Lighting color choice 4/9/04 
Hellooo all, Thanks ahead of time for the help. I have a few lighting questions. Right now I'm using 4 3ft VHO bulbs over my tank (70g tall 36x18x24). There are 2 actinics along with 1 50/50 and one 10k spectrum bulb. One of my questions is should I buy more 10k or 50/50 bulbs if I want more usable light? I've read on this site and many others that the actinics don't really have much use to corals at all. Regular "white" spectrum lights have enough blue to provide for all the inhabitants. So, I was thinking to change my 2 actinics for a 50/50 and 10k. Then I'd have 4 "white" lights which I would think would be better for my tank, however, is four 3 footers enough for such a tall tank (24")? I was thinking of upgrading my lights to some MHs but wanted to consult you guys first. thanks again!! Chris aka fishtank. 
<The color of the lamps that you choose is mostly an aesthetic choice. Whiter lamps may produce slightly more usable light, but not by a large margin. Four lamps over a 24" tank is plenty for a wide variety of animals, although some very high light animals (shallow water Acroporas and clams, mostly) may not hold their color or grow very fast. If you wish to keep some of these very high light animals, you may want to consider MH, otherwise, choose your florescent lamps based on the appearance that you find pleasing. As a side note.... Unlike with fluorescents, the general rule that bluer lamps produce less output is very true with MH. Best Regards. Adam>

Question on Lighting Spectrum 5/1/04
I just had the opportunity to purchase a rose bulb anemone, E. quadricolor, at an amazingly low price. I decided to go ahead and not pass up this offer. For the occasion, I am going to put it in a 20G tank that is already started until my big tank (125G) is up and running in about 2 months.
<good... much better than putting it in a tank with other stinging animals/corals... they fare best in biotope and species specific displays by far. Less room to roam and get into trouble too! <G>>
To facilitate this anemone, I just purchased a major light upgrade to PCs, and there will be about 8.5 watts per gallon. My question is this, the fixture has two separate bulbs, both independently controlled. It came with one 10,000K bulb and one actinic bulb. Do I really need an actinic bulb since the depth is only 12"? Or would I be better off going with two 10,000K bulbs?
<2 10k K lamps would be more useful by far>
Finally, is it correct to assume that 8.5 watts of light per gallon in that shallow of a tank is acceptable?
<for this anemone, yes... if acclimated slowly (using screen method, staggered light schedule, etc) to adjust from previous light scheme if lower (merchants tank, wholesaler's tank, etc.>
It will be supplementally fed with seafood
<very good... a variety of very finely minced meats of marine origin including Mysid shrimp and pacific plankton (tiny krill) would be very nice>
and Mark Weiss ComboVital as well.
<errrr.... interesting.>
Thanks!
<best regards, Anthony>

Re: Lighting Question
Hi WWM crew, sorry to bother you again but I once again need your assistance.  I only have one question today.  Will metal halide bulbs from home depot suffice in my 180 gallon tank?  Is there any danger to purchasing these lights instead of purchasing them from my LFS?  Thank you.
<This depends on the color rendition of these bulbs. Unlikely. The bulbs from your LFS or on-line stores are designed to produce the proper light spectrum and intensity for your corals instead of lighting the garage. These could work with additional lighting to supply the needed spectrum in addition to the output of the standard bulbs. IOW, you won't save a penny purchasing these bulbs instead of the bulbs designed specifically for corals. There is MUCH difference in output/color/intensity/growth rate, etc. between bulbs, do take time to shop around and SEE the difference. Best of luck!  Craig>

