Lighting Question and DI/RO question......MARINE AND FISH ONLY
Scott Moore
Setting up 55 Gallon Marine Fish Only tank. I will not have any inverts,
including anemones, shrimp, coral, etc. that require special lights.
1) What kind of light setup will work for me? I am thinking of the dual
lamp 48" normal output versa-hood setup. It is commonly available,
reasonably priced, and bulbs are readily available. I don't want 'strip
lights', but I don't want to spend $300 on a custom canopy either-How
many lights do FO need, and will 2 be enough or should I ge a setup
allowing me to install 4 bulbs?
2) I am unsure of what H2O quality I _need_. If my local water is fairly
clean (ie-easily treated for chlorine/chloramine, no excessive
sulfates/phosphates, and no nitrates) do I really need a DI system? Have
any of you used tap water for makeup in a marine fish only?
Any emails or postings are really appreciated. Thanks in advance.
--
Scott Moore
smo...@genesys-tech.com
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GPPancerev
Scott Moore wrote:
>Setting up 55 Gallon Marine Fish Only tank. I will not have any inverts,<BR>
>including anemones, shrimp, coral, etc. that require special lights.<BR>
><BR>
>1) What kind of light setup will work for me? I am thinking of the dual<BR>
>lamp 48" normal output versa-hood setup. It is commonly available,<BR>
>reasonably priced, and bulbs are readily available. I don't want 'strip<BR>
>lights', but I don't want to spend $300 on a custom canopy either-How<BR>
>many lights do FO need, and will 2 be enough or should I ge a setup<BR>
>allowing me to install 4 bulbs?<BR>
Two 48" normal output bulbs should be fine for a 55gal fish only tank. Any more
and you might have excessive algae growth. Some people use only one bulb, but I
personally like a little more light.. IMHO, all you need is enough light to
show off your fish. The expensive lighting systems are only needed for reef
tanks that contain photosynthetic invertebrates such as anemones, coral, clams,
etc. Most fish don't seem to need much lighting. Also, some invertebrates such
as shrimps and crabs will do fine with low lighting.
><BR>
>2) I am unsure of what H2O quality I _need_. If my local water is fairly<BR>
>clean (ie-easily treated for chlorine/chloramine, no excessive<BR>
>sulfates/phosphates, and no nitrates) do I really need a DI system? Have<BR>
>any of you used tap water for makeup in a marine fish only?<BR>
Tough question. I know a number of people (including myself) that use tap water
for fish-only tanks. It really depends on your water source. Silicates can be a
problem as well as phosphates, nitrates, heavy metals, etc. IMHO, it is
probably worth a try, but don't be surprised if you have to find a better
solution.
Greg
Brad Faber
Scott Moore wrote in message <34EDB276...@genesys-tech.com>...
>Setting up 55 Gallon Marine Fish Only tank. I will not have any inverts,
>including anemones, shrimp, coral, etc. that require special lights.
You could still have some cleaner shrimp to keep the ick in check, unless
you keep shrimp-eating fish like triggers and puffers. You don't need any
special lighting. Just iodine supplements.
>
>1) What kind of light setup will work for me? I am thinking of the dual
>lamp 48" normal output versa-hood setup. It is commonly available,
>reasonably priced, and bulbs are readily available. I don't want 'strip
>lights', but I don't want to spend $300 on a custom canopy either-How
>many lights do FO need, and will 2 be enough or should I ge a setup
>allowing me to install 4 bulbs?
Two NO bulbs are sufficient, but the more bulbs you have, the better the
tank looks. It is brighter and you can see the colors better. Also, you
can better see early stages of parasitic development. Using a canopy is
really much better. It allows you to remove the glass covers which helps
with oxygen/CO2 transfer. You will have better evaporation. Also, tank
maintenence is more convienent. Building one is a half day job at most and
they are real easy to do. Should cost you about $50-$100 to make a nice
one, depending on how fancy you get. There are plenty of DIY plans on the
net. If you buy your lighting on the net through MO, you will save a ton of
$$. If you want any suggestions on where to buy, let me know.
>
>
>2) I am unsure of what H2O quality I _need_. If my local water is fairly
>clean (ie-easily treated for chlorine/chloramine, no excessive
>sulfates/phosphates, and no nitrates) do I really need a DI system? Have
>any of you used tap water for makeup in a marine fish only?
>
You will have problems using tap water. Better to get an RO/DI. How
sensitive are your test kits that you tested your tap water with? Hach is
really the only one that is sensitive enough to tell for sure.
Paulo
> >
> >1) What kind of light setup will work for me? I am thinking of the dual
> >lamp 48" normal output versa-hood setup. It is commonly available,
> >reasonably priced, and bulbs are readily available. I don't want 'strip
> >lights', but I don't want to spend $300 on a custom canopy either-How
> >many lights do FO need, and will 2 be enough or should I ge a setup
> >allowing me to install 4 bulbs?
>
> Two NO bulbs are sufficient, but the more bulbs you have, the better the
> tank looks. It is brighter and you can see the colors better. Also, you
> can better see early stages of parasitic development. Using a canopy is
> really much better. It allows you to remove the glass covers which helps
> with oxygen/CO2 transfer. You will have better evaporation. Also, tank
> maintenence is more convienent. Building one is a half day job at most and
> they are real easy to do. Should cost you about $50-$100 to make a nice
> one, depending on how fancy you get. There are plenty of DIY plans on the
> net. If you buy your lighting on the net through MO, you will save a ton of
> $$. If you want any suggestions on where to buy, let me know.
>
Actually, if you really want to be nice and cheap, go to home depot or
wall mart and buy some double strip light (workshop) lights. Ten bucks
will get you an aluminum reflector (you can bend slightly to hold the
bulbs off the tank) ballast and endclips. Buy 2 of these, get 2 actinics
from LFS and 2 wide spectrum bulbs from home depot (another $5 per bulb)
and you're good to go.
(And over a 55 you could do some soft corals, too.)
FWIW
Paulo