Normal Output Lighting Question 10/26/06
Hey there,
<Hey? Hello there.>
I must be doing something wrong…. I have tried to change a few NO bulbs but when I put in the newer bulb, it just flickered, never stayed on… It is probably important to note that the older bulbs are T12, the newer ones are T8, same wattage and length obviously..… I ‘assume’ that they are interchangeable as the two little prongs are the same width apart….. I put the old bulb back in and it still works.  Is it just that the ballast in the light strip cannot run a T8 or something?  What am I doing wrong, do I have to replace a T12 with a T12, a T8 with a T8, do I need different ballasts….
Please explain.
<Ahh, should ask before doing such.  The T8 tubes require a higher starting voltage than the T12's.  Not enough punch in your T12 ballast to light them.>
Thanks
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Denise

Re:  NO Lighting Question 10/30/06
<Bingo!  James (Salty Dog)>
Point understood :)
Does not make much sense to mess with the ballast when all I need to do is to get the right size bulb...Regards Denise

Which Lighting? 10/22
Hello Crew:
I am looking for some advice on lighting a 55 Gallon tank. I am trying to decide the better of the following two products and was hoping for your advice.  The fist possible fixture is the Coralife Aqualight double strip PC, the second is the Nova T5. The Coralife is 260 Watts and the Nova is 216 Watts.  
<Personally I would go with the Nova - better product, but opinions vary.>
I am just looking to house some polyps, mushrooms, and "easy" coral.  Do you think one of the above is a better product?  Do you happen to know if one is more energy efficient?  Do lunar lights have any benefit to the coral?  The Coralife does not have them however the T5 does. Thank you so much for answering my beginner questions everything you do is very appreciated.
<I like lunar Lites - the advantages and the way they look.  But its all up to you - either will do.  Jen S.>

Icecast dimmer
I recently purchased a used reef system out of the classifieds.  With all the equipment the individual was giving me was an Icecast dimmer.  The lights on the tank are VHO's with an Ice Cap 660 ballast.  Unfortunately, there are no instructions with the dimmer.  I have tried to hook it up, and it shut the lights off, and turns them on, but doesn't really dim the lights at all.  I have searched the internet, and have not found the company, "Digital Oceans".  Can you help?  << I can not, but will pass this query on to another. >> Thanks in advance.  
<<  Blundell  >>
Mike

Lighting Confusion  9/9/06
Dear Bob et al.,
<Jim>
I have read most of the articles on WWM media re: lighting many times over the years, and have appreciated the improved understanding I have gained.  But I am increasingly one thing.  Bob, in your article Marine Lighting: Quality, Quantity and Duration, you encourage the use of fluorescents, even normal output fluorescents, in reefkeeping.
<Mmm, yes... in part these are "old" (more than a decade) statements/articles... and in part I am a big/ger fan of this technology for most folks... as we'll discuss further here>
  You list HO, VHO and PC as higher cost, and in some ways less desirable solutions, and you put MH's under the category of 'losing' technologies, because of their high cost, the massive heat problems, and the fact that they are actually too intense for many life forms.
<Mmmm... thank you for this... opportunity, prompting... I would not label MH as "losing technology" per se... but inferior for many settings (tanks shallower than a foot and a half in actual water depth, most organism mixes... but/and most importantly ones/systems that don't have matched capacities for providing adequate biomineral, other rate-limiting aspects... boosted light/intensity alone is not a panacea>
Based on this and much other reading and input, I chose to go with 4x110W VHO's for my 72G reef, which by your article exceeds the 1-2w/gallon you recommend, and it has worked great for the few soft corals and several LPS corals I have kept: Euphyllids, Caulastrea, Turbinaria, Favites, Trachyphyllia, and Lobophyllia (not sure I spelled those right).
<Close enough. Will fix before posting>
In fact, I had to move the Favites DOWN after it started to bleach and pull in when I put it high on the rock wall.  Last year, I wanted to purchase a crocea clam, but was angrily told by several reefkeepers I would just be killing a helpless animal by trying to keep it under these woefully inadequate lighting conditions.  I wrote in to WWM, and was reassuringly told "not to believe the hype" and that, given the correct water parameters, a crocea could live quite happily under VHO's, if kept within one foot of the surface.  My first clam died shortly after purchase (too quickly to be lighting, I believe) but my second crocea has been alive and doing well for six months.  It has grown, albeit slowly, putting on about a quarter inch of new shell in those 6 months.  Okay, now to the question:
My 72G reef recently blew out a seam, and I am quickly upgrading to a 150XH.  I chose the 150XH, despite the fact that some have expressed concern about the undesirability of deep reef tanks, for two reasons: space limitations within the house (six feet long just won't fit), and the fact that my lighting is all set up for a four foot tank.  But the concern has been raised that my 440W of VHO will truly not get the job done on a tank that deep.  So I started reading again, and I noticed that, despite everything your article said about MH being a 'losing' technology, you seem to recommend them fairly often in your FAQ's.  For example, a recent post:
Dear Bob,
My present tank is 60"L x 24" W x 30" H housing only softies due to angels and BF's lit by 6 x 40W NO fluorescents.
<Okay>
I have two options of light upgrade, 2 x 150W MH or 8 x 55W PC. Taking into consideration that I do not plan to have SPS, which would be a better option.
<A tough one here... both could be made to work. I will opt for the metal halides here though... due to the size, shape of tank, my personal "looks" preferences. Will be spectacular. Bob Fenner>
Regards.
This seems like a complete turnaround from your earlier position!
<Mmm... perhaps... is mostly a change due to tank sizes (getting larger, deeper) and improved "other" technology, and its popularity>
(I am not trying to be accusatory, I am trying to understand.)  Is this recommendation because of the deeper than "normal" tank listed by the author of the question, or has you opinion on the usefulness/value of MH changed considerably since you wrote the article I mentioned, or is there some other consideration I am missing?
<Is mostly the former, a bit the latter>
  I have zero desire to spend lots of unnecessary money on lighting, or worse yet, a chiller.  But I also don't want to do my animals a disservice.  I don't mind relatively slow growth (in fact, I prefer it.  I have had to frag my Euphylliids and sell/trade the pieces about eight times in the last four years because they got too big and started stinging each other, and that was only under VHO's).  But I don't want to starve them for light.
<Mmm, let me try to make a point this way. Your Euphylliids are receiving much more photonic energy than they would in the wild... can/could be metabolically boosted further still with more light and concurrent other conditions... is this "worth it?"... to frag more often? The added risk should the power fail once your animals are "boosted lighting" photo-adapted, the cost of energy consumption? Not an easy "yes/no" question...>
In my new 150XH, I am willing to keep most of the corals relatively higher up on the rock structure, though a few, like my very large (8-9" dia), seven year old bright pink rose Trach will still need to go on the bottom.  I have no intention of beginning to keep SPS anytime soon.  Will the VHO's serve?
<Could... but to proffer a more "complete" response, if this were your starting tank, and you were/are of the apparent level of sophistication as you appear... I would likely start with MH... two 250w pendants likely>
Would they serve if I added a few more VHO's/PC's?  Or, given the depth of the tank, had I better consider MH's?
<This last>
If so, what wattage?  I am really not excited about the idea of two 400W MH's in my living room.
<Me neither... would need a chiller and a basket of sunglasses to issue to visitors and family>
Would two 150W DE's fit the bill, or do I need to go with 250W's?  A little clarification please!
<The 150's would "get you" about what your present fluorescents do (though look a bit nicer)... IF you're switching to MH... I'd go with two 250's>
Very confused, but sincerely grateful for your help,
Jim Jensen
<Thank you for the opportunity to make myself clearer. BobF, visiting in Jamaica>

