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Unread 08/02/2007, 08:53 AM   #1
ReefGirlSara
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Archer, FL
Posts: 709
Lighting Options for 54G Bowfront with 175watt MH

I think my LFS has gotten the idea that I don't know a lot about this stuff and I'm worried that they just sell me what they want to sell me- I mean, I'm sure that's not uncommon, but I want to be more educated so I don't just buy whatever they tell me to buy.

That said, I've had my 54G bowfront corner tank for about 16 months. When I got it it had been fully established for about 3 years, and it was really thriving. The MH bulb that was in it was about 10 months old, and after a month or so it was getting fairly dim so I bought a new one at my LFS. They told me I needed a 175watt 10,000k Coralife bulb, and it was about $100 (I think). Not long after a changed the bulb all my troubles began, but that's a very long story and I think it was a combination of the light change and me not really knowing what I was doing and just going off the advice from my LFS as if they knew everything about it!

My question is, since it's about time to buy another bulb is there something else I should get instead of the same bulb?

(I also have 2x 20" 10 watt T5 actinic retro fit strips.)

Here's the long story, if you're interested...

My green open brain and my candy cane corals are doing great. My really awsome green and purple anemone turned solid white and shrank from about a 5-6" diameter to just bigger than a quarter, but that was about 11 months ago and it has stayed the same all along. I think I bleached it when I changed the light. My beautiful thriving xenia all died off about 6 months ago. They started getting smaller but were still splitting all the way up until December, but then they just shrank all the way down and disappeared. My star polyps are also dwindling, and are probably next on the fatality list. The tank originally came with 1 yellow tang, 2 true percs that layed eggs, a black-capped basslett (my favorite, named Antonio), and the corals, LR, and sand. The previous owner used RO water (so do I) and he never ever did water changes. He dosed calcium, iodine, and strontium, and his parameters and the whole tank were perfect.

The main changes since I've had it:

1. the bulb was changed in 6-06
-anemone lost all color
2. the pump was changed in 8-06 because they Quiet One kept losing it's prime
-xenia started shrinking
3. the tank was moved in 9-06 (1.5 hour van ride, kept all water)
-all fish got major case of ick, all but the stupid yellow tang dies, including my beloved Antonio
4. we discovered the heater was off by about 5 degrees!!! it was set to 77, but it was 82 in the tank, I don't know how long it was incorrect, but we noticed it in 12-06 and just adjusted it down 5 degrees.
5. we bought a new heater for about $30 at PetSmart in 3-07
6. we made a chiller out of a mini-fridge and some tubing, 5-07
7. the new heater started malfunctioning, noticed it about one week ago in 7-07, the tank got up to 84.9! we replaced it with a cheap heater that we has lying around, seems to be working ok

8. The tank was at my Mom's house where I was living last year, but I moved again and didn't want to move the tank, but with all the temp problems I decided to move it, which we did last Saturday. No Ick this time!! I changed the old sand to new more course live sand, and kept about 5-6 cups of the old sand for good measure.

Now I'm trying to get everything figured out and under control and I could use as much help as anyone wants to give!!

Sorry this is so long, but thanks for any help you can give!!!

Current Parameters:
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 80.5
Calcium: 470
Phosphates: o
Nitrates: 0
PH: 7.8 (does anyone know a better way to boost this than PH buffer)
KH: 7 or 8 degrees


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Unread 08/02/2007, 10:23 AM   #2
ReefGirlSara
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Location: Archer, FL
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Forgot to mention...

So far this is the fatality list:

Black capped basslett - Ick
Mated pair of true percs - Ick
Coral Beauty - Ick

Xenia - not sure why, maybe not enough water flow, maybe I need a powerhead

2 Orange Diamond Gobies over the last 4 months, each one lasted about 2 months, then died. Don't know why.

2 Fire Shrimp, each of them lasted about 3-5 months, I don't know if this is common or not.

Sand Sifting Star - I have no clue why he died after doing really well for 1 year. It was like he was being slowly eaten, getting smaller and smaller, and then gone. I don't know of anything in my tank that eats those though.

1 big bright orange sponge - I don't know anything about sponges really, but my LFS sold it to me for like $15 and it was pretty, but after about 4 months it started turning dark green in several places. I was worried it would damage the tank, so I just took it out.

I think that's all I have killed so far.


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