am i missing anything

[Guest bill33]

hello, since everything in my tank died im reduing the whole thing the RIGHT WAY  :p  

 

so far im getting my 55gallon drilled 2 1inch bulkheads with a mag 9.5 for the return.

 

a 30 gallon sump.

 

40 pounds of lr  making room for corals allready on lr  :D

 

50 pounds of ls

 

now i need help with lighting, i want to keep softies and some lps. i herd thatr if i get a ultra reef light from petsupplyliquidator the 47 inch one with the 6 55 watt pc's i can keep some lps (frogspawn)

 

thanks  if anyone is sellinga 48inch light lmk

[Gatortailale]

1) it takes LOTS of time to have a successful tank

2) buy a refractometer from northcoastmarines.com for around $40 bucks

3) buy livestock from a quality source - sure marine scene charges a little more, but the QT the fish for week plus and get them feeding.  90% of my fish came from them - I still have the original ones I ever bought - yellow tail damsel; royal grama; potters angel & flame angel;  yellow tang; strawberry dottyback - All fish 3.5 years or older in my tank.

 

Live sand - what is your source for this - old tank ? okay, but if you are just going to buy 50# new, you are wasting money IMHO - buy 1-3 lbs and get some from club members tanks to seed tank.

 

lights Remember it's going to be about $20 x 6 every 6 months to replace those PC bulbs.  Most peeps get 12-24 months out of the HQI lights, you might be better served with your cash to buy 2 150w hqi lights/pendants (more upfront cost - but cost less in bulbs in long run)  YOU ALSO on right path looking for used - but caution to know source of lights

 

Goal is to take time, do it right, and avoid loss of life

[Guest bill33]

thanks, i was planning on getting tropical play sand fromw lowes or something, the lighting is my main concern since its my moms money she wants enought lighting to keep her favorite corals leather,and frogpawn

 

but she doesnt want to spend $300+ on lighting

[Gatortailale]

I didn't see source for your lights other than pet supply liquid.

 

NEW: 47" Ultra Reef Light, 6x55W Bulbs  $325.00

http://www.petsupplyliquidator.com/htm/aprod_hood_ultrareef.htm  and in 6 monts your pc bulbs will need replaced @ around 20 a bulb = $120.  In the past I used PC's and didn't care for them cause after 5 months they lose color and tend to crack (at least 96w ones did)

 

Cheaper option is to build your own hood/canopy and  Lots of people swear by VHO - that might be a good option.  Bulbs last over a year - reefmon got almost 2 years on his.  I just switched to them  3 months ago via change of wire harness - PFO ballast runs pc or vho; and the 96 PC bulbs are about $40 and VHO cost me $20.

 

3 X 46.5 Ice Cap VHO Retro W/660 @ champion is $275 - probably cheaper sources for them if you search.

 

I keep my frogspawn under 250w mogul MH and it loves it.

 

Good luck with upgrade.

[Guest bill33]

thanks, what can i keep under vho's, is it cheaper to get those instead of pc's

[Gatortailale]

Champion's VHO tank pics link

 

Luminescence Analysis of Fluorescent Lamps driven by IceCap 660

 

I'm still a fan of MH especially in anything deeper than 18 inches; plus love look of mH lights and shimmer & endless variety of bulb colors  wndr

 

I think VHO cost is a little less than PC; but they should last 2x or more longer than PC bulbs

[Guest bill33]

http://hellolights.com/4laaromo4lvb.html will that keep various lps

 

that looks liks a good deal, plus the bulbs areint that expansive

[Gatortailale]

I've found for online bulbs, Marine depot is decent price once you get meet Qty to get free shipping on them - I think 4 of 36" & 6 of 46"+ and vho bulb is like $21.  Haven't seen hello cupon in ages and don't know if they match free ship deal.

[Guest Kimo]

I would suggest that if you are handy you go with a DIY hood - Lots of people in WAMAS can help.  Mike Priest is one guy here who swears by VHO and uses them on his tank (which has been running for many many years!).  He could give you some perspective on this.

 

his userid is mpriest.  Maybe he will chime in or you can send him a PM.

 

http://www.hellolights.com/4lamvhoretki2.html might be a good retro kit for you.  It is basically 8 endcaps and a ballast that runs everything.  I also includes a reflector.

 

There are many plans online (this forum and others) that you can use to build a nice canopy.  If you are interested in going this route, let us know and we can help you out!

 

Jamie

[Guest bill33]

will that run 48inch bulbs??? in new to vho

[xeon]

Bill,

Just a few passing thoughts.  To start with I would get more rock, maybe at least 20 more lbs.  If you are going for a Deep Sand Bed, 50lbs. of sand will not be enough.  Off the top of my head I'm thinking that would get you an inch or two in your 55.

 

My next question is what type of filtration system do you have in mind.... skimmer, wet/dry, etc.  

 

As far as lighting goes, I prefer VHO's over PC's.  Craig hit on some points I agree with aside from the fact I just like VHOs better.  I did a 2 x 110W VHO setup for less than $150 including bulbs.  This would certainly keep the leather your mom wants to see after the tank has cycled and everything stays stable for a while.  VHOs would be a good start and when you decide the tank is going well,(ready for LPS) then you could add two MH's.  You could then use the VHO's as supplements to the MH's.

 

BTW, I thought PCs outlasted VHOs in terms of bulb life?

[Guest cjm033]

pcs bulb life is horrible, im about to replace mine after 6 months,because the spectrum has shifted so drastically in that time period.

 

-Chris

[miller]

how is it you know the spectrum has shifted on your bulbs

[peacetypes]

Ive had my PCs for about a year, no color change still growth, but i am going to replace them.  Go with 2 150 DE.  It will save you headachs down the road.  And you did say you wanted to do it right the first time...

 

Robert