Coralife 50/50 or just white? The latter   8/24/06
Hello crew,
<Mike>
I have a quick question I don't seem to find a direct answer on. I have a 10 gallon Nano-reef with green star polyps, frogspawn, Ricordea mushroom, a small purple mushroom, green Zoanthids,
<... trouble...>
and a tree looking soft coral that had no name to it but it was $5 and it looks really cool. I have two Aquaclear 200 filters with no media just for water flow and 10-15 lbs. of live rock. I have a Coralife 96 watt 20" light fixture on the tank that seems to be working well for the coral but I was wondering if it is better to have the 50/50 actinic bulb in the Coralife fixture I have or would it be better to put the 10,000k all white bulbs in?
<The latter>
I can get either bulb for the same price and the fixture came with 50/50 bulbs but I was just wondering if my coral may need more of just all white light? Thanks for all the wonderful help you provide.
Mike
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/actinicfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Overdriving NO Fluorescent Lamps - 06/11/06
Greetings and felicitations to the Crew!
<<Mmm thanks, but congratulations for...?>>   
I am upgrading an existing tank to VHO using an IceCap 660.
<<Great ballast>>
I was planning on using NO lamps based on the reprint of the FAMA article by Sandy Cohen on the Ice Cap site: http://www.icecapinc.com/rev1.htm
<<Interesting article>>   
Doing my best at "due diligence" by searching the FAQs I found a comment by Bob in FAQs about Fluorescent Light and Lighting for Marine Systems 1 ( http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/fluoltgfaqs.htm ) that seems to indicate that there is a difference in PAR value when using NO lamps in place of VHO lamps with a VHO ballast:
<<Yes, I would agree>>   
<snip>
Another topic on S.O. tubes. A few years ago in FAMA a gent hooked up S.O tubes to Ice Cap ballast and had a much higher output coming from them.
<Yes>
If I remember correctly, almost a high as the VHO tubes.
<Not of PAR>
<snip>
<<Perceived intensity and PAR are not the same.  Though the IceCap ballast will successfully "overdrive" the NO tubes, they still won't produce the PAR of a VHO tube.  But...that's not to say Sandy's experiment/findings don't have merit...is wholly worth trying in my opinion.  Perhaps you don't "need" the output of a VHO bulb>>
I can't see the graphs in the reprint well enough to see a significant difference.  Any idea what the reduction in PAR value is?
<<Would be due to the design/initial wattage of the bulb.  Sandy seems to be overdriving the NO bulbs by 100%, yet this is still well below the wattage, and assumably PAR, of a VHO bulb of the same size>>
Thanks,
Mark Hein
<<Regards, EricR>>

BlueMax ... fluor. lamps    6/4/06
hello there,
I found this site, for light bulbs, http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/full_spectrum_fluorescent_bulbs_33_ctg.htm
Do you have any info on these bulbs?
<Nope>
They make a 70W compact fluorescent with a CRI of 96 and a 5900K rating. I thought this bulb would be great for the refugium, however, the bulb can only be used in the manufacturers fixture.
<Will/would likely work>
    I am looking at this bulb for the refugium. http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/65w_power_compact_69_prd1.htm I currently have a 28W 6700k fixture that does not seem to promote good macro algae growth. I would like to try my hand at growing some Gracilaria, do you think this bulb would be a wise choice?
<Yes>
The refugium dimensions are 20X15X15 with a 6" DSB.  I am undecided between the compact fluorescents or running two F20t12 bulbs, check these bulbs out http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/f20_t12_mb_93_prd1.htm
  Are these bulbs to good to be true? check out the  T5 bulbs as well.
  What would you recommend for lighting a refugium?
  <Either, actually all these lamps are of sufficient quality to suit me... anything in the nineties in the way of Color Rendering Index, 5k plus in temperature... Bob Fenner>
  thanks for your time
Peter

Lighting...In The Dark ... CPR lamps in the UK  - 05/19/2006
Hi guys - a quick question!  Do any of you guys, know of a UK based distributor (or US distributor able to post overseas) for replacement CPR Aquafuge bulbs and starters?
<Off hand I know of none.  Have you contacted CPR by email in regards to this?>  My fuge lighting has given up the ghost after
only 2 weeks use and of course taking it back to the shop (in the US) is out of the question!  Secondly, any idea if UK spec bulbs and starters would be compatible (bearing in mind the voltage difference)?  
<Another question for CPR.  I'm guessing their most cost effective way to market these products in the UK would be by incorporating a step-down transformer into the lighting unit.  Check the bulb to see if there is a part number on it and see if a local dealer can get this for you.  Do contact CPR re this at
www.cprusa.com>
Many thanks in anticipation
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)> <<And CPR is distributed in the UK by TMC/Chorleyside. RMF>>
- Steve Morse.

