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View Full Version : Lighting Amount


Chago09
04/16/2007, 10:17 AM
I have read a lot of articles in the beginers section although a lot of them are the science behind lighting and how lights actually work. Well I don't need to retake physics class I just wanna know how much light I need LOL My tank is going to be a FOWLR for the time being because I am a super noob and want to learn the tricks of the trade with a FOWLR and then when I feel ready I basicly just buy a better light and I will be on my way to move into the reef world.

My question is if I am running 1 watt per gallon in a 6 foot 150 gallon. 80 watts will be regular flourescent tubes and 70 watts will be a CF fixture with a 50/50 bulb. Can I grow absolutly anything with this amount of light?????? I want something very simple just so I can learn how it all works.

And for future reference when I do want to start reefing. How much light is required to house most corals. Like is something like 4 watts per gallon considered realy good???? or do you need a lot more.

barbra
04/16/2007, 10:50 AM
1 watt per gallon is pretty dim. Try to up it to somewhere between 4 and 9 watts per gallon and then we're talking.

seapug
04/16/2007, 01:28 PM
You don't need much lighting for a FOWLR tank. The only thing that "needs" light in a tank like that is the coralline algae, and it tends to do better in subdued lighting. You'll need to upgrage that light setup once you start keeping corals. Mushrooms like lower light, but anything else will need closer to 5-10 watts/gallon.

saturn tech
04/16/2007, 01:38 PM
my 30 Gal mini puffer tank only has 8 watts total. fish only does not need much light, only enough that you can see it

barbra
04/16/2007, 01:54 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9739296#post9739296 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by barbra
1 watt per gallon is pretty dim. Try to up it to somewhere between 4 and 9 watts per gallon and then we're talking.

I'm sorry, I completely missed the part about wanting fish only. Your lighting is fine :)

Chago09
04/16/2007, 02:25 PM
ok so lets say I want to have a FOWLR BUT.......... fill the entire tank with different coloured mushrooms. I have seen pics of a tank that was like this and it looked incredible. Would 2 x 40watt regular 10,000k flourescent tubes and a 65 watt CF 50/50 in the middle of the tank be enough for these to grow????? Like could mushrooms even grow without the 65 watt CF, and only under normal bulbs??? Like I read up on a lot of sites and aparently almost all mushrooms are "low light" species. What does "low light" mean????? can that be as little as a single flourescent strip????

barbra
04/16/2007, 02:39 PM
You should probably be able to raise 'shrooms high up in the tank.