Lighting question: the best bulbs are...??  (02/16/03)
Sorry to keep hounding you guys, but I'm going to anyway.  :)
<That's what we're here for, just gluttons for punishment... oops, I mean, fun! Seriously, if we didn't like doing this, we wouldn't.>
Reading a couple of articles on the WetWebMedia I have drawn the conclusion that you seem to prefer NO fluorescent over any other light source.
<For the typical fish-only or fish-only with live rock tank, and most freshwater tanks, yes... but definitely not in all cases.>
I need to ask a few qualifying questions.  I have heard that metal halide lights are better at penetrating the water than fluorescent... is this true?  
<Yep.>
I have a 24" deep tank with 2-3" of substrate... will fluorescent be good enough?  
<As always, it depends on what you want to have in the tank.>
I'm sure more information is required to answer that question, so here goes: I would like to house mostly SPS and clams and because of my tank's dimensions I would have to use VHO rather than NO fluorescent... 440 watts for a 90 gallon tank.  By the (albeit, rudimentary) rules of thumb, almost 5 watts/gallon should be sufficient for these creatures.  
<Hunh. Some SPS's need more light than others. The same is true of clams. The most brightly-colored clams might want more light than that.>
This number isn't far off the 500 watts of metal halide my LFS wants to get me into for about
$1000 US.  Are watts watts, and lumens lumens, or is there a difference in the quality of the light from each source.  
<I'm learning to really dislike wattage as a measurement of lighting. It's how much energy the bulb uses, not how bright the bulb is. That's why you see those fancy fluorescent bulbs labeled with things like "11 watts -- as bright as a 60 watt bulb!" (or whatever the exact numbers are). There is a noticeable difference in the way VHOs look vs. the way metal halides look, not to mention the differences in the way various colors of bulb look.>
I really like the affordability of the Ice Cap electronic VHO ballast system (both up front, and in terms of energy costs).
<You also need to consider bulb replacement costs. You're looking at several VHO bulbs, replaced at six-to-nine month intervals vs. two metal halide bulbs, replaced at twelve-to-fifteen month intervals.>
Related to that:  the articles go on to say that the effective life (not actual life) of all the bulbs tends to be the same, and all should be replaced approximately every year.  
<Hmmm. Probably more true when it was written than now, as bulb manufacturers are making improvements and changes... >
My LFS sells Coralife VHO tubes at very reasonable prices, and assuming the bulbs all last about the same amount of time, the VHO seems to be the best cost / watt X hour factor of any lighting system (including MH and power compact).  Your thoughts please.
<Do some more comparison shopping, particularly at the on-line sources for lighting.>
Finally: two articles actually list the effective life of fluorescents at different values;  one says 1 year, one says 2.  What's the final word on this (my instinct says 1 year)?  
<I hesitate to give a "final" wording on this... But my gut tells me that effective life over the display tank might be one year, with possibly another year over the refugium....>
How close to the surface of the tank could I situate the 4VHO tube configuration I'm thinking about to maximize the light that penetrates the water.
<I would recommend metal halides instead, perhaps with VHO or compact fluorescent actinics. The actinics could be situated a couple of inches above the water, as long as you have them behind something to keep the salt spray away from them and adequate cooling in the canopy.>
Again, thanks for your input, and know that I made every effort to actually try to figure something out for myself before I came crying to you guys.  :)
Jeremy
<You're welcome, and thanks for doing the research first. --Ananda>

Throwing Some Light On Things!
Sorry to pester you busy folks again.
<Never a bother- that's why we're here! Scott F. with you today!>
I recently acquired an Ice Cap 430 ballast for the 90 gal. FOWLR tank I'm trying to get set-up.  What bulb or bulb combination would be best for the coralline & macro algae in the tank, as well as make the fish look their best?  I've read about the 10,000K & 12,000K 50/50 bulbs.  Should I use them by themselves, or with actinic?
<I like the 10000k/actinic combo, myself>
Also, on the IceCap applications page, it indicates that this ballast will run 3  4' 110 w. bulbs, but Champion & other sites say only 2.  Which is right?
<Hmm- I always thought that the 430 powers up to four 2 ft bulbs (for a total of 320 watts). Both of your information sources are obviously knowledgeable (Ice cap makes 'em, Champion sells and uses 'em).  Not to take anything away from the good people at Champion (a great source, IMO), I'd talk to the people at Ice Cap in their R & D department. These guys could tell you exactly what this ballast was manufactured to do, and how best to maximize it's efficiency.
Should I decide later to turn this into a reef tank, with corals & anemones, how many VHO bulbs will I need to properly light the tank?
<Totally dependent upon the types of corals that you are keeping, how far the light source is from the surface, etc. I'd err on the side of conservatism and get a larger Ice Cap ballast>
I'm thinking the addition of a IC 660 4 bulb  ballast will work.
<Yep- just my thinking! LOL>
That will give me 6 or 7 110 w bulbs.  I was sorry to hear that Duro Test went "belly up".  They made a good product.  Used their lights for years in my freshwater planted tanks.   
<I loved those Vita Lites, especially the "power twists". Bummer>
Thanks again for your time. Neil
<Thanks for stopping by, Neil. I think both of those ballasts are great products, so you'll be fine. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