Re: Bulkhead Misery, And fluorescent lambda - 05/07/06
Hey Bob,
<<EricR here...Bob's off at another "fishy" event>>
Took the tank back in today after talking with him on the phone. He's just going to redrill and fit a new 2" bulkhead on there.
<<Great to hear>>
He was really apologetic about the whole fiasco.  I'm just glad it was so easy.
<<Indeed... As Bob stated, sometimes best to "cool down" and present in a calm manner>>
On another topic, I am trying to determine what type of lighting would be better for my setup.  I was going to go with 4 x 110watt VHO's with 3 being 10k and one being Actinic, but I've also had reefers suggest T5 HO's.
<<The current "fad"...the VHOs will be just fine>>
The cost for T5's is quite a bit higher from what I've seen and it seems I would also need more like 6-8 T5 bulbs.
<<Agreed...VHO gets my vote/is what I use/have used for years>>
As far as what these will be lighting, I plan on keeping mostly softies and maybe eventually some LPS or SPS and a Tridacna derasa.  Which would be more appropriate for this?
<<Not saying the T5s wouldn't work as well, but I have a good friend who keeps all the critters you mentioned under VHO lighting with great success>>
Thanks again,
Joel F.
<<Regards, Eric Russell>>

Overdriving fluorescent lighting  - 5/2/2006
I've searched and searched and I know i read about this and i think i read it on your site.
converting a N.O. shop light to make the lights brighter or to handle H.O. lights.
<you are referring to overdriving your lighting.  While it is fairly easy to do, it is not always the easiest these days to get the right ballast.>
i have 2 M.H.'s and  a 50/50 over my 220gal reef tank. I've been through 3 shop lights and 1 side of the 2lamps always burns out within a week or so.
<That sounds like a serious corrosion or shorting issue.  Have you checked the wires in the fixture and seen if there is any salt creep or eaten through wires?>
do you think  that would be from it being over the water? Or, that doing this rewiring that i am in search of would be worth doing. Or, should I just break down and buy VHO's or power compact's.
<If you can find a good electronic ballast that is made for 4 bulbs, you want to wire it so that the power leads for the 4 bulbs are connected to the two.  two sets of wires for each.  I highly recommend searching for overdriving lighting on the internet and get a very good grasp of the risks and benefits.  I have overdriven a few fixtures, but the cost of finding the right ballast was not worth the upgrading to a new fixture in the long run.  If i was you id look into a Corallife t5 fixture, a 2 bulb unit at 48 inches is usually 50-60 dollars or less and is ready to go.>
thanks
George
<Justin (Jager)>

Lights Again...But For What?  - 04/19/06
Hello Mr. Fenner,
<Actually Adam J with you tonight.>
I have a 55g FOWLR tank with a single bulb in each hood.
<2, N.O. florescent bulbs I surmise.>
To promote growth on the live rock
<What type of growth? Coralline?>
,do you recommend the 50/50 or 10000k bulbs?
<If this is for photosynthetic animals, 10,000K, put the par rating may not be enough? What LR critters are you referring too.>
  Also, I was wondering if you had a preference between Coralife and ZooMed bulbs.  
<Aesthetically ZooMed in my opinion.>
Thank you,
<Sure.>
Kiet
<Adam J.>

VHO Bulb Proximity to Acrylic? - 04/18/06
Hello,
<<Howdy!>>
I've been reading a bunch on your site, (great stuff by the way!!)
<<Thank you>>
I'm bumping up from a 55glass to a 125 acrylic gal tank for my reef.
<<Cool!>>
My question is how much clearance do I need to allow between the VHO bulbs and the top of the tank?  I know the MH gives off a lot of heat, the VHO not as much, what is a safe distance? (I'm planning on using 6- 48" bulbs across the top (2' wide)
<<You'll want to get the bulbs as close to the water as possible for maximum effect/efficiency.  A standoff height of about 1/2" or so above the acrylic will provide sufficient airflow around the bulbs.  I have known folks to lay the bulbs right on top of the tank...but I prefer not to do so>>
Take care, Mike
<<Cheers, EricR>>

VHO Bulb Proximity to Acrylic? II - 04/18/06
Thanks a bunch!
<<Very Welcome>>
What's a good mix of color for the bulbs?  3 actinic and 3 50/50 or some other combination?  I have a mix of corals - mushrooms, toadstool leathers, hammer coral, frogspawn, colonial polyps, Kenya tree, misc. others I have no idea what they are!
<<Mmm, a heterogeneous mix indeed.  My vote would be 10,000K for all six bulbs...but...if you want to have some Actinic as many folks do (would be for you...plenty of "blue" light in the 10K spectrum for the corals), then "no more" than two of these.  And do learn what else you have in the tank...else how do you expect to research and provide for their care?  Regards, EricR>>

VHO Bulb Proximity to Acrylic? III - 04/18/06
OK thanks... Will look into the couple things I don't know what they are...
Thanks!
<<Quite welcome my friend, EricR>>

Mystery bulb - 8/2/05
Greetings....Does anybody know the verdict on this 50/50 bulb from Coralife. I have purchased and installed one into my nano cube and have not had such great results with it. The folks at the local aquarium store are saying it does not provide enough intensity and are suggesting I purchase the "mini AquaLight" from Coralife to support soft corals. Does this sound legitimate? Or may it be a different problem opposed to inadequate lighting that I am most likely experiencing? Thanks for the advice.
<Hi Gary... I can't advise without knowing the wattage of this bulb, the size/depth of your tank, and the specific corals you are having trouble keeping. Do search through the lighting FAQs as most likely the information you see is archived there. Best regards, John>

Lighting   1/27/06
Could you please tell me what the end part of a ballast is called? <They are called end caps/sockets.>
I bought new Coralife bulbs, and when I was taking off the old bulbs, the end part broke!! The part that the pins go into. What a drag! They were so fused on to the bulbs, it was ridiculous! <Should coat the pins of the lamps with a silicone lubricant to prevent this.>
I bought Coralife 65 watt 21 inch straight pin compact bulbs. Now, my tank is in the dark thanks to this ridiculous design!!
So, now that I've vented a bit, can you tell me what the heck they are called so I can order some? I had to cut the wires that lead from the ballasts also, because they were frayed. Do you think it is safe for me to re-wire onto these caps?? <I've never saw PC end caps for sale in any of the on-line stores.  I'd contact the manufacturer for their advice. <James (Salty Dog)>
Thank you! <You're welcome>
Pam

Vague questions/answers re lighting, refugium substrates  1/16/06
Hello,
I was wondering what is the best combination of bulbs for my 440 watt VHO setup. I know it is a bit inadequate but I would like to keep an SPS toward the top. It is 4 bulbs and I can choose URI's day sun, actinic white and actinic blue. Whatever combo will provide the most useable light for the corals.
<Likely the whites in the 10-15k range>
Also, I was just making sure... as for the sandbed in my fuge, all I need to do is have a sandbed with no plenum or anything like that right?
<Please see WWM re... there are many design options, alternatives. Most folks avoid plenums as unnecessary, but some leave out substrates as well. Bob Fenner>
Thanks for any help, Dan

