Light for a 55 Gallon Reef Tank???

[roypersson]

Hello,

About three months ago I walked into a local pet store with no knowledge of salt water tank keeping hobby.

I walked out less 1200 dollars with a bunch of stuff I thought would get me going.

One of which is my coralife aqualight high output T5 dual lamp 48" light.
http://www.petmountain.com/product/...output-t5-dual-lamp-light-fixture-double.html

I thought it was good..

But after meeting with a fellow MR member I was told that in order to really keep a reef tank I needed two things. A sump and a better light fixture.

He mentioned LED but said I should look into a 5 bulb set vs. a dual lamp. I guess I need more light maybe?

Can anyone suggest something I should look for to keep a reef tank (48 inch)?

Thanks so much,

Roy Persson

 

[Jzhou]

You don't necessarily need a sump. But it does make things easier. Do you have a protein skimmer? Also, what is the name of the store you went to? Something seems off here.

 

[Jzhou]

On regards to your light question, it really depends on what type of coral you are planning on. LEDs are nice, but at the same time you might not need to spend that much.

 

[roypersson]

To be honest there are so many corals out there its hard to know. Kind of like asking a wine amateur which region, year, and wine type he thinks would be a good fit for someone as a gift.

So like any amateur I'm going to seek coral that are easy to manage. If I mix up a dose or two. Leave the light on or off a bit too long etc etc. I want corals I can make my rookie mistakes on without being punished to watch them die.

As I get into the routine and learn I'll eventually take on harder corals.

I have a 65 gallon rated skimmer. I am building a sump with this and other organics will end up in. Hoping to have that up and running by end of month.

The tank is a 48 inch wide 55 gallon tank.

The store I went to was in Rhode Island. Fish Bowl in West Warwick. Bought it at store and had them ship it.

To be fair I hadn't a real clue wheat a Fish Only tank was versus a Reef tank in terms of what this meant for care, equipment etc. So I know I wasnt asking the right questions and I know he wasn't able to really sell me all the right stuff when I hadn't a clue about this world.

Thanks,

Roy

 

[Jzhou]

It doesn't matter what questions you were asking. In your case, if you were showing that you were very new to the hobby, a good LFS should of known what to have informed you of anyway. They would normally ask you a lot of questions. There are a lot of stores out there whose only interest is to make a quick buck. Some of my favorite stores in NYC is Manhattan Aquaruim and Kissena Aquarium because they treat people very well. Kissena Aquarium is somewhat harder to deal with because there is somewhat of a language barrier. As for the coral, are you looking to keep more most corals