40g needs a light upgrade. Currently using Aqualight pro

[MarineGirl411]

Hi everyone,
I am currently using an Aqualight pro Fixture. This is for my 40 breeder aga I have. This aqualight pro uses a 150w MH, and 2 65 watt pc's. For those that might not know. I'm sure many of you do though. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be enough light in my tank. Some of my Monti's are turning a brownish color. I have a Crocea clam that has lost some color after coming from my dealers tank that housed a 400watt mh and T' 5s. So, a big question. How should I upgrade my lighting? I know that Nova has a T-5 fixture that can be linked with up to 6 other t-5 fixtures. Each T-5 is only 21 watts. Should I go with that? Another option might be an extra 250 MH I have laying around. I didn't want to use it on this tank because it made my apartment very hot when I used it on my 150g planted tank. =/ Didn't like that. I also do not have a chiller. What would your suggestions be? I'd like to house more Acro's Mille's and clams. I'd appreciate some advice. TY.

[jmkins]

What is your water chemistry? What spectrum are the bulbs? And what LPS are in the tank?

That light should be more than enough to keep the color of montis unless they are of the light hungry varieties or under very serious shadows. Even in shaded areas caps and most digis should grow under that much light if your chemistry is on par.

[MarineGirl411]

Hi,
Chemistry is great. Calcium is 450 as I also have a clam in the tank. PH 8.3, O nitrites, 0 nitrates, 0 ammonia, Salinity is 1.025. The purple monti cap I purchased is turning brown. It is under a little shade yes. The problem with the Aqualight pro unit is that the light doesn't carry over to the other side. There is about a 4+in space where there is no bulb. I want to try more acros and clams. LPS-2 open brains, blastos, micro's, Soft corals-Zoanthids, Ballys, Fiji Yellow Leather. Sps-3 montipora capricornis, Pink Pocillipora.
I did order my bulbs off ebay. I don't know if that has anything to do with it. I have a 10k MH bulb. It is from Corallife. I'm not sure if it's really from coralife either. It just says it is. I can't trust people online to give the correct information. esp on Ebay. Gotten messed over before. Let me know. I'd appreciate it. TY

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9659439#post9659439 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmkins
What is your water chemistry? What spectrum are the bulbs? And what LPS are in the tank?

That light should be more than enough to keep the color of montis unless they are of the light hungry varieties or under very serious shadows. Even in shaded areas caps and most digis should grow under that much light if your chemistry is on par.

That light in that shallow of a tank is enough to keep whatever the heck you want. Clams dont change color because of light.


You've got an issue, and its not light. I'd check your alkalinity if I was you.



Edit: The Novas are junk. A 2 bulb Tek/Aquaactinics/etc will put out more light than a 6 builb Nova

[jmkins]

Yeah I wouldn't be so quick to blame the lights either.

Check alk and phosphates.

You can also try to acclimate the coral to a brighter spot in the tank, I have never had a purple cap so I dont really know there light/flow requirements. I also have never kept softies but there could be some chemical warfare between those and the cap.

I have a feeling that this problem can be solved for a lot cheaper than buying more lights.

[danskim]

I agree with everyone else. The lights in theory are probably fine...
Try getting a quality bulb and putting it in (How old is the current bulb?) Lots of people like the XM10K or Phoenix 14K.

[MarineGirl411]

Just tested. My phosphate level is Oppm and Alk is 180-300ppm. For the Alk I test using the test strips that you dip. My phosphate test kit is a Sechem test kit. Just to let you know. I might try a Phoenix bulb. I'm not sure. The bulbs I bought are 4 months old and they came from ebay. Not sure if I got bad bulbs or not. I also thought that I'd be able to keep just about anything with my lights. My Aqualight fixture is 8 in above the surface of the water. I am not sure if that has anything to do with it. Let me know. I'd appreciate it.

Hey Rich, those Nova's are crap? Even the Nova Extremes? I will take a picture later to show you all my tank and the amount of light I have. Don't make fun of my aquascaping. I had to make do with what I had.