Need help with lighting
Greetings - I love your site and the incredible files of helpful information!
<I'm very partial to it>
We have a 3-month-old 75 gal. (48" wide) set-up: ammonia/nitrites = 0; nitrates = max. 20; water changes about every 2 weeks.   Inhabitants include:  30# of live rock, 5 green Chromis, 2 ocellaris clowns, and a scooter blenny.  Our future hopefuls include a yellow tang (got him this week, currently in our quarantine tank), a couple of cleaner shrimp, a flame angel, a starfish, and an anemone.  We still have much research and preparation to do before we acquire any of these other species (we are planning to "do the time" with the easy guys first), but we would like to go ahead and upgrade our lighting with our ideal tank in mind.
<Okay... likely need to with whatever species of anemone this is>
After reading your archives, my head is spinning.
<How'd you like to write, correct, sort them?>
  I am trying to compare costs of different fixtures plus their replacement bulbs.
<Ah, good that you consider the last... as well as operational costs>
From initial research, I guess I'm leaning toward a 48" compact fluorescent fixture with 4 96-watt bulbs OR one with eight 54-watt T5 bulbs.  How often do the T5 bulbs need to be changed?  Would these options be enough light to support an anemone (what kind, yet TBD - suggestions, please)?
<Likely about every eight months, depending on how many hours per day you run them>
Bob, I have read your article plugging Vita-Lite, but all I can find are 40-watt bulbs.  Could you give me some guidance here?
Thank you!
<Yes... Dura is no more... and neither obviously are their fabulous Vita line of lamps. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

FO Lighting - 01/04/2006
I was just wondering if a UV light would be OK to use to illuminate my fish only aquarium.
<Not photosynthetic so if that's all that's in there yeah, sure.>
Thanks
<Welcome. - Josh>

PC pin corrosion   1/4/06
How are you guys? <Great>
I have quick question about pin configuration on the Coralife power compact fixture. Is there any type of substance that you can put on the pins of a bulb when you change them to prevent the pins from corroding(?) inside the end caps? <I spray a small amount of WD40 on mine and wipe off excess.  James (Salty Dog)> <<Mmm, this is a local co... the product is diesel fuel, kerosene and a perfuming agent... I would NOT spray this around aquariums. RMF>>
Thanks,
Greg <<I use a smear of Silastic (100% Silicone Sealant)... wipes away enough for initial contact, allows easy removal. Bob Fenner>>

VHO vs. PC lumens 12/13/05
Hello, A couple simple questions...I have heard that pc's put out twice as many lumens as VHO. Is this true?
<There is some variation between brands of lamps and lamps of different color temperatures, but on average all fluorescent lamps will put out about the same amount of light on a per watt basis.  That said, there can be huge differences in how much light gets delivered to your tank, mostly depending on the type of reflector, but also lamp geometry.  Smaller diameter lamps (like PC and T-5) appear brighter because the same number of lumens are being emitted from a smaller lamp.  Also, PC's are usually folded over, so the light is being emitted from an even smaller area.  The downside to PC's being folded over is that some of the light from each tube shines on the adjacent tube and not downward.>
I have heard that an ice cap 660 ballast that is using 440 watts of VHO will only actually consume around 220 watts of electricity. Is this true?
<I am not sure of the exact figure, but it is true that Icecap ballasts under drive VHO lamps and overdrive normal output lamps.  Icecap ballasts will also under drive PC's if they are loaded to near their maximum capacity.  Icecap claims that their high efficiency electronics result in comparable light to lamps driven at full wattage on conventional ballasts, and this seems to be true.>
When it comes down to light output and more useable light for my corals, which is better, 440 VHO watts or 265 pc watts?
<In terms of light delivery only, these will be comparable (if you are using icecap ballasts, compare based on lamp rating).  I personally am a much bigger fan of VHO because PC's can be a pain to replace (different wattages, pin configuration, etc.) and there are too many cheap lamps on the market.  VHO's by URI are cheap, widely available and high quality.>
Should I buy a reflector for my canopy for URI VHO bulbs with built in reflectors?
<I would.  The internal reflectors are nice, but additional external reflectors will result in additional light being reflected into your tank.>
Lastly, every time I use your search feature for a question, I usually find the link with the question I have. When I click on it, it brings me to a page with what seems like 100 different questions, and I never find the question from the link that I clicked on. Is that just the way it works? I guess I could use the extra reading anyways... Happy Holidays Thanks a lot.  <This is a common problem.  The link you get when you search brings you to a page that covers a broad category.  A good tip:  Once you reach that page with the 100's of Q&A's, click on "Edit" at the top left of your browser window and select "Find on this page" from the pull down menu.  You can then use keywords to hopefully find more specific info.  For example, if you search for "Berlin skimmer clogged venturi" gets you 100's of entries about skimmers, use the find function to find the word "Berlin" or "venturi" within the page.  Best Regards.  AdamC.>

Lighting VHO vs. PC, anemone feeding, color, Clownfish eggs 12/13/05
Hello,
I have a 4x65 watt Corallife power compact fixture on my 75 gallon aquarium. I am keeping some SPS's, including a 6 month old Acropora frag that is brown and fuzzy with purple tips. It is toward the top and doing ok, but obviously due to the lack of light it is growing slowly. I am building a canopy soon and I have the opportunity to upgrade to 440 watts of VHO for pretty cheap. Is this worth it? I hear that they don't put out as much light as pc's, even though there will be a big difference in wattage. <The PC's are brighter watt for watt, have a lower operating cost than other tubes and a much better bulb selection.> Also what if I put my pc bulbs and the VHO bulbs all into my canopy... can this be done...why have I never heard of this? <Because it isn't cost efficient.  Next to MH, PC's is the way to go.>
If I did end up going with the VHO's will I be able to keep any corals that I couldn't keep with the PCs? I have always liked the look of the light put off by VHO way better hopefully it will be a better choice for my corals too. <The best lighting for Acropora and most other SPS corals is MH or HQI but if a MH/HQI upgrade is not in your budget I would rather see you add another 4x65 fixture than the 440 watt VHO.>
Lastly, I have a Sebae anemone that I have had for about 8 months. The base is a very bright fluorescent green, and it has pink tentacles with purple tips. I was curious and looked at as many photos of them as I could find. I found a few that slightly resembled mine, but none that have had color even half as vibrant. Is this a rare find? also what foods can be used to get the best color possible? Right now I use silversides and squid alternating once a week and frozen prime reef cubes about 3 times a week. <The Prime Reef cubes is what I'd stay with and you don't need to feed the anemone three times a week.  Once or twice is plenty. It is also being hosted by a black ocellaris and an orange percula is it possible for them to produce fertile eggs? <I guess it could be possible but unlikely.>
Thanks for any help that you could give me. <You're welcome and Happy Holidays to you. In future queries please do a spelling/grammar check.  It sure saves us plenty of time if we don't have to edit these.  James (Salty Dog)>

