Lighting Question regarding Live Rock.....

[steri]

This site has been a huge help for me, and hopefully can be of a bit more help.

OK, I know the basics with lighting (4-5 watts a gallon for corals and stuff). I guess I feel I should say that because I have researched this some.

I have a 75 tank my wife bought me (I got my Christmas present early. Nice!). I'm very excited about it. Got my filters, got my skimmer, got my live sand (120 lbs so far), got some crushed coral (30 lbs), plan to get some live rock this weekend (by Tuesday at the latest), got my salt, my testing kits, and all the other crap I think I need to get this puppy up and ready to cycle, and then I hear about the great Lighting debate and that just throws me into a tizzy!

Now, I have ZERO intention of ever putting live corals or anything like that into the tank. Trust me on this. This is not something that down the road I will want to get into like some are trying to convince me of. I just want a nice looking tank with some beautiful fish in it and crabs and stuff.

Having all of that said, what type of lighting will I need, just to keep my live rock alive? The tank my wife got came with a 40 watt bulb in a single 48 inch strip light. I already planned to buy the full spectrum saltwater bulb for that, but all I am looking to do is keep the live rock alive. How much lighting am I going to need to accomplish my mission. Am I ok with the 40 watt light, or should I look into more lighting? Will looking into more lighting be useful for my liverock, or would I just be throwing away money becuase I have no intention of getting into corals? I'm willing to spend a little more money on a better fixture if I need too, but if I don't I don't want to waste the money, and I'd rather put that money into more liverock in my tank. If I need to say it, money is something I need to consider here. There is not a "price is no option" type of situation for me.

Please, don't tell me how I should get all this lighting "just in case I may" want corals in the future. I don't, although I do greatly appreciate the information anyone is willing to provide. I just want to get live rock and keep it alive so that I have good biological filtration within my tank.

Can anyone help me here?

[saltycreefer]

I would either go with a double tube fluorescent 40watt fixture with 1-full spectrum bulb & 1- actinic blue bulb, Or get a 96watt smartlite 50/50 power compact. This will give plenty of light for the coralline algae on the rock and also really show off the fish's colors. You wont be spending much more money if you can exchange the light you already picked up.

[steri]

ok. I just bought a dual T-5 48 inch 96 watt strip light. For it I got a 12000K bulb and a actinic blue bulb. Knowing that I have that now. Will that be all good for some live rock?

[steri]

Being that I just bought the dual T-5 strip light; should I continue to use the one that came with the tank as well, or should I return it?

More wattage can't be a bad thing and I do have the space on top of the tank for both strip lights, but if it's not needed, then I will take it back, but if it's useful, I got no problem keeping it. Thoughts?

[BurntOutReefer]

Return it. In a FOWLR tank, wattage is really no a big concern. You fish and rock will do just fine with your T5....IMO

[SuperNerd]

What parts of the rock do you want to keep "live?"

If you want to be able to keep the coralline algae on the live rock "alive" then I don't think you need too much light. I have coralline algae growing in a part of my sump with a LOA 6500K spectrum floodlight INDIRECTLY shining light over it. It doesn't really need that much IME.

Adequate levels of Mg2+, Ca2+ and buffer are what's more important than lighting when it comes to growing coralline algae IMO.

[steri]

I guess I am looking to keep my coraline algae alive and thriving when I get live rock, but I understand from time to time, other organizims begin to grow on live rock as well and if they do, I want them to be able to thrive as well.

Does any of this make sense. I feel like a kindergardener speaking to class full of doctors.

So, is the consencous to lose the staple strip light that came with the tank now that I got the dual T-5?

[BurntOutReefer]

coraline does not need alot of light. As far as other bio-life on your LR....the T5 should be good enough...IMO

[steri]

thanks BOR

[steri]

Petsmart says no can do on the ruturn of the basic strip light because it's part of a package. Oh well, I guess the more lights the merrier. Oh maybe someday I'll sell it on ebay or something.

[dga]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8791961#post8791961 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by steri

Now, I have ZERO intention of ever putting live corals or anything like that into the tank. Trust me on this. This is not something that down the road I will want to get into like some are trying to convince me of. I just want a nice looking tank with some beautiful fish in it and crabs and stuff.



Can anyone help me here? [/B]

thats exactly what i said. but now i have a reef...