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FAQs about Light and Lighting for Marine Systems, By Manufacturer,
Models Related Articles:
Marine Light, &
Lighting, Marine Aquarium Light
Fixtures and Canopies,
Lighting Marine Invertebrates, Anemone
Lighting, Coral System Lighting, Moving
Light Systems, Related FAQs:
Coralife,
Marine System Lighting,
Marine System Lighting 2,
FAQs 3, FAQs 4,
FAQs 5, FAQs 6,
FAQs 7, FAQs 8,
FAQs 9, FAQs 10,
FAQs 11,
FAQs 12, FAQs 13,
FAQs 14, FAQs 15,
FAQs 16,
FAQs 17, FAQs 18, & FAQs on Marine
Lighting: Fixture Selection 1,
Fixture Selection 2, Fixture Selection
3, (incandescent, fluorescent, MH/HQI, LED, natural...),
Lamp/Bulb Selection 1, Lamp/Bulb
Selection 2, (See Fluorescent, LED, MH... below),
Installing, Waste Heat
Production/Elimination, UV Shielding,
Measure, Troubles/Repairs, &
Actinic Lighting,
Metal Halide Lighting,
Fluorescent Lighting,
Compact Fluorescent Lighting, Small
System Lighting,
Lighting Marine Invertebrates, LR
Lighting, Tridacnid
Lighting, |
championlighting.com
http://www.current-usa.com/
customaquatic.com
http://www.esuweb.com
www.icecapinc.com
http://www.jebo.com
johnny@premiumaquatics.com
Marinedepot.com |
Lighting/Selection 7/5/09
I am setting up a 36" bow front which makes it about 46 gal. I am
considering a T5 HO 4 bulb fixture. Do you know if the fishneedit.com
fixtures are of good quality? Do they have good reflectors, ballasts,
and bulbs? If they
are, how can I get one? The web site says new model is coming soon, but
when?
<I'm not familiar with their products, but the fact that the body is
made of aluminum is enlightening. I would shoot them an email and ask
who manufactures their ballasts, and what brand of lamps are supplied
with the unit along with type of material the reflector is constructed
of. That would give me the needed information in responding. Seems like
115 bucks is pretty inexpensive for a three foot fixture, lamps
included. I'd use caution here, and would also suggest placing this
question on a few bulletin boards/forums.>
Thanks for your time.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Rice Aquatics Light Fixtures
6/29/09
Hi,
<Hello Dan>
I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with a light company
called Rice Aquatics. I was considering a 3x250watt, 4X96 watt compact
fluorescent light and wanted to if this is a good light system.
<I am not familiar with them, but I do know they are located in
California and is where the lighting systems are assembled and are
warranted for five years. Bob may know of this company <<Nope. RMF>> and
may input here, but posting this question on one of the marine forums
would be your best bet.> <<Yep>>
Thanks in advance
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Jebo fuses 12/15/05
Guys I need your help.
I have a
Jebo Odessa metal halide/compact light system and the fuse in the
ballast burnt out. I thought this would be the easiest thing I had to do
yesterday. I went to every electronic place in town and on the web to no
avail. I tried to contact Jebo through their website but it will not let
me use their "contact me" option and they are overseas.
This fuse is
a small glass fuse about 3/4" with metal end caps. The end caps are
indented, not flat like all the other "buss" fuses. The only markings
are F7A so I'm thinking it is a 7 amp fuse the closest I could find is a
6.3 amp and those burn up right away.
The compact will light up but
not the Halide.
Does Jebo have a distribution center in the U.S.A.
Where can I get replacement fuses?
Help!!!
Thanks Gregg
<Mmm, don't see distributors listed in Industry Buyer's Guides... the
home website I'd try again:
http://www.jebo.com.cn/html/under-s.html
And ask them if/how you
can order this part.
Bob Fenner>
Custom Sea Life Parts 4/4/06
I need to replace
the end caps on my SmartLite (look burnt, stop working), but custom sea
life. COM is out of business, is there a store/website that you would
recommend to find this replacement part(s)? I really don't want to
throw this light away, it's 4' and very nice, my 110 salt tank would
really like to have it back. <Many companies use the same type of end
caps. Contact johnny@premiumaquatics.com I'm sure he can help you out.