Fluorescent Reef Tank Lighting  12/10/05
Dear Sir,
<Hello, Adam J with you.>
I have been reading your article on marine lighting with great interest.
<I assume you mean Bob's article, he's not in right now, so I'll be filling in for him.>
I am a beginner in marines and have found the whole hobby very expensive if our U.K. shops are to be believed, In the U.K. no LFS will entertain anything less than 200litres as a minimum with equipment
<Yes, smaller volumes of water can be made to work but generally the larger tanks are better for beginners due to their stability.>
that looks more like Frankenstein's laboratory than a pleasurable pastime!
<Oh...you should see my wet room...and wet attic.>
Through careful reading on the internet, I have managed to keep a pair of clowns (the captive bred small variety) in a 35l tank- with live rock and a skimmer. However I digress, I like to think of myself as a conscientious keeper, and to this end have been constructing my own 100l tank with sump. 
<Good move.>
I have been struggling with the issue of lighting the general thrust of marine keeping seems to be 'you will have no success without MH lamps, and actinics are a must'
<This is not true at all, depending on the size of your tank and what animals you want to keep there are many other viable lighting options other than MH. As for the actinics these aren't necessary at all, they are really for aesthetics.>
these lamps are far too costly for me to buy or run so have found your article giving great hope, I have managed to source a reasonable priced T5 over tank Luminaire, it has 3x20wx14000 Kelvin lamps, sourcing full spectrum lamps has proved difficult, would it be possible to have three different temperature lamps that would make up the full spectrum?
<Actually most photosynthetic animals prefer light in the 6500K to 10000K spectrum, so I would replace at least 2 of your 14K bulbs with this type for best results. This lighting can be made to work but are these normal output T-5's or high output? This makes a big difference.>
(as soon as aquarium is mentioned a cost multiplier seems to automatically become involved £18 for a 2ft actinic!) My tank is a 2ft cube with a 4in DSB and besides the clowns I would like to keep feather dusters and mushrooms of some sort or something a bit more exotic if possible-suggestions would be most appreciated.
<Yes this lighting even if it is normal output should be sufficient for the animals mentioned as well as some duller specimens like brown/green star polyps or darker Zoanthids.>
Is it possible to have success with this set-up?
<I believe so.>
Yours, Colin.
<Adam J.>

VHO Question
Bob, 
<James today>
I am at my wits end here in my decision making process. I currently have a blue carpet anemone and a nice large Squamosa, sorry for my grammar, that I will be moving into a 150 XH (48x24x30). I am going to have about 6 inch DSB (I want a Jawfish) and I also want to move the anemone and clam over. In the future I also want to have some various colonies of Acropora sp. and other SPS corals. So my question is this. 
Would I be better to go with 8 110Watt VHO's or just 2-250 watt halides with 2 VHO actinics. 
<With the depth of your tank I would go with the MH's and VHO actinics. Much more cost effective. Replacing 8 VHO's is pricey.> 
I have been reading on the PAR of each type of lighting and I have found many conflicting opinions. The only reason that I am so torn is that it is a couple of hundred dollars difference that I could roll over into a Tunze Stream. However, if you think it would be wise for the halides please just say so! :) I have always thought that halides were the greatest but there are a lot of educated people out there that say if you over-drive VHO's or t-5's that there is a higher PAR....I don't know what to think but this tank is over a year of planning already so I DO NOT want to waste money at this point. The reason I am trying to stay away from the halides is that I do not want to purchase a chiller at this point so a couple of 4" fans and 8 VHO's sound great. 
<Andrew, the VHO's are going to generate 880 watts. The total wattage of the MH system will be 720. The fans should keep your temp at a reasonable level. If the lights are going to be mounted in the hood, its best to blow the air across the lamps rather than suck the air across.>
Thanks a lot in advance!! 
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)> 

Dimmer for 430 Icecap ballast 10/11/05
I have a FOWLR 180 gal. The tank is acrylic with combination of actinic and 50/50 lighting ( t5 t12 ) I decided to simplify things and placed an icecap 430 with 2 x 72 " bulbs VHO URI 50/50. Two bulbs have replaced 8 standard output. I have 3 questions
VHOs get hot ( I can touch them but cannot hold on too long ) are they safe mounted in an acrylic hood with acrylic standoffs ? My hood does not have a fan but is open to the air along the back 6 feet. H2O temp does not go up with lighting on. 
<It would be safe mounted as you describe though use of a fan is recommended. It will increase bulb life>.
Icecap says that the 430 is dimmable. Is this true ? I have heard otherwise from the sellers of this ballast. 
<My understanding is that dimmers can only be used for a maximum of a one hour period, and then only with a microprocessor based controller. I'd send an email to Ice Cap to confirm.>
Is 320 watts of 50/50 VHO lighting too much or adequate for a FOWLR ( 180 gallon, 3/8 inch acrylic piece is between lighting and water, bulbs are mounted 3" above tank in hood )
<Excess light isn't going to hurt anything, will allow more beneficial algae growth than nuisance algae providing your nitrate/phosphate levels are low. James (Salty Dog)>

Dimmer for 430 10/11/05
Salty Dog,
Thanks for your prompt reply. 
<You're welcome> 
For a 180 FOWLR would I be better off with 160 watts of standard output 50/50 's ( will this be sufficient ? for coralline algae ) or would 320 VHO 50/50 be best ? 
<I would go with the 320, that's only 1.7 watts per gallon which should be sufficient enough for coralline growth as coralline generally prospers in the lower levels of the reef. I'd make sure one of the tubes was true actinic rather than 50/50.> 
Phosphate 0.1 PPM Nitrate 10 PPM. 160 watts of standard watts run cooler than the VHO. <Yes, obviously> If this were your tank would you go for the 320 w VHO or 160 watt SO 50/ 50 light. 
<As stated above my friend. James (Salty Dog)> 
Thanks, Jimmy 