A Horse Of A Different Color?
Hello!
<Hi there! Scott F. here>
I've heard about positive reaction on seahorses' coloration to 50/50 pink white bulbs. Do You know something about it.
<Not specifically regarding the light bulbs- but these are nice bulbs>
In my country - Poland only available seahorses are  H. kuda and I'd really love to have red ones. What can I do? Do red environment (red algae), red background?
<Yes, sort of! They will often take on the color of their environment- I'd try to use some red colored artificial corals, plants, etc. to "assist" them>
Or add some red light (Fluora by Osram) to 10000K and tl03? to make algae grow ad seahorses turn red? Maybe 20000K light?
<I'd stick to the 50/50s or 20000ks. The red light will not look too nice, IMO!>
Best regards. Darek
<Thanks for stopping by, Darek! Good luck!>

Bulb Color Temp...still misunderstood
Hi Crew!!
<Cheers, Bill>
Thanks to Mr. Fenner for a great book, I am excited about the upcoming release from the 'whole club'!!!   
<agreed... and thanks kindly :)  >
OK, to my question,  I have a new 100W MH ballast, I was thinking of using it on my 30g FOWLR and converting to reef type plan.  The only decent bulb I can find for a 100W MH is 5500K,  can I supplement a 5500K bulb with blue, probably PCs, and not cause a major issue with problem species growth?   
<a fine idea. No worries... 5500K light can grow reef invertebrates well. It is a warm daylight color and quite useful for many shallow water corals and algae/plants. Just be mindful of good nutrient control (fine-tuned skimming, water changes, careful feeding, etc). Warm light is prone to stimulating some nuisance algae growth. All is easily tempered though with nutrient cycling>
I know there is no such thing as a 'rule' but how about a 'guideline' or 'starting point' for lighting wattage and color?  
<anywhere between 5500K and 10K is fine by me for coral growth. And it is better for desirable plants and algae. Over 10K is too blue and simply an aesthetic preference by aquarists>
As always, thank you for the time, effort, care, conscience and energy you put into the hobby.  
<best regards, Anthony>

Lighting and corals with tiny little sunglasses
Hi again, crew...
<cheers>
I read the Calfo article on lighting...helpful, but doesn't answer my main question: what's the best way
to shift the lighting in the tank a little more blue when the halides are on? 
<bluer halogen lamps (20K) or add fluorescent blue (VHO actinics)>
Recap: 75 gallon tall (24" deep), 2 250W 10K MH, 4 55W PC actinic. Sounds like a lot of light now, 
<sounds like?! It is a lot of light, my friend. Too much for almost everything you will want to keep unless you are keeping only shallow water SPS corals and clams. Even then it is a stretch>
but at the time I installed, it was recommended by several sources. 
<OK... but do consider that these sources might be wrong or inexperienced (tanks set up less just a few years). I assure you that many corals will seem to fare well for as much as a year before suffering from photoinhibition. Pale colors, mysterious deaths (zooxanthellae shut-down and corals starves), etc. I still haven't heard your complete livestock selection (fishes and corals) but again... this much light lets you safely keep less than 20% of what's on the market>>
Very white when the MHs are on, even with the actinic PCs. Should I lower the 2 250Ws to 2 175Ws? 
<that would be awesome... and if you really like blue color, do get 20K Radiums... the best of the blue halides>
Change the spectrum on the bulbs from 10K to 14K, or even 20K? 
<indeed if it suits you. 20K Radiums give a wonderful blue color in my opinion, grow most corals reasonably well and keep most (not all) iridescent pigments from shifting (the sexy colored corals)>
And if I change the bulbs, any recommendations on how to break them in? 
<the bulbs or the corals?>
When I installed the MHs originally, I burned in the bulbs for 100 hours, but I don't have any "spare"
ballasts to do that...how critical is the 100 hour break-in? 
<not that critical here stepping down from the 250s>
And if I lower from 250W to 175W bulbs, is there a way to help the corals and clams keep from suffering in the transition to lower light
<regular feedings>
levels, or will they even notice? 
<they will notice but adapt>
A lot of questions, but I'm unsure how to proceed at this point.
<no worries at all... I hope we are helping you along!>
Again, thanks for your time... Arthur
<best regards, Anthony>

Inexpensive lighting
being a poor reef keeper who can not afford metal halide at this point, would I be better off with 2 -50/50 and 2- 20,000K Coralife bulbs or 4-20,000 or 4 50/50? I do want to keep several different types of corals and know that many need very high-intensity lighting.
<with any such fluorescents... be sure that all corals are kept within the top 10-12" of the water surface and most importantly (!) that the lamps are mounted no further than 3" off the surface of the water. With that said... for optimal coral health, use heavy daylight colored lamps emphasizing 6500-10K colors. 20K lighting is too blue for coral health. 4- 50/50 bulbs might be best. Remember to replace bulbs every 6-10 months for best success. See a lighting synopsis here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm >
thanks Robert
<best regards, Anthony>

