Lighting upgrade for BioCube 29

[Bluemarine]

Can anyone recommend a lighting upgrade for the Biocube 29 that allows for the hood to be kept on the tank?

 

[Paolissimo]

Why do you want to keep the hood? Are you planning on keeping corals? What kind of light to you currently have in the hood (halides, led?)

 

[Bluemarine]

What I have is the stock 2x36W actinic lights...I want to be able to grown corals with high lighting needs so I am looking to upgrade the lighting...this is a brand new tank that I have had for about 2 months or so...the hood keeps it elegant and less noisy and I am looking for something I can put where the stock lights are currently located.

 

[Paolissimo]

What I suggest is get rid of the hood. I personally think it's ugly. The lights that you have are not suited for SPS or clams. You can keep zoathis, some lps, leather corals, but nothing that requires strong light. Since the tank is soo new, I would first get my cal, alk, and mag to natural sea water levels, and make sure they stay there. Get a good protein skimmer ( i know you choices are limited on a biocube). Get your phosphate and Nitrate as low as possible. Once your tank is stable, the light I would get is the ai sol super blue with the ai controller(the black casing) and hang it over the tank. Some people might tell you it's too strong, but you can regulate the light intensity. I have the same tank, and I got really frustrated at the tank design because you are limited to what you can do. I tried to attach a pic of mine, but browser keeps crashing, I wrote this post 3 times already. lol..

 

[Paolissimo]

Ohh by the way I have the HQI hood that I am selling on the forsale forum, but seriously I do not recommend it because you will need a chiller, but you can keep sps with that light.

 

[Bluemarine]

I got a chiller already... My apartment gets too hot in the summer... Thanks

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Modding the hood to LED is not that hard with the Bio Cube 29. However, do change to a more powerful fan-the air dynamics in he hood is kind bad.

As matter of fact, I may doing a mod of a Bio cube 29 today. I think it will take less than a day.

I am modding it because I am sure the PC will over heat my tank this summer

 

[Bluemarine]

You have any recommendations for what lights, fan etc?