Large System - 08/16/05
I recently acquired a 600 gallon tank that I am planning some upgrades  for.  
<<cool>>
The tank came with 2 - 6' VHO's.  It's a 4' tall tank, and I just want it to look REALLY nice, not necessarily try to grow anything in it (aside from healthy fish).
<<ok>>
I haven't gotten it filled yet, or the lights hooked up so I'm not sure how bright it's going to be, but I'm curious if VHOs can hack it or would it be recommended to bump it up to halides even though its a FOWLR.
<<The VHOs will work fine for the fish (may want to add a couple more tubes), but I wouldn't expect any life to "flourish" on the live rock in the bottom third of the tank.  I prefer the look of a single-point light source myself...and considering the depth of this tank, would likely opt for the halides.>>  
I want to mount my 125 above the 600 if that is possible and use it as a refugium/invert display to complement my FOWLR, so it  would be nice if I could avoid the heating issues that would inevitably arise with halides.
<<A valid concern...but don't be fooled in to believing VHOs won't be hot.  The use of cooling/exhaust fans will likely be required for either application.>>
That leads to my next question and that is...are there any nifty tricks aside from drilling (glass tank), and overflow boxes (the  devil) to getting a top mounted tank to overflow to a tank below?
<<Not that I'm aware/would trust.  Drilling really is you're best option.>>  
Third question - The tank came with two Oceanclear canisters (which I am scraping for this project), and two 1200 gph external pumps.  There are four drilled holes and bulkheads in the bottom of the tank from this, and two pumps I have no great use for.  Would it be hazardous at all to just run two small closed-loops right out the bottom - provided that I elevated the drains above the substrate?
<<Employ "true" closed-loops and you have no worries.>>
And would that be worthwhile?
<<Absolutely!>>
I'm going to plumb a Dolphin AquaSea in for a closed loop on the back so if I had to plumb them any other way it probably wouldn't be worth the hassle.
<<More flow the better...whether a reef or a FOWLR.>>  
Lastly - just before my dreams get out of control - assuming I have top notch water quality, and 600+ lbs of live rock how many "stocking rules" can I break in a tank this size?
<<Every tank has it's own set of rules...>>
Can I keep a school of Yellow or Blue  Tangs...or multiple Pomacanthus angels...or keep a Sohal with other types of   tangs...or....you get the picture :)
<<Unfortunately yes, I do <G>... You don't give the tank dimensions, but at 4 feet in height I'm guessing it's no longer than 8 feet (96"x48"x30" ?).  The Sohal gets too big even for this tank to be happy/well adjusted for its lifetime...the blue tangs (Hippo?), though not quite as large as the Sohal at maturity, are so robust, active, and high strung/twitchy as to (in my opinion) require more swimming room, more flow, and more "hidey holes", than most casual hobbyist can provide...especially if more than one.  As for the yellow tangs, I might be tempted to try a trio (all same size introduced together) in this tank.  Careful selection of a Pomacanthus might prove interesting as well (two might be trouble)...though be warned, these can/will become bruisers at maturity...choose tank mates well.  At least research your selections (fishbase.org provides good info on adult size, gut content (food), etc.) and seriously consider their requirements/needs before purchase.>>  
Muchas Gracias, I always appreciate your input.
Scott
<<Happy to be here to assist/give opinion.  Regards, EricR>>

Lighting 8/9/05
Hi Crew
    I was wondering which of these fluorescent bulbs are visually brighter the Coralife RO 10,000K or the 20,000K?
Thanks
<The perception of most folks is that higher incandescence (K rating) appears brighter. Bob Fenner>

SW System light/ing
Hey Guys and Gals,
< Hello >
      Someone just posted on one of the lists I subscribe to asking for input about these lights......
http://www.lenslights.com/aqualights/innerpages/faq.html#5 .
      Marine and Reef lighting is not my area of expertise. They seem interesting but are only compared to metal halides. Would these be considered VHOs? How would these compare to PCs or T5s?
< Not as good as pc's nor halides. A great idea, and a way to make a cheap light okay, but not ideal. >
As long as I am asking .... a friend of mine got a great deal on Coral Life T5s  at the Aquarium Warehouse in San Diego and I am thinking of switching.  I am  currently  using 2 65w  PCs on my 50g seahorse corral and 4 65w PCs on my 75 FOWLR. I know I do not actually need that much light for the inhabitants but anything less seems to puts a damper on my photography, which was the reason for the PCs in the first place. 
< No kidding, I'd say those tanks are way underlit, even without the need for light. >
      I am wondering how the T5s compare to the PCs in terms of heat, electrical costs and mostly appearance. Would the T5s appear brighter?
< T5's have a couple advantages.  First off they give off more light per watt than pc's and they are more energy efficient.  However, they are not high powered to begin with.  So you need more of them.  If switching out 65 watt pc's you are okay, but if you were switching 96 watt pc's you would need two T5's for every pc bulb you take out. 
Other point of interest.  T5's are a lot more money to buy initially.  However, the bulbs last twice as long.  So in the end you would be cheaper with T5's but not to begin with. 
One more item- with T5's you really do need the individual reflectors for each bulb.  That cost adds up as well. >
Hoping everyone is well.
< I am doin' great. >
Thanks,
Leslie
<  Blundell  >

Lighting
Hi Bob,
<Mohamed>
I have read about the Vita-Lite by Duro-Test as been the best full spectrum on the market. While searching for them I came across a company that sells them but unfortunately not in T5's but they do have a make that closely matches the Vita-Lite. http://www.naturallighting.com/pdf_files/aquarium_lighting_t5bulbs.pdf.  I have attached the spec of the T5.
The 3 full spectrums are:
28w, 46", lumen 2650, color temp 5500, CRI 91
39w, 46", lumen 3300, color temp 5000, CRI 85
54w, 46", lumen 4700, color temp 5500, CRI 91
I do understand that watts do not contribute to the brightness of the fluorescent tube but rather your electricity consumption.
<Yes>
I want the best I can afford for my tank inhabitants. Bob, taking my tank size in consideration, low watts is better for the bill and considering that I will keep coral requiring low to moderate lighting. I will have 3 or maybe 4 T5 florescent tubes on either side of my tank. Bob, the question is what combination you will use on either side looking at the specs?
<The last are best>
I will appreciate your input.
Thanks
Mohamed.
<Be chatting my friend. Bob Fenner>

