recommended Lighting

[ckwhon]

which one should i use???

MH PL FL T5??

[moron_clown]

pls view the many treads in this forum regarding lightingbut IMO,i think its best to start with the most expensive lights u can afford.fl is ok with a fowlr setup.i've been using pl and fl combi for the past two years keeping minimal lps.but u really will wanna do some future planning.will u keep sps or clams in the future?will u upgrade to a deeper and bigger tank?do u have a chiller(applicable for mh).i am using mh and t5 combi now for minimal sps and some clams.i think the price of a diy mh is around that of a good t5 set.so might as well invest in a mh set...just my two cents worth.

[jd_n]

Here is the formula.

Chiller = MH

No chiller = T5

Limited $$ = PL

Very Limited $$ = Put tank under the sun (FOC)/ FL will be too weak for ur 2ft depth.

[Michael Young]

Aiyoh! You should know by now that what sort of light you use is directly connected with what you want to keep in your aquarium. How to recommend with no information other than tank size.

[Michael Young]

Here is the formula.

Chiller = MH

No chiller = T5

Limited $$ = PL

Very Limited $$ = Put tank under the sun (FOC)/ FL will be too weak for ur 2ft depth.

JD, that's a good one about natural sunlight.

[moron_clown]

yep...totally agree...

[ckwhon]

i wish to get something nice for viewing and something good for all sorts of corals... i will get something bigger in the future but i believe i will have my 2ft too even if i get a new one... so i wish to get the best result out from my 2FT so that next time i can setup a bigger tank knowing what kind of corals to keep and what type of lighting to use...

so now i need opinion of pple here in getting a suitable lighting for the best result.... hopefully into SPS, clams,sps etc etc....

[Michael Young]

Like what JD said, invest in the best you can afford.

[moron_clown]

i reccomend u read up the very intensive research into aquarium lighting which the big boss(AT) posted some time ago.

[jd_n]

i wish to get something nice for viewing and something good for all sorts of corals... i will get something bigger in the future but i believe i will have my 2ft too even if i get a new one... so i wish to get the best result out from my 2FT so that next time i can setup a bigger tank knowing what kind of corals to keep and what type of lighting to use...

so now i need opinion of pple here in getting a suitable lighting for the best result.... hopefully into SPS, clams,sps etc etc....

Well, like wat we mentioned. It had to depends on ur ammo dump. If u r fully stock with ammo then of coz go for a chiller and MH. For a 2ft cube tank, one MH with a good reflector will give u pretty good coverage and the 10k bulb will be a pretty ideal choice (not blue not yellow= depending on brand). As mentioned, go for 250W and above would be very ideal. And if u have the intention of upgradin in future and still keepin the current 2ft then ur new tank will have to go thru the same process whereby how u started on ur 2ft cube nw. And till then sps is No No in ur new tank but if ur 2ft cube is matured (best if above 1yr) and with the proper equipments, u can consider sps in ur 2ft cube.

[moron_clown]

well said.i learnt the hard way.i started with fl, then i upgrade the fl tubes,den i upgrade to pl,den i upgraded the pl tubes,den i bought a t5 set and now i'm using mh...so its better to spend more initially than to keep upgrading.my expenditure for my pl and fl can easily buy me another 250w diy mh....so do consider long and hard.

[ckwhon]

yah i also dun wish to keep upgrading and in the end spending more than what is not needed... so most sifus here recommend a 250W diy MH???

[islander]

which one should i use???

MH PL FL T5??

i think u forgotten wat 2 ask urself,"wat u wanna keep in ur tank in the first place?

eg.sps,lps,fowlr or etc.

clams/sps-MH

lps-T5/FL/PL/VHO

fowlr-PL/FL

not forgetting...tats wat i tried to prioritize...lighting...which is wrong..water par is the most crucial...

[moron_clown]

i'm not a sifu..hehe,i'm just a coepod.haha.but u will have to buy a chiller unless u aircondition ur room 24/7...but well,u ultimately have to buy a chiller when u fall in love(u WILL) with sps..hahago check out the diy forum for information regarding diy mh sets.

[ckwhon]

thanks moron clown... i always wish to get things that is best for all sorts of corals.... of coz to the most difficult to keep... getting the best lighting i guess will allow mi to continue to learn and ensure a good water parameters of my tank...

[RAV-65]

i use to use a AC fan to blow my tank's water surface while using a Mh 150W, pretty effective, water never above 29degrees.... if u use 2 fans i tink u can control the water temp to about 27-28.... but gotta top-up water everyday...

Vincent Ho

[moron_clown]

thanks moron clown... i always wish to get things that is best for all sorts of corals.... of coz to the most difficult to keep... getting the best lighting i guess will allow mi to continue to learn and ensure a good water parameters of my tank...

no problem man.i will not want anyone to follow my path and spend all that money just to get to a set of mh..yea..just settle the lighting and then u can concentrate better on ur water para.its just so hard to concentrated on proper tank maintanence if u have queries and questions in ur mind that needs to be answered.have fun!

[ckwhon]

special thanks to RAV and Clown for ur helps... i will gather all the info from u guys and start to hunt for the things i want.... time for champions league...

[RAV-65]

Go Arsenal Go!!!

It's gonna be our year!!!

Vincent Ho

Arsenal fan for 14 years...