Any suggestions for lighting for 40g breeder..

[Squatch XXL]

I currently am running with nothing. My tank's progress can be viewed here:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/...antis-out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new.94653/

In the past I kept a 75g with 400w MHs and 4x 4' florescent tubes. I am not needing that sort of intensity or heat, but would like enough power to give 12-15" of water depth enough light to support mushrooms and possibly some sort of polyps. I've been out of the research for almost 15 years, and I know that Then the idea of LED lights being worthwhile for coral prop was a joke. I remember communicating with others about how far technology needed to advance to make LED a worthwhile thing......

I missed the memo, but apparently LED are a thing, and are worthwhile. Plus they have the same "glimmer" that MH have in the water.

I need something 24-36 inches long MAX. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am out of my element on this one.

I always kept hard corals and doused with kalk, but have no intention for this time around (I say that now...but I have a bad feeling its gonna happen again). If I "NEED" to have hard corals, I may just do it in a small tank tied in to the sump/main system.

 

[DaveK]

You no doubt going to get a lot of recommendations for various types of LED lighting. Yes, this can be an excellent source of light, but lets look at this in relationship to the tank your planning.

From your current thread, your setting up a tank for a mantis shrimp. Your also not sure you want a lot of high light corals.

I suggest you go with a 4 bulb T5 fixture. It's inexpensive, and will give you enough light for everything except clams and SPS. You'll also get even lighting across the tank. You should be able to find something new for about $250. You might find a used one for next to nothing.

For LED lighting, for a good effect, you'd need 2 fixtures.For full features you'd spend a lot of money. A pair of AI Hydras would cost your about $600. That is not necessarily bad, but you don't want to spend that much unless you really need it. You can go with DIY stuff for less, or a fixture with less features for less.

 

[lbiminiblue]

If you don't intend on corals or anemones, I would even go non-reef capable LED. No sense in spending 400 dollars on a fixture that's overqualified for your tank.

 

[Squatch XXL]

Somewhere over the years I gave a friend a 3' canopy hood. Inside the hood was a pair of the dual bulb/4 pronged lights. I had used it over a 29g to keep pretty much everything I wanted (no sps).....After a few text messages my buddy let me know he still has the fixture, and that when he finds it he will supply it to me. I cannot remember what style of bulbs they were, but I can see them in my head. I don't even know if they make them like that any more lol.

@DaveK @lbiminiblue
THANK YOU for the great info!

If I can't get my old hood back in a reasonable time, I can almost guarantee that Ill be out at the store buying ballasts and DIY the whole thing.

 

[StirCrayzy]

You're thinking of Power Compact (PC) fluorescent lights. Those would be more than enough for all but SPS, and they are fairly efficient. You still need to replace them regularly, but definitely worth while for your intentions.
Just don't fall for the marineland LEDs they are cheap for a reason.

 

[DaveK]

If you can get the power compact fixture for free, then you might as well try it. Since it is used, the bulbs should all be replaced.

It should be understood that power compact bulbs only put out about 50% the amount of light compared to a similar power T5. This is because you can get much better reflectors behind the single T5 bulb.

 

[Squatch XXL]

If you can get the power compact fixture for free, then you might as well try it. Since it is used, the bulbs should all be replaced.

IIRC he took the 10k/Actinic bulbs out of the unit and replaced them with some sort of lower Kelvin rating....I think he was trying to use the unit to grow himself a few "Tomatoe" plants. I never asked specifics. I guarantee that unless I want to grow algae Im gonna have to get more than a few bulbs to keep in reserve as they shift the color spectrum in a few months.

You're thinking of Power Compact (PC) .

EXACTLY! Thank you!

 

[ddelozier]

I use 2x 165 watt MarsAqua LED's over my 75g tank. Dialed at 50/60 color+white / Blue. My colors are amazing, and my growth couldnt be better. Over a 40g Breeder, i'd recommend 1.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/165W-Dimmab...757?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a8e50f63d

at less than 100 bucks shipped, with free lifetime part replacement, i couldnt be happier.

I did have to open the unit up and remove the built in optics...easy to do, just pop them off(they're lightly glued on). The optics caused spotlighting effect in my 75. Without optics, at about 12 " above the water, my tank is well lit, with no shaded areas and some quite spectacular colors.

 

[Squatch XXL]

@ddelozier

Thanks for the great tip. I haven't decided yet on lights, but this is something that I am now considering. My only "issue" would be that I would have to engineer some sort of hangar to hold it at the recommended 12-16"...

From the specs, it seems that this is a bit over 16" long. At 16 inches above the tank, it should project light great.....However, I don't want to deal with spillover into my room....so I would have to make a wood canopy to keep all the light in.....I am at a "build" standstill due to waiting for rocks to cure....waiting for CC substrate to be delivered, Needing a sump.....and a need to create a burrow out of 2-1/2" pvc. I am hoping to score my pvc from work, but the job I am on is ONLY using carbon steel and stainless. I may have to suck it up and spend a few more dollars....I figure by the end of my current project I should be have plenty of paper money to smooth out these minor issues. It stinks when time is the issue, and not money....especially when I prefer DIY to paying some other clown with the same skills I have.