Re: T5 lighting
Hi,
On http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fluolgtfaq2.htm article GE Starcoat T5 VHO Tubes Hilton speaks of adding T5's to his tank. If it is possible can this e-mail be forwarded to Hilton, I like to know where in South Africa his buying the T5's, the make, are the T5's as good as he says etc?
Thanks
Mohamed.
<Unfortunately we don't archive folks' email addresses. Will post your message in the hopes he'll see and respond. Bob Fenner> 

Kalk and Lighting
Hi! its me again, I would just like to know if the effect of a 1 tsp and a 1/4 tsp of calcium hydroxide on a 1 gallon of RO water will have the same effect on the pH?
<Ah! Worth trying to see, eh?>
For example, both will increase my pH by .1 - .2 . My pH is at 8.1-8.2 , and I want to increase the pH to 8.3-8.5 but at the same time minimize the amount of calcium introduced to the tank because I only have 4 stony LPS corals at the moment namely Elegance, Hammer, Open Brain and Pineapple brain and some Zoanthids. I'm keeping my calcium at 350 mg/L. 
My lighting is 3 40W 6500K daylight and 3 Marine Glo blue fluorescent lamp which says that it simulates deep sea
light and it does a great job in bringing out the fluorescent pigments of the corals. What are your comments in regards to the Marine Glo fluorescent lamp?
<They are puny in the intensity, quality of light produced>
Because initially I was thinking of buying an Actinic 03 lamp but I ended up buying Marine Glo but no regrets so far. Which is better? And as always, thank you very much.
<Keep reading my friend. And take care not to elevate the water's pH more than about a tenth of a point a week... using pre-mixed, adjusted water. Bob Fenner>

NO Fluorescent wattage output
I have four NO fixtures over my 50 gallon reef tank. Each bulb uses 65 watts of power, but the manufacture claims each bulb puts out 500 watts of light. So - when figuring watts of light per gallons of water, which statement is true:
65+65+65+65 = 260 watts?
500+500+500+500 = 2,000 watts?
Thanks for the enlightenment.
<Watts is *not* a measure of light output! Watts is energy consumption (watts=amps x volts). Your bulbs are consuming 65 watts of power, and since you have 4, you are consuming 260 watts of power. Hope this helps - M. Maddox>

Upgrading Lighting
Good morning, oh sagacious ones:
I have perused the many FAQs regarding lighting and did not see one that specifically addressed my concern. I have a 125G FO that is currently lit by regular fluorescents. I am in the process of adding live rock and upgrading to a 2 x 96 watt (one actinic, one full spectrum) CF system.  
Do I need to slowly phase in the more powerful CF system or can I simply remove the old tubes and begin using the CF upon its arrival? I thought about running just the actinic for one week, coming on one hour before and turning off one hour after, the old fluorescent tubes. Then, I would abandon the old tubes and use the CF completely.
As always, your thoughts are welcomed.
Thanks,
Mitch
>>>Mitch, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Watch your fish and go from there. If you see the need to take steps, do so.
Jim<<< 

Do new Fluorescents have to be 'Broken In' Before Used in Overdrive?
Hello.
<Hi there>
Thanks in advance for all your help in the past on a hundred questions (not all mine!).
<Welcome>
I have a two bulb hood (Perfecto), 18 watt bulbs, which I finally decided to (successfully) overdrive. The ballast gets a little warm, and the bulbs are a bit on the hot side, but after two or three months, no problems.
<Okay...>
At that point in time I decided to replace all the bulbs, since they were a couple years old, and I could tell they were going downhill. The new bulbs were 10,000K and 8500K, ZooMed, 18 watts, same as I'd used before. On one tank, everything's gone fine with the new bulbs. 
On the other, things were OK for a few days, but then after about 15 minutes, when things presumably had heated up, one bulb would go completely out, and the other would produce just a little light, a couple of watts, perhaps. I decided to put in all new wiring, on the theory that there was a bad connection which got worse with high temperatures. 
As a rule of thumb resistance increases with temperature, and with a bad connection perhaps the ballast couldn't handle the load.
<Mmm, more likely the lamps>
I ran two new bulbs, and it crapped out in about 15 minutes. Now I'm running one old and one new bulb, which has been OK for a couple days now. So, my guess is that the electronic ballast is OK.
<Likely so>
The instructions with the bulbs say they'll take about 5 minutes to start the first few times, with the length of time gradually decreasing. 
<Yes>
I'm wondering if the bulbs sort of have to be broken in by being used in a normal fixture before being overdriven. I've never read such a thing, but I was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience. Also, has it been the experience of anyone that the new non-broken-in bulbs are fried, or will a break in using normal fixtures do any good? 
<I suspect these lamps are just not compatible with your ballast, desire to "overdrive">
Thanks a lot,
Mark
<Bob Fenner>

Lighting 4/4/05
I have a 125 gal FOWLR with a 6 foot Custom SeaLife fixture. There are two 96W 50/50 SmartLite bulbs. My lights are on for 11 hours daily. Fish are well and rocks are loaded with coralline, though I do get some brown growth on the sand a few days after cleaning. First question, is this the appropriate duration of light per day, or would more/less be better? Second, how often should those bulbs be replaced? Both at once or separately? 
<Rich, nothing wrong with the duration of light you have. The bulbs should be replaced every 10-12 months. James (Salty Dog)> 

NO-Fluors: No-Go? and no more HTML!
Hello Crew,
<Hey, Mike G here. Before I answer your question, can I ask that you (or anyone else asking a question to the crew, for that matter) PLEASE do not include HTML formatting in your email. Yes, it was very pretty with all of the (very many) colors, and bolding, and underlining, but when I opened it to respond, the message was like a train wreck. It took me around 15 minutes to sort everything out, which was time taken away from other people with queries as well as delayed my response a bit.> 
I have a little bit of a dilemma. I was thinking of buying a 10gal tank from a person, because it sounded like a good deal. I just wanted the fish, but the tank includes a powerhead, a filter, a mature male Ocellaris Clown fish, a Kenya Tree, a Xenia, and possibly one other soft coral. The issue that I have is that I do not have anything besides regular fluorescent lighting.
<Sounds like a problem indeed!>
I read Anthony's article and he states: Standard Output Fluorescent lighting (SO or NO)?
"The same general attributes as per above for high intensity fluorescent tubes with the limitation of its potential to support symbiotic invertebrates at depth. Recommended only for the least demanding animals in shallow aquaria 40 cm or less in depth."
Is it possible that Standard Fluorescent lighting will support these corals due to the very small size and depth of this tank or will I need something more powerful like a 20" pc light?
<I would recommend purchasing the PC light. Everything would be SO much better off. With the NO Fluors, I'll bet the creatures could survive, but certainly not thrive. The advantages of getting a PC light to replace the NO Fluors are staggering.>
Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge. Thank you.
<You're welcome. Hope this helps you out.>