REPLACEMENT LAMPS
I currently own a 100 gallon aquarium with a few soft corals. The lamps are now 1 year old.
<Old for any fluorescent lamp. My rule of thumb is replace NO lamps every 9-12 months, VHO's every 6-9 months, PC every year, and MH's every 12-18 months.>
Currently, I'm running 1 50/50, 1 actinic, and 1 AquaSun. To cut down on hair algae and to provide better lighting, I am going to replace the AquaSun and the 50/50 with 2 Aquasuns 10,000 K. Currently, the AquaSun is only 6500 K. Is this a good idea?
<It may help somewhat with your hair algae problem, but nutrient control is more important. Whatever your lighting is, if you have too many nutrients, hair algae is going to thrive.>
Thanks, Dave d.
<Good luck! -Steven Pro>

Lighting Question
I recently swapped out my 10K 175w bulb over my 30g tank for the 6500k that came with it, and the leather corals I had in their went nuts. rampant polyp extension and I've seen a lot of growth over the last few weeks. So, I'm curious as I had been lead to believe that you'd get better results with 10K being more like the light conditions found in a reef.
<Somewhat analogous from going from Grape Nuts to Count Chocula cereal... oh, and yes.>
on a whole 'nother topic... one of the things I've observed about lighting is that there's a fair amount of effort to filter out UV from artificial light.
<This is beyond you! How to start here... life filters out these wavelengths... plays "a/the dangerous game" of utilization and screening to prevent genetic and developmental changes... that by and large are not advantageous... and so manufacturers of lumination have done about the same>
at the same time, corals assume their colors to protect themselves from said UV that occurs in nature.
<A principle advantage. There are others>
I've seen several LFS's that had black light fluorescent bulbs in stock, but I didn't have a chance to talk to them about it. I was wondering, would a small UV light (I've seen 13w CF socket bulbs for sale on the internet) running for a short duration (say, the equivalent of "reef noon" over the tank, i.e. the midpoint of the light cycle) for 2 hours (for example, on my tank, the VHO actinics come on at 10am, off at 10pm, MH on at 1pm, off at 9pm, put black light on from say 4:30 - 6:00pm) cause the corals to keep their colors and increase photosynthesis? just an idea. PF
<A good one, and yes. Such stimulation has been shown to "work"... I hasten to add, in the grand scheme of enhanced skeletogenesis in Scleractinians, there are other factors of much greater import... e.g. steady alkaline reserve, proportion of alkaline earth cation concentration... Bob Fenner, who will stop bugging you as soon as Barb is off WWM> [Cute, Bob! and "Hi, Pinky!" Barb--]
btw, you'da been proud of me. at The Reef Tank/Pacific Northwest Marine Aquarium Society yours truly kicked butt at Reef Jeopardy, in no small part to all the reading I've done of your respective works (BoCPV1 and CMA), and all I've read on the board. If I could'a just remembered to always answer in the form of a question...

Red night viewing lights
Hello:
<cheers!>
I have been reading a lot from your site daily, and love all the available information and resources. I am putting together a 180 gallon reef tank. I would like to have two (? Enough) 4 foot red fluorescent lights for night viewing. My difficulty is trying to find them for sale on the internet.
<actually...red plastic sleeves for these bulbs are made for this purpose. Else you could just use incandescent red party bulbs>
Would you have any recommendations for where I may purchase these, or viable alternatives? I wasn't really excited about using just incandescent red bulbs due to the potential exposure to moisture, and difficulty getting enough across the tank for viewing. Thanks for the feedback.
Dr. Mac
<agreed, my friend... I cannot remember the name of the sleeve mfg I saw last but I understand they are common. Some photo hobby shops perhaps have insight on such plastics for fluorescents (dark room lighting). Best regards, Anthony Calfo>

Re: 90 gal reef
Thanks for the follow up Steven, is there a metal halide fixture out there for me other than the space light that is light and could be hung above the tank?
<I am glad you wrote back. I just read an interesting article last night about double ended lamps vs. single ended lamps and I must admit now that I was wrong before. The entire article is based on dispelling myths about double ended lamps, primarily being that they are more powerful than their single ended counterparts. Basically, double ended lamps do not have a built in UV shield and are generally tested with a reflector while single ended lamps are tested without. This gives the data a skewed picture. The article is here http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2002/review.htm>
I just haven't found any fixtures that can be supported above the tank. I
don't think it would be a good idea to place a metal halide unit right on top of the glass.
<Correct>
Any suggestions? Ideas? Thanks!
<This unit will be fine. Keep your LPS near the bottom, though. -Steven Pro>