[ReeferMonkey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9662637#post9662637 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MarineGirl411
Hey Rich, those Nova's are crap? Even the Nova Extremes? I will take a picture later to show you all my tank and the amount of light I have. Don't make fun of my aquascaping. I had to make do with what I had.

The reflectors are what make the Nova fixtures crap, especially when talking about the T5s. The biggest advantage of T5s is the bulb size, which allow for individual parabolic reflectors that take all the available light and focus it on the tank.

[MarineGirl411]

So even the Nova extreme's are crap? What retro-fit t-5's would you all recommend then?

[ReeferMonkey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9662951#post9662951 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MarineGirl411
So even the Nova extreme's are crap? What retro-fit t-5's would you all recommend then?

For now, IceCap reflectors are better than the Tek reflectors but the Tek retros (or Ready Fit) systems being acceptable and still vastly superior to the Nova or Finnex crap. Many of the German T5 fixtures/kits will be released to the US (ATI, Fauna Marin, etc.) and they are a little more suitable to in-canopy mounting.

For fixtures, the Tek and Aquactinics are the best bet. The ATI Powermodule will be the nicest product on the market when they hit the states.

[RichConley]

Just want to disagree with Reefermonkey:


The Teks dont deserve to be mentioned with the Aquaactinics. The Aquaactinics have a whole bunch of features the Teks dont have, and are cheaper:

Better reflectors
active cooling
etc

[ReeferMonkey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9663221#post9663221 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Just want to disagree with Reefermonkey:


The Teks dont deserve to be mentioned with the Aquaactinics. The Aquaactinics have a whole bunch of features the Teks dont have, and are cheaper:

Better reflectors
active cooling
etc

You are absoulutely right but as of now the only Aquactinics fixture is the 48". They're also really ugly IMO ;) That said, they do offer some great features. I just wish the Powermodul was available now :(

[RichConley]

Yeah, so do I.


Although I hear its going to be much more expensive. The best choice at this point is still DIY. You can get the really nice OSRAM ballasts cheap, and the Icecap SLRs are readily available, as are bulbs.

If Aquactinics could make a fixture that didnt look like a 70s striplight, it would be awesome.

[MarineGirl411]

Everyone how does my alk sound?

[MarineGirl411]

Okay here are some pictures. Here it is when I first brought it home. In this picture it looks like the mantle was already fading. I didn't know this. http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p248/GinaM411/MVC-024S-1.jpg

Here are the pictures today.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p248/GinaM411/MVC-032S.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p248/GinaM411/MVC-031S.jpg

As you can see, the clam is up right under the MH. That is what the LFS store said to do. My alk is 180-300. I can't tell by the color chart. My calcium is 475. Ph, nitrates, nitrites, and phosphates are all perfect. I am dosing DT's Phyto. Let me know. I'm really worried about it.

[MarineGirl411]

also you can tell some of the corals are turning brown. =(

[MarineGirl411]

If I did get new bulbs, what bulbs should I get? Should I get Sunpaq true actinic? Then a Pheonix 14k or an XM 15k. I don't want my corals turning brown. I also do not want the tank to be entirely blue. I don't know. Everything tests perfect. What do you think?

[nsr250nyc]

there's something wrong with your water. it's not the light. you don't need to get new lights. try testing water with a phosphate meter. those test kits are garbage

[Shade00]

It could be old bulbs... when was the last time you switched the halide? IMHO, I would go with an Icecap 150w HQI. The power compact actinics can be pretty much any brand as long as they have the proper base.

[MarineGirl411]

halide is 4 months old. My lfs said the bleaching in the clam is because of light shock. I don't know about the other corals. So what test kits are good them? Sechem I thought was supposed to be good. Salifert is good. So what kits do I need? Thank you.

[MarineGirl411]

Hey everyone,
I went and bought a Salifert Alk/KH test today. Readings today were 400ppm of calcium and a dkh of 9. Do you think my DKH is too high? I know the calcium is too low. I was thinking about buying bi-onic. Before I did my top off tonight, my reading on my DKH was above a 10. Not by much but still. I guess the test strips are crap. Do you think that might have caused some bleaching in my clam and my corals to look brown? I just don't know. I topp off every day. It's been a bucket full of fresh RO DI water. Just not sure. Let me know. TY