Light bulb wattage and power ?

[jarock]

Hi everyone i was wondering if anyone could recommend to me what wattage and power my bulbs in my saltwater hood i need for a 55 gallon saltwater reef tank. It is going to be a community reef tank with anemones and soft corals not sure what kind yet just wondering if there is a standard power bulb i can get that would work .

 

[Bifferwine]

You can't use a standard hood if you want to keep corals and especially anemones (which require stronger light than most corals). Those hoods are for freshwater. You will need to buy a whole new light fixture. A general rule of thumb is that you need at least 4 watts per gallon to keep low-light and soft corals (so for a 55 gallon tank, at least 200 watts) and about 10 watts per gallon to keep anemones (so about 550 watts to keep anemones).

For a 55 gallon tank, a set of T5s would be perfect. You will want at least 4 bulbs, but 6 is ideal. Check out the Current Nova Extremes and Current Nova Extreme Pros.

Lights for reef tanks can be expensive. Sometimes it's a good idea to start with a fish only tank while you save up money for lights.

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

+1 biff

 

[jarock]

i was thinking about getting this any comments and would anyone know how to convert volts into watts so i know how many watts these t5 lights would be? T5 HO LIGHT REEF HOOD 6X24W 60cm T5HO LIGHTING FIXTURE - eBay (item 400108307400 end time Mar-20-10 04:06:51 PDT)

 

[Bifferwine]

It says in the title -- 6 x 24 watts. That's 6 bulbs at 24 watts apiece.

 

[yote]

+2 Biff

 

[bjohanson1234]

That is only a 24" long fixture. For a standard 55 gallon like you have, you would need a 4 foot fixture. t5HO 48" long tubes are 54 watts each. You would want to find a 6x54 watt fixture.

Also, you cant convert volts directly into watts. Watts is a function of the amount of voltage and amount of current being used. Watts=Volts x Amps

 

[VAreef]

get some metal halides you know you want em. You can grow any coral under em and never have to worry about em. Plus they make the cool ripply effect ooooooo

 

[jarock]

I was going to put 2 24 inch fixtures since i have a cross bar in the center of my tank so the wattage would be around 288 to start off with and convert the bulbs to higher wattage after

 

[jarock]

would that be sufficient to start off with ?

 

[bjohanson1234]

24 watt is the HO for a 24" bulb.

Unless you find a ballast that overdrives the bulbs, you will be stuck at that wattage.

Also, flourecent fixtures arent like incandecent lamps where all you have to do is change out for a larger bulb. The ballasts and the bulbs need to match.

 

[VAreef]

I was going to put 2 24 inch fixtures since i have a cross bar in the center of my tank so the wattage would be around 288 to start off with and convert the bulbs to higher wattage after

Will those actually fit once you take into account the mounting of them? Usually a single T5 fixture for the entire tank is more than enough and cheaper to maintian, buy , etc.

 

[VAreef]

Your lighting is going to decide your tank. It's also one of the most expensive starts of your tank. I still consider MHs to be the best. LEDs are coming up but not yet. T5s can do it but they still dont get the oooo ripply effect.

 

[jarock]

can you recommend a website for in expensive lighting?

 

[VAreef]

can you recommend a website for in expensive lighting?

Im sorry but the lighting is the expensive part. I spent around $300 for my tanks lighting. To cut the cost you really need to get in the DIY section. With enough knowledge you can build a lighting system for much less than you can buy one.

 

[messiah023]

Jarock,

Don't skimp on the lights...you will be sorry you did.
FYI....those are (6) 24" bulbs per fixture. If you use two fixtures, that's (12) bulbs that need to be replaced between 6-12 months...

You will be paying out the wazoo for bulbs!!

Go get yourself a nice T5 fixture....

48'' Reef Aquarium Light T5 HO 6X 54 Lighting w bulbs! - eBay (item 270545074717 end time Mar-14-10 20:00:37 PDT)

 

[jarock]

Ok i think i found a decent one can anyone please confirm if this would be sufficient for a 55 g !!!!! T5 HO LIGHT FIXTURE 6X54W 1.2M

 

[messiah023]

Hi Jarock,

To be honest, I would stick with some name brands...
You must really like this design as you are posting the similar "tilting" light fixture..

You may want to venture away from it a bit and try to find something that uses INDIVIDUAL reflectors for all the bulbs.

It will really pay in the long run to invest wisely at the beginning.

When I first started....I cheaped out on the lights ($150.00 CF system).
After 6 months, when the crappy ballasts blew up, I went with a Coralife fixture.
Almost 3 years later and 4 bulb changes past....still no problems.
The new fixture was about $250.00.

I wished I didn't blow the first $150 and just spent another $100 bucks up-front.

:-) Good Luck!

 

[dcantucson]

I would recommend:

Odyssea Metal Halide System

 

[SalteeDogg]

I only got 500 watts total on my 160g (2 250watt 20k halides) and I have all sorts of corals that are happy and growing rapidly. My tank doesn't have 4 watts per gallon but think it might be a little different with halides.