New to Reef tanking!

[Yodi2007]

Hello everyone! I need help on deciding on my lighting in my tank without breaking the bank. I have 2 clowns, a few damsels and about 5lbs of live rock in a 55g 48x12x20. My plan is to get some soft corals,mushrooms and easy type invertabrea that require little lighting to moderate. Can i buy a fixture from HD or Lowes that uses t8 (shop lights) or the compact energy ones from there to? Also if i get softies do i nned a calcium reactor?

[shroutk3]

You wouldn't need a calcium reactor for softies. As far as the lighting goes, aquarium specific lights are usually necessary. Lights designed for other uses often won't produce the proper wavelengths for coral growth and often lead to nuisance algae. I would look into used t5 or power compact fixtures. On a different note, you may want to invest in more (pre-cured- so it doesn't cycle when you add it) liverock. While there's no rule of thumb that works for everyone, I'd want at least 40 lbs in a 55 gal tank.

[cloak]

Yes, you could do that. I think the 4' bulbs are about 40 watts, maybe put two of them over a 55. I think you could get away with some of the easier corals to keep. Make sure to buy your bulbs at the LFS though. There better suited for the corals you wish to keep. You don't need a calcium reactor for the softies. There is nothing wrong with having one, but with softies it's a bit of an overkill IMO. The parameters you want to keep your eye on are ph, ALK, salinity, and temperature. Once you've got a handle on those, then start to worry about the calcium uptake.

[Yodi2007]

Do they need a electric ballast?

[bertoni]

A magnetic ballast will work, although they sometimes are less efficient and noisier than electronic ballasts. For simple soft corals, shop lights likely will be okay for slow growth, although the esthetic appeal might be an issue.

[cloak]

Your good to go with something like this. You would still have to buy the appropriate bulbs at the LFS though.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=86723-13537-86723&lpage=none

[Yodi2007]

Ok but what type of bulbs would i need from my LFS. Im kind of confused from my 3 stores in the area and one tells me to buy MH but i dont want the headache with heat issues,another says PC and says he has clams in his home setup (dont they need VHO?),
and another suggests that i should buy fixtures from the range of $400-1200! That is just to pricey for me since im not doing hard corals or clams. But i would like for my tank to look colorful and peaceful.

Can the electric ballast be purchased from HD or Lowes? The ones that were there were magnetic only and the person working there was well clueless when i asked him.

[cloak]

I'm pretty sure the fixture in the above link comes with a ballast. All you do is just plug it in. The LFS will have different color bulbs. Your just going to have to mix and match the bulbs until you find a combination that you like. I've seen tanks that were done on the cheap using NO flourescents and they looked great. Here's a few examples of some of the bulbs you can find at the LFS.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753937&lmdn=Fish
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753938&lmdn=Fish
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2811540&lmdn=Fish

[Yodi2007]

Thnx alot guys this info has saved me a ton of cash and headaches in the long run. I now gotta research on the type of corals and invertabreas i want to add now.

[Yodi2007]

Does anyone think this will be good for soft coral and moderate clams? a friend told me to check ebay from reputable sellers.

I can get either of the following..

http://cgi.ebay.com/48-Power-Compact-PC-Reef-Aquarium-Light-260W-4x-65W_W0QQitemZ110454378260QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item19b7980f14

or

http://cgi.ebay.com/48-4ft-T5-HO-Marine-Reef-Aquarium-Light-216W-4-Bulbs_W0QQitemZ300365911318QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item45ef341516

or

http://cgi.ebay.com/48-T5-Aquarium-Reef-Cichlid-Light-2x-54-Watt-w-Timer_W0QQitemZ290366198912QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item439b2c9480

This is what i have found so far. IS either of these good enough for a 55gallon and a possibility later on for clams?

[bertoni]

I'd get a high-quality (expensive) MH or T5 setup to keep a clam. They tend to be light-demanding. Soft corals will be fine with any of the above. It's hard to judge the quality of the setups because we can't judge the reflector, etc, but soft corals aren't all that picky.

[IluvGod'sreefs]

I have VHO's on my 55, it is plenty of good lighting for that size tank. Mine has an actinic bulb and a daylight bulb(I'm about to change back to a 50/50 because it looks better). Mine also has a magnetic type ballast, but, I want to change it to an IceCap electronic ballast. IMO, this set-up on your tank would look good and last for years. After the initial expense of buying it, you would only have to change the bulbs every 9-10 months.

With this set-up, you can have softies and LPS, and even clams as long as you put the clams up high closer to the lights.

Good luck to you, you're gonna have fun--trust me!!!