90 gallon lighting needs?
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Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Equipment
Forum Description: This is the place to ask question about reef equipment.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1520
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Topic: 90 gallon lighting needs?
Posted By: Calvin
Subject: 90 gallon lighting needs?
Date Posted: December 20 2003 at 12:35pm
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Hi everyone, I have a friend whom he and his wife are buying and setting up a 90 gal. reef tank for thier Christmas. He has asked me what he is going to need as far as lighting goes, he wants it to be adequate without spending a fortune. What are some of you using and what do you recommend? Thanks, Calvin ------------- Calvin Johnson 150 in wall reef |
Replies:
Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: December 20 2003 at 1:38pm
| What does he/she want to keep? That's s pretty broad question. |
Posted By: SSpargur
Date Posted: December 20 2003 at 1:49pm
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Hey Calvin - you going to be able to make it over today? Gimme a call. ------------- Sean Spargur West Valley, UT |
Posted By: Calvin
Date Posted: December 20 2003 at 3:28pm
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They want to have a variety of hard and soft corrals and maybe a clam or two. ------------- Calvin Johnson 150 in wall reef |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: December 20 2003 at 3:31pm
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Steer them towards dual metal halides with actinic VHO supplementation. They won't have to "upgrade" later on. ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: December 20 2003 at 3:32pm
| If clams are in the ball game, then halides it is. Maybe 2 175's and 2 48" VHO's. I like 10k Kelvin halides mixed with actinic VHO's. Or spend the money and get a spacelight. Expensive, but awesome! |
Posted By: Aquarium Creations
Date Posted: December 20 2003 at 4:17pm
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I like the 20K xm
------------- Aquarium Maintenance,Consulting,Custom Built Glass Aquariums Rimless/Euro,24Hr Emergency Service 8015485201 Www.UtahAquariumDoctors.com [email protected] |
Posted By: DutchDude
Date Posted: December 20 2003 at 11:02pm
| On my 90 gallon I have 2 * 250W halides in a nice reflector, with 3 VHO's, that is probably one VHO too many, but otherwise it looks great and I have been very happy with the setup. |
Posted By: tom-
Date Posted: December 20 2003 at 11:10pm
| Thats my kinda tank DutchDude |
Posted By: Aquarium Creations
Date Posted: December 21 2003 at 3:28am
DutchDude what is your lighting going to be on you new tank ?? i think its going to look alittle like mine  ------------- Aquarium Maintenance,Consulting,Custom Built Glass Aquariums Rimless/Euro,24Hr Emergency Service 8015485201 Www.UtahAquariumDoctors.com [email protected] |
Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: December 21 2003 at 7:20am
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Crap! The guy I bought my clam from said it would be OK under
VHO's. Are you guys saying he was mistaken? Anyway, Calvin, we have VHO's on our 75 AGA. Everything is growing...... Your friend is welcome to come see our setup. I am sure the other members will let them see theirs, too..... |
Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: December 21 2003 at 1:03pm
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Suzy, I'm not saying that clams won't grow under VHO's but I think they will do a lot better under halides. I was waiting for someone to ask that question. IMO, the only clam that I would consider under VHO's is Tridacna squamosa. Definetely not Tridacna Maxima. Tridacna derasa and crocea are in the middle but I would only use them under halides.
Just my opinions. I am not very familiar with Tridacna gigas, except that they get the biggest of the Tridacna's. |
Posted By: Aquarium Creations
Date Posted: December 21 2003 at 4:31pm
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I agree with marcus.......... ------------- Aquarium Maintenance,Consulting,Custom Built Glass Aquariums Rimless/Euro,24Hr Emergency Service 8015485201 Www.UtahAquariumDoctors.com [email protected] |
Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: December 22 2003 at 8:42am
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For the record, I also agree with Marcus. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: Diverdan
Date Posted: December 22 2003 at 11:20am
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All right, just a word of caution. This is their first tank? Are you sure they want to start out off the bat with expensive clams and sps? To keep the cost down and start them off slow with easier softies and lps corals, run 4 vho bulbs to get them started. About $280 from hellolights. You can succesfully grow some sps and clams under these lights. And the lps and softies will love it.
Then they can upgrade and switch the wiring harness to two vho's and add 2 250 watt halides for the perfect set up. I guess it just depends on what they want to spend, how experienced they may be etc. It always sucks to shell out the money and end up killing everything as they go through normal newbie mistakes and gain experience. Rich ------------- 75 Gallon Reef 15 Gallon Reef |
Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: December 22 2003 at 1:49pm
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Eric & Jake, thanks!
Rich, good point! They can always start small and upgrade as they go. |
Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: December 23 2003 at 8:20am
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My advice to everyone when they ask me what size tank or lights they should get is always: "Buy the biggest that your budget will allow."
If you're serious about entering the hobby, then do it right. Believe me, I spent several years trying to work around inadequate lighting. I was successful to a point, but the proper equipment is a necessity! You will regret not having more light every time you're at the LFS store and you can't get that gorgeous _________ because your lights won't support it. If their plan is to have a variety a hard and soft corals and clams then advice them to get a MH/VHO setup. This is optimal. You need to stack the odds in their favor - especially for beginners. You can upgrade, but it will cost more in the long run. |
Posted By: Danny Lueck
Date Posted: December 23 2003 at 8:33am
I completely disagree with that know-it-all Marcus feller. and his ALL SEEING EYE PIC. --- 
Bird World has some type of clam in a PC Nano-reef to the left of their showtank. And it is still alive I think ------------- "Ask not what your REEF TANK can do for you!!" [email protected] |
Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: December 23 2003 at 9:00am
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What type of clam is it? Is it a Tridacna clam? Is it a squamosa (the one marcus said could live under lower light levels)? and is it really still alive? ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Danny Lueck wrote:Posted By: Sarnack
Date Posted: December 23 2003 at 9:05am
| I've seen it too, pretty sure it is a squamosa and they have it under 56 or 64 watts of power compact lighting over a 7 gallon minibow. But the clam is also so small that I'll bet they feed it regularly (just my guess) |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: December 23 2003 at 10:14am
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I've had a small clam in my 20 gallon tank (250w MH + 150w vho) for oh like 7-8 months, bought last spring from Marcus at TPF. It did fine under the MH. About a month ago, I removed the MH from this tank for use in my new tank. The small tank then only had two 24" vho bulbs (actually one vho actinic and one NO daylight being overdriven to vho). The decline of the clam was slow, but deliberate (Marcus, I think you saw it a few weeks back, and I'm sure I mentioned that I was a bit worried about it). It died last week. I think it was a Maxima. I personally wouldn't try another clam under just vhos (maybe I would under lots of vhos??). ymmv... ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: December 23 2003 at 10:35am
| Jon, I remember it. I'm sorry to hear about the loss. You'll get more in the new tank. |
Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: December 24 2003 at 10:23am
| Danny, if you are going to keep teasing me about my "all-seeing-eye" then you and Dave can move your 55 back by yourselves. You just wish you had a white pupils like I do. |