Re: Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate Oh My! And Dura back in biz
Thanks for the quick response. Moved the damsels last night, they seem to be ok with their new tank mates. Nobody seems to be arguing anyway.
<Okay>
I think that I will forego the substrate exchange between the tanks. The 29 has crushed coral and I've used reef sand in the 55. They won't look very good mixed. I could get a mesh bag and use it inside the Wet/Dry with some of the crush coral, couldn't I? Before my first e-mail, I did take one of the filter pads out of the power filter on the established tank and put it in with the filter pad on the wet/dry. I don't know how much help that was.
<Should>
Does the AragAlive reef sand fall under the same category as most other products that claim to cycle the tank faster, or is there really a benefit to using it? 
<Not much>
I thought that the bacteria needed a bio-load to keep it alive; otherwise I never would have added the fish so soon.
<Bingo>
On another topic, I read the WWM article about lighting that discusses the use of a product called Vita-Lite by Duro-Test. I would like to try these, but the company went out of business for a while and the bulbs are not available at retail stores. I've called the manufacturer, Duro-Test and they have a min order of $85.00. Ouch. I found a website http://www.naturallighting.com/ that sells them...
<Ah! Glad to find the co. is back>
... but I'm not sure that I can get enough wattage over a 55 gal tank to do as well as compact fluorescents, or maybe the newer T5 bulbs. The 55 is deep enough that I'm concerned standard fluorescents are not going to be enough, full spectrum or not. Do you have any thoughts on this subject?  
Again, great site, and nice chatting with you
Mark
<If you want/need more intense lighting, I would go with CF's, T-8's, T-5's... in low to higher order. Bob Fenner>

Sump construction
Bob,
<Jay>
Thanks for recent reply regarding material for sump/refugium .( seems you like acrylic over glass or Rubbermaid).
<Yes... unless the system/s are quite large... several hundred to thousands of gallons... then I REALLY like the Rubbermaid products>
New questions please-
<Okay, how do I get a date with Heather Locklear? What's the meaning of life anywho? Oh, wait, you want to ask them>
1)I was planning on upgrading my lighting from 40 w 48" actinics x4 on regular ballast to an icecap 660 with VHOs.  Then I read an article on internet about using this same ballast with just regular 40 watt GE Daylight ultrafluorescent bulbs (putting 80 watts into each 40 wt bulb). Big cost savings, but different spectrum I assume.
<Yes>
The writer say everything in fish/invert tank is doing well 2 yrs out (may 2000 FAMA)
2) with my current 160 watts of light (2 URI actinic whites, 2 super (blue) actinics) all my live rock is covered with gorgeous purple calcific something -or-other. What will happen to this as I upgrade to the new ballast and perhaps VHO lights?
<Change here will alter the mix, preponderance of species>
Your thoughts on these? 
<I would not be overly concerned regarding this abrupt change... w/o specifics, I would keep a close eye on your livestock, alter (extend or delete) illumination hours per their apparent behavior... (unless, you have interest, access to a PAR meter, light testing gear... want to guesstimate how much different... adjust for these two light regimes/set-ups. Bob Fenner> 

New Fluorescents from Lights of America, a shot and a miss
Bob, et al,
<Dan>
Your web site (live) rocks!
<Is this another live rock question?!>
I was at my local large box DIY store and noticed Lights of America has a new outdoor fluorescent floodlight.  Normally this wouldn't thrill me, but I noticed the single fluorescent bulb puts out 4550 lumens using only 65 watts at 6,500K and 82 CRI, and a life expectancy of 10,000 hours.
<Yeah... they do make some fixtures, have lamps of use... not this one though... the Color Rendering Index is too low at 82... you want/need 90 plus>
The complete weather-sealed fixture/ballast/bulb is about 7 x 9 inches and costs about $40 without a wiring harness.  At those dimensions, I was thinking about trying one or two of them over my 120 gallon marine tank (2 x 2 x 4).  If I use two fixtures, that's the equivalent of 8.3 incandescent watts per gallon (76 lumens per gallon)!  I was thinking about supplementing with two 10,000K or higher actinics, improving the spectrum for use by my SPS, and increasing the watts-per-gallon equivalent to around 10.
What's your opinion on the use of one or more of these lights, assuming I add actinics?  Would there be sufficient light of the right temperatures to support SPS or less demanding corals?  Any other recommendations?
Thanks in advance,
Dan K
<Not of much practical value due to the quality of the light energy. Bob Fenner>

Re: New Fluorescents from Lights of America
You say they have lamps of use--which lamps, and what uses?
Dan
<... please read over aspects of light, lighting... for whatever type aquatic system/s you have in mind... on www.WetWebMedia.com
Bob Fenner>

Triton lighting 12/14/04
hi, I want to know if 4x30watt triton fluorescent bulbs would be sufficient for my standard 55 gallon with 2 Radianthus anemones and some fish. thanks a lot
<they are a fine color for your fishes, but not at all likely to keep the anemone alive. Anemones need about 5 watts per gallon of tank to get close to having enough light. And if using NO bulbs like this, the lamps need to be changed every 6-10 months faithfully. Metal halide bulbs are recommended instead for light demanding anemones. Anthony>

T5 Lighting
Hi crew,
<David>
I have quickie to ask regarding T5 lighting.
<Okay>
I am looking to purchase shortly when funds allow a 145 USG tank (60x24x24) and was thinking of buying a T5 light unit but not sure how much wattage I need to allow me to keep BTA, mushrooms?
<Not much for the Shrooms, but the anemone...>
Can you (if you pardon the expression) shed any light ;) on the wattage required and also suggest any other SPS I could keep with this lighting.
<At five or more watts or so per gallon... for this depth, shape tank, you should be satisfied with the growth, appearance of the anemone and SPS corals. You could have more (even a bit less), but with more, there will be other rate-limiting factors come into play (e.g. a lack of biomineral...), that will likely present more headaches in maintenance than the extra light effects are worth>
Mass respect to you all.
Thanks in advance and ever learning.
Dave G (UK)
Respect to you all
<Welcome and I as well. Bob Fenner>