Octo Ligthing question

Bigvfb12 · 03/31/2003, 06:30 PM

I have read that my 190 watts is too much for an octo. If i cut it down to 150 and 110 watts being actinic would this help at all?

VL · 03/31/2003, 09:56 PM

That is a good question. I too am interested in what some other opinions are.

I am currently in the process of moving my small octo from a 54 corner tank with a single 20 Watt 10000k bulb to a 72 Bowfront with a single 40 Watt Actinic 03 bulb. The new home also has about 75 lbs of live rock and I am wondering if the live rock will actually be ok with only the blue bulb running. I am also guessing that the octo will feel more confortable if he only has the blue bulb running as well.

One last note, I have a 2 foot section of the light blacked out in the middle (Black plexiglass) which produces a nice dimmer section inthe middle of the tank while the outer edges of teh rock are somewhat brighter.

cephalopoder · 04/01/2003, 05:04 PM

I myself try to avoid any more than two watts per gallon for lighting. You can use both daylight and actinic if you choose. This is lighting for O.bimaculoides, a day active intertidal species. Members of the horridus complex actually get milky spots in the center of their eyes in captivity. Bright lighting is the suspect in its cause.
I have noticed in tanks with moderate amounts of lighting bimaculoides is more active than in tanks with too much light. Their activity levels can also be related to how you decorate the tank.
Your live rock will be fine under actinics. Corals will suffer if you have any but bare rock will do fine.

03/31/2003, 06:30 PM	#1
Bigvfb12 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: South Bend, Indiana Posts: 86	Octo Ligthing question I have read that my 190 watts is too much for an octo. If i cut it down to 150 and 110 watts being actinic would this help at all?

04/01/2003, 05:04 PM	#3
cephalopoder Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NH Posts: 898	I myself try to avoid any more than two watts per gallon for lighting. You can use both daylight and actinic if you choose. This is lighting for O.bimaculoides, a day active intertidal species. Members of the horridus complex actually get milky spots in the center of their eyes in captivity. Bright lighting is the suspect in its cause. I have noticed in tanks with moderate amounts of lighting bimaculoides is more active than in tanks with too much light. Their activity levels can also be related to how you decorate the tank. Your live rock will be fine under actinics. Corals will suffer if you have any but bare rock will do fine. __________________ Master the food chain and you can rear anything.

03/31/2003, 09:56 PM	#2
VL Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: ChicagoLand Posts: 333	That is a good question. I too am interested in what some other opinions are. I am currently in the process of moving my small octo from a 54 corner tank with a single 20 Watt 10000k bulb to a 72 Bowfront with a single 40 Watt Actinic 03 bulb. The new home also has about 75 lbs of live rock and I am wondering if the live rock will actually be ok with only the blue bulb running. I am also guessing that the octo will feel more confortable if he only has the blue bulb running as well. One last note, I have a 2 foot section of the light blacked out in the middle (Black plexiglass) which produces a nice dimmer section inthe middle of the tank while the outer edges of teh rock are somewhat brighter.