Alternative Lighting

[Cave Dweller]

Looking for some advice, just as a lot of other people on the forum.

I originally started with a FOWLR tank and find myself slowly being dragged towards zoa's and some of the simpler items to support without fairly pristine water conditions etc that most reef tank systems can require (or so I hear often).

Before anyone asks, yes I am using RO/DI water and no I do not know the levels for the water etc, but I'm not asking advice if corals are dying and such.

Currently the tank has PC lighting and if I continue to add like small zoa frags/plugs/rocks, I was looking for advice of maybe a supplemental lighting source for a small area. Would it be feasible to buy/make a small LED light to focus on the area?

Any advise is welcomed of course.

 

[noelskii]

rapidled.com

 

[prattreef]

It is completely possible to keep the kinds of animals you mention under PC lighting provided you have enough of it. What size is the system and how much light do you have?

In answer to your specific question, yes it is possible. Take a look at the PAR 38 screw in LED lamps as one possibility.

 

[Cave Dweller]

That was one of the places I was mainly looking at, especially the plug-and-play since I'm not much into having to solder connections etc. But what I guess I'm really trying to say is without fully converting to a reef set up and changing lighting and such (180 gallon tank by the way), would it be sufficient to make a small LED setup to suppliment the not so great lighting provided by the PC?

 

[Cave Dweller]

By not so great I mean that the unit is old and is probably in need of an upgrade besides new bulbs. I'm at work at the moment and do not know the precise model and such but it is a 6ft PC fixture, 4 bulbs total.

I have a few small frags and such that seem to be content with the lighting considering they are on the upper areas of my rockwork and not being beat on by the returns either. But if I'd like them to grow a bit beyond the size of a 1/2" plug and such at a somewhat better rate, I'm down for giving it a shot.

Also I'm aware that a decent number of corals etc will do fine under most lighting but of course will not always pop the colors that most people keep them around for, which is another reason I'd like to pep up the section.

Also if anyone would like to provide some advice on items that can be placed in a mainly fish only tank that keeps a minimum risk to one becoming a snack?

 

[Awibrandy]

By not so great I mean that the unit is old and is probably in need of an upgrade besides new bulbs. I'm at work at the moment and do not know the precise model and such but it is a 6ft PC fixture, 4 bulbs total.

I have a few small frags and such that seem to be content with the lighting considering they are on the upper areas of my rockwork and not being beat on by the returns either. But if I'd like them to grow a bit beyond the size of a 1/2" plug and such at a somewhat better rate, I'm down for giving it a shot.

Also I'm aware that a decent number of corals etc will do fine under most lighting but of course will not always pop the colors that most people keep them around for, which is another reason I'd like to pep up the section.

Also if anyone would like to provide some advice on items that can be placed in a mainly fish only tank that keeps a minimum risk to one becoming a snack?

For that last question you may need to provide info on what fish you currently have, or intend to have in the future.

 

[Cave Dweller]

Ok the tank is a 180 Gallon AGA, 6'x2'x2', and currently holds a Niger Trigger, Female Blue-throat Trigger, Pinktail Trigger, Porcupine Puffer, Harlequin Tusk (sadly not Aussie), Six-Line Soapfish/Golden-striped Grouper, 2 Pincushion Urchins, a handful of Mexicans (snails that is), and a Zebra Eel.

For the most part I've stuck with "predatory" items and I mean an angel or a tang would sound great, even though some occasionally might start eyeing corals.

 

[Awibrandy]

Yeah, they just might. So it will be up to you to decide which mean more to you: the fish or the coral.
I have a couple of fish in my tank that may turn to eating corals in my reef, and I mad the choice to keep them anyway. I happen to love these guys, and keep them well fed in hopes that they never will. But in the event that they go after the corals I am ready to sacrifice the corals or the fish.

 

[Cave Dweller]

Prattreef, You had mentioned the use of the PAR 38 LED Lamps as an option. Considering the rockwork is maybe 12" down from the waters surface, do is still need to take into consideration of the wattage to be sufficient to cover a small area as opposed to watts per gallon?

Also on my brief break I had also noted that they had come in with various degree's available from approx 15-45 degrees. To light up maybe like a 1'x1' area do you think more than one bulb would be needed?