Lighting and More Lighting
So should I go with the Ushio or AB? 
<both bulbs are excellent... and the question would be impossible to answer even if not so. One cannot select lighting so specifically without knowing what inverts you will keep and their respective needs (peaking on blue end of spectrum or closer to daylight/red, etc)>
Is a AB hood of good quality or is there something that you recommend like the Custom Sealife or other? 
<I have no hood brand preference... I'm a diehard DIYer>
Does the AB hood come with the ballast? I think I seen that AB doesn't make 175watt bulbs. 
<this falls under consumer research my friend... I apologize, but a three member crew spend hours daily struggling to keep up with the e-mail here and serve the greater good of aquarists in need. This I'll have to ask you to hunt down on your own>
With the ballasts, if the ballast is rated for 250watt bulbs can I use 175watt bulbs on it? 
<many aquarists have asked this.. I personally would not recommend it>
I need to know the exact specifics because this is my first time and I do not want to mess up. Please give me more specific and detailed answers. Thank you greatly.
<do look up a local aquarium society my friend where you can actually see and discuss the different set ups of several sort many aquarists rather than just take one man's biased opinion. Form your own intelligent and informed consensus from displays that you see that your like. If you cannot find a local club, participate on any one of the many message boards/forms where such a continuing dialogue will be more fruitful to you. Please forgive the brevity, but it honestly is an effort to help as many folks as possible every day through e-mail and this is more of a consumer question and somewhat of a personal preference when comparing two such excellent lamps. Best regards,>

Re: Sorry . . . a question about lighting and bulbs
Thanks for answering my last questions so quickly and thoroughly. I have one more question and that is it. Previously I asked (and you answered):
But what color temp do I want with the daylights? I have no idea. I want to be able to have as many different types of corals as possible. The AH Supply website said to go daylight bulbs between 6,400 - 10,000.
<Good advice, or at least I concur>
Well there are a few options in that range. Which does what with regard to a) fish and coral health b) aesthetic pleasure of the viewer.
<One actinic, the others... one 10,000 for now, and two 6,400 and next switch time go with two 10ks>
Taking into account that my tank is 48 inches long and each of the 4 bulbs is only 22 inches long, the bulbs will be se up as 2 on each half of the tank. If I go with only one actinic bulb, it would be one of the bulbs on one half of the tank, will the tank look unbalanced with blue light?
<Hmm, it will look a little (masked by the "white light" when both are on) and actually be unbalanced... but no worries functionally or IMO esthetically... Nice to not have an overall uniform appearance>
Likewise when the daylights go off and the actinic stays on for awhile without them (you do this right?) will it be as beneficial, aesthetically and purposefully?
<In my opinion, yes>
For some reason I thought I should have an actinic bulb on each side and a daylight on each side. Likewise, if I go with only one 10,000 on one side and one 6,400 on the other, will one side of the tank look a lot brighter? 
<Yes... a bit. I would place a 6,400 and 10k white on the one side (the right...) and the actinic and another 10k on the left>
I promise this is my last light question about lighting. Thanks again for all your help. My co-worker/friend thanks you too for the lead to the brackish plant info.
<Am out of time today unfortunately... gearing up for a trip... will write, post ASAP on return next month. Please remind me to add more to the brackish section if I slip up. Bob Fenner>
Bryan Aalberg

Lighting Question
Bob,
I'm upgrading my lighting system on my 90 gallon tank. I currently have 2 x 96 watt power compacts and 2 x 30 watt (approx.) conventional fluor. I'm going to remove the conventional fluor. (won't fit with new setup) and replace them with 2 more 96 power compacts. My current 2 pc bulbs are both the CustomSeaLife SmartLamps which are 50% 10000K Ultra Daylight and 50% Ultra Radiant Actinic Blue. I have a variety of light dependent species in the tank from hard and soft corals to a clam. What 2 bulbs would you recommend to add the 2 I currently have, more SmartLamps, 10000K's or some of the lower (5000 - 8800K) bulbs or possible even the Actinic bulbs or would it best to use a mix?? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Phil in San Diego
<For me, the two new lamps I'd make 6,500 or 7,200 Kelvin's... the rest I'd leave as is. Bob Fenner>