work Ill have to rig my hood to fit the CP's

-Chad