Thank you in advance <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Some Light Conversation! 10/3/06
Hi Bob,
<Scott F. in for Bob today!>
Your site is great. I am getting back
into the reef hobby after being out for a long time. I am stetting up a
90 gallon (24" deep x 48" x 18") reef tank. I am OK with most of my
equipment going with a Blue Line 40 pump for circulation, a Marine
Technical Concepts HSA-1000 protein skimmer along with a Blue Line 40 to
run it, and a Marine Technical Concepts Pro Cal calcium
doser. A
chiller will have to be a game time decision. If I am lucky I can get
away without one until next summer.
<Hopefully! A chiller can be an
expensive proposition.>
My question relates to lighting. I have
narrowed it down to a couple of options but not sure which way to go.
After doing a lot of reading, it seems that the watts per gallon can not
used without other information supplied.
<True- really not a good
way to determine lighting needs of a system.>
In addition, to that
it seems like going with HQI and T5 combo's have more punch then
traditional Metal Halides and VHO's.
<Well, a lot of the "punch" is
due to high quality reflectors. In many instances, a better quality
reflector with a lower wattage halide could out-perform a higher wattage
halide with an inferior reflector.>
I am not 100% sure at this point
what specimens I plan on keeping. The definite ones are an anemone, soft
corals, and LPS's, and clams (maybe). I am not sure at this point if I
will go with any of the SPS's. I also am not sure if it is a good idea
to house these together with other corals due to compatibility.
<It
is not, IMO. The potentially dangerous chemical interactions are too
great to ignore.>
The anemone is a must so please take this into
consideration.
<Okay...I'd dedicate the system to the anemone.>
A fixture I was looking at had two 150 watt HQI - 10k bulbs, and four T5
54 watt actinic bulbs for a total of 516 watts (300+216) which is 5.73
watts per gallon. Do you feel that this would work WELL with all of the
specimens that I have listed above?
<Again, ditch the
"watts-per-gallon" measure, but the lighting sounds pretty good. At 24"
of aquarium depth, you're at the point where you could go for 250 watts
of halide. In fact, if it were me, and anemones were in my plan, I'd be
inclined to go with this setup with a 250 watt halide.>
If not what
specimens wouldn't do well and what would you suggest in terms of
lighting?
<I think that most (a blanket statement, of course!) of
the inhabitants that you mention would do well under the
above-referenced lighting scheme. Some of the LPS corals may need to be
located where they can receive slightly diffused lighting. Also, be sure
to acclimate all of the photosynthetic animals to your lighting regime
before placing them in their final positions within the aquarium.>
Another fixture that I saw had two 250 watt HQI bulbs- 10K, and two T5
54 watt actinic bulbs for a total of 608 watts (500 +108) which is 6.75
watts per gallon. Would the first fixture cover it all, or should I
choose the second fixture? Or, would there be not much extra benefit
with the second fixture and it would just be a waste without getting any
major lighting benefits to the specimens that I can keep?
<If it's a
good quality system with a nice reflector, the 250 watt unit would be a
significant upgrade.>
The bottom line is that I want to try to get
it right the first time.
<Agreed. I'd go for the 250 for both it's
extra power and the flexibility to grow with you as your interests
change (for example, if "SPS" corals are in your future, you'd want the
more powerful system.>
Oh yea, lastly, would either of these
fixtures be too much light for some of the species that I want to keep,
or would acclimation take care of the that concern, and if I through SPS
into the mix, would this influence your decision? Again, not sure if I
would get into SPS but was just curious.
<As mentioned above-
acclimation, careful placement and observation of your specimens is
key.>
Thank you very much in advance for your comments.
Regards,
Ken
<My pleasure! Good luck with your system! Regards, Scott F.>
Some Light Conversation- Part II 10/4/06
Hi Scott,
<Hello again!>
Thanks for your quick reply. I'm glad I asked you the
question as I figured I was on the borderline of 150 and 250 watt MH's.
<Yep- 24" is at the "decision depth", as I like to call it, where you
may be better off going with 250 watt bulbs if you're keeping
light-demanding invertebrates.>
It seems that the two lamp 250 watt
HQI systems only come with two 54 watt T5 bulbs incorporated with them.
This would make then make it (500 MH total watts plus 108 T5 total
watts). So you are saying that this will cover my needs for the anemone,
soft and LPS corals. Would this be enough light for clams as well?
<In this dept of setup, I believe it will.>
You had mentioned the
importance of a good quality reflector, is there a way for me to find
out if the unit has good quality reflectors if I am purchasing over the
internet? I have heard of the name Reef Optix for reflectors. Have you
heard anything about these.
<Absolutely. I have used a number of
them over the years, and they are one of the best reflectors out there,
IMO. Sunlight Supply (the manufacturer) makes a few different
reflectors; I favor double ended halides, so the "Reef Optix III" or the
"Lumenmax" reflectors do a great job, IMO.>
I had seen it with a
unit
with the name Maristar and the manufacturer of the lighting
system is Sunlight Supply. Do you have any thoughts on this?
<Excellent units/company. Also check out Aquamedic and Giesemann for
quality lighting systems.>
Lastly, is hanging a unit or putting it
on legs better one way or the other?
<Personal preference and
aesthetics come into play here...Also, you want to consider ease of
access into your system. I like the idea of hanging it over the tank-
6-10 inches or so off the water.>
If it is hung, how high off the
tank would be recommended for my 24" depth tank. I was also
wondering if hanging could be beneficial when adding new corals as I
could raise the height of the fixture to lessen the intensity, and then
lower it after the acclimation period.
<Yep!>
Lastly, I don't
know your policy on recommending equipment, so you can delete this
portion if you need to if you post this on your website.
<We are not
on anyone's payroll, so to speak, so we can make recommendations based
upon our personal experiences and opinions.>
Have you heard good
things about the Aqua Medic HQI/T5 systems in terms of workmanship and
their reflectors? I was going to go with this or the Maristar that I
mentioned above.
<Funny- as above, an excellent product, too.>
Thanks again so much.
Regards,
Ken
<My pleasure, Ken. I
don't think you can go wrong with any of the products discussed above!
Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>
Company information,
Need to contact Odyssea. - 02/11/2007
Hey crew,
<Hi Brandon,
Mich here.>
Since you know all... and I mean ALL!
<Mmm, not all
my friend.>
I have been searching everywhere for company information
of Odyssea lights. I have a problem with my ballast that is only 6
months old but can not find company information anywhere. Every search I
try just takes me to e-bay! Do you have a website, address, phone number
in your rolodex anywhere?
<Mmm, you might try contacting someone who
distributes this company's products. You might try here: http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?txtSearch=odyssea&PageAction=PRODSEARCH&btnSearch2.x=7&btnSearch2.y=10 >
Any help would be awesome!
<Hope this helps. -Mich>
Brandon
Lighting Bowfront 12/20/07
I have just purchased a 72 gal. bow
front and need to light it for a reef aquarium. I want to use Metal
Halide perhaps in combination with other lighting, but because of the
bow there is only 12" of width at each end of the aquarium. I know I can
use pendants or attached, but I had thought there is a light I could set
on top of the aquarium with legs. Do you know of such a light or what my
other options are for combination lighting?
Thanks.
<Several
manufacturers make fixtures that will fit here. Aquamedic and Current
just to name two that can use the mounting legs. Another option would be
to get a pendant and mount it inside a canopy, but canopies for
Bowfronts are usually flimsy and too shallow for this. Don’t discount
the pendant idea, it can have an appealing look once installed and can
be far cheaper. Keep in mind that actinics are not a must. Welcome, hope
this helps you decide, Scott V.>
Re: Lighting Bowfront 12/21/07
I couldn't find any with legs on
the Aquamedic site.
<Sexy series, mucho dinero.>
Just hang from
the ceiling types. (My wife has said NO to that) And I can't find
'Current' at all doing a Google search. Is that the name of the company?
<Current USA http://www.current-usa.com/ >
(I did find a SunPod HQI
that will work, but if you do know about another one I should check out,
let me know.)
<Yes, they are made by Current USA. These are probably
your best bet per your requirements. Just a thought, any of the hanging
fixtures could work if you fabricate your own mounting legs. Have fun,
Scott V.> Looking for T5 lighting technology
4/30/04
Saw this on your FAQs this morning (4-29) and want to
know WHAT and WHERE?
<T5's are the latest and (truly) greatest
evolution in aquarium lighting to date. They have been popular in Europe
for some years now and are finally breaking big in the US. You can find
them at many of the big mail order companies like
customaquatic.com,
Marinedepot.com and
championlighting.com> CUSTOM SEA LIFE- GOING OUT OF
BUSINESS 1/19/04
Effective immediately, Custom Sea Life (CSL) is
going out of business. They are closing their doors, not because of
bankruptcy or business problems, but due to a personal decision made by
the owner.
Through an arrangement with CSL, Champion Lighting will
honor all CSL warranties on items purchased by Champion's wholesale,
service, public aquarium and retail customers. This warranty will apply
to all CSL products purchased in the past and for all current inventory,
including refurbished items.
As always, Champion will continue to
inventory replacement parts for virtually all CSL products. This
includes CSL PC ballasts, metal halide ballasts, fans, sockets, UV's,
chillers, and lamps for both the Power Compact and Metal Halide
fixtures.
We will continue to distribute and warrantee Velocity
pumps.
In the near future we will also be carrying replacement
product lines for the PC Moon-Lite, Smart Lite, Power Compact line,
Power Coolers, and UV sterilizers under the "Currents USA" brand name.
We will continue to carry comparable metal halide hoods, retrofit kits,
ballasts, etc.
Be assured that your Custom Sea Life fixtures, hoods,
ballasts, chillers, etc. are not orphans. Customers that have purchased
or are planning to purchase CSL products will be accommodated by
Champion Lighting in every way. Feel free to contact us with parts needs
or any concerns with CSL products.
Champion Lighting and Supply
Co.
www.championlighting.com
800-673-7822
<Steve Allen called
and spoke with Ken Wong of MarineDepot(.com) re CSL and they have closed
their doors all of a sudden... they will continue to sell CSL's stock
till it's all gone. Strange. Good bye Dennis and good luck. Bob F>
Lighting MH or VHO for a 55
Dear David,
After reading your
comments on lighting, I read Bob's book and other marine books that I
have, you be surprised that every
additional time you read you pick
up new things or understand what the authors are trying to tell you
better or things get register in the head much clearer. NOW, I
understand the issue of lighting much better.
<My friend...True
learning often comes after a state of total confusion. "I was blind but
now I see!"
In Malaysia, the marine industry is growing and I have
not (not yet) found a shop that sells VHO. I will visit some DIY shops
and fish shops to see if I can get any, otherwise I will place an order
to get URI VHO as suggested. I checked on the net, there are a few types
(URI), Super Actinic, Actinic White and AquaSun, I need 4 lamps, what is
your suggestion for the combination ?
<Two blues and two whites. Or
three whites and one blue.>
If the DIY does not carry URI lamps (most
likely they don't), can I get those with similar wattages ( 60-80 or
more watts)?.
<If you are interested in learning about the wattages
available for VHO, try championlighting.com>
In fact I have just been
to the fish shop to educate them on lighting. They told me that their
customers who uses MH (300 watts) on their 48" tank finds the glare too
disturbing to the eye and also it creates a lot of algae.
<Algae will
not be an issue without excess nutrients from feeding etc. If I was
going MH I probably would use two 150 watt 10K bulbs...certainly not one
300 watt bulb. You don't want to make boiled shrimp and clams!>
Currently, my 55 gal tank uses 2 Eheim filters (2217 and 2215) with a
total capacity of 1,600 litres per hour. More filtration than normal, I
believe it does no harm and also there is more water circulation in my
tank.
<Can't have too much circulation.>
I also have an Aqua C
Remora Pro skimmer purchase from the US after reading the WWM AQs) which
proved to be very good. I have a TECO chiller to maintain the temp at
27C. Any comments or suggestion to improve the system?
<For a reef
system, use the Eheims for circulation only and add LIVE Rock!>
Thanks again, sorry to trouble you with questions after questions!
<Answering questions from an intelligent hobbyist is never" trouble."
There are lots of views and myths in this hobby. One must read and learn
for themselves...Then make informed choices based on the evidence that
you have discovered!>
Regards,
Daniel
<Keep livin' and
learnin'! David Dowless> Re: Upgrading lighting
I
currently have a single 48" light fixture over my 75 gal tank. It uses
two 50/50 55W power compact bulbs. It is an Oceanic fixture that came
with the tank. The bulbs are now about 9 months old and I can see they
are significantly dimmer.
I am thinking of upgrading the lighting to
a Coralife 230W 48" fixture as found here:
http://www.esuweb.com/new_site/ccc_53106
It has two 65W 10K bulbs
and two 65W Actinic bulbs. Each set of bulbs is independently
controllable.
The reason I like this particular fixture is that it is
low profile (I have very little space under my Oceanic canopy), it has
the exhaust fans on top, rather than on the ends, and it provides
significantly more light than what I currently have. Now that I need to
replace my bulbs, part of the cost of the fixture ($209.95 from
HelloLights) is offset. I do not want to attach anything to the canopy
itself since I often keep it open and don't want to
see bulbs hanging
from the wood. It is also a nice piece of furniture and I don't want to
drill into it.
I have a couple of questions about the changing light
levels:
1.) Is going from the current aged 110W setup to a new 230W
setup going to shock the corals in my tank (I have some cabbage
leathers, a frogspawn, a hammerhead, a bubble corals, a cup coral and
several kinds of polyps - green-star/white-star, and Zoanthids)?
<Yes
it will shock them if you do not acclimate them slowly. The link below
is to an article on acclimating Photosynthetic Reef Invertebrates to
Light
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimcoralslight.htm >
2.) What
effect does increased lighting have on Cyanobacteria? I've been battling
some red Cyano in a small area of my tank for a while. Will this light
cause it to grow more or will it actually help? I do not have any algae
problems other than the Cyanobacteria. My hippo and purple tangs seem to
eat any vegetation in the tank.
< The Cyano is most likely caused by
excess nutrients, the new lighting will probably not affect it either
way.>
3.) Do you have an opinion on Coralife lighting products?
<I
have never used them myself, I'd check with the folks on the message
boards.>
My tank gets hot (82F+) in the summer with the current
fixture, but there are no fans in the canopy area. I am able to keep an
acceptable temperature with a fan in the sump. I hope the fans in this
fixture will help to at least not make the situation worse. However, I
am willing to put some additional fans in the back of the canopy.
I
have also asked about this topic in the talk forums but I would
appreciate an answer from the experts.
< I'd acclimate the
inhabitants slowly, going from old bulbs to newer stronger bulbs will
definitely be a shock. Check out Anthony's article and let us know if
you have any further questions. Best Regards, Gage>
Aquastarlight
What is your opinion (if you have one) on the
Aquastarlight MH fixtures?
<They seem very nice. Richard Harker just
wrote a piece on them for Advanced Aquarist. It is here
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2002/review.htm -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,>
Jalli and UltraLife Lighting
Have you ever heard of, or are you
familiar with the aquarium lighting brands Jalli and UltraLife?
<Not
Jalli, but am familiar with UltraLife.>
I'm looking at their PCs,
tend to be relatively cheaper than others. Thanks-Penny pincher
<A
good idea to look around, shop for best quality, price. Most all lamps
are actually made by a few companies, re-labeled by companies re-selling
them. None of the lamps sold in the aquarium interest are made by the
companies selling, labeling them... Brands like G.E., Sylvania, Phillips
are actual manufacturers. Bob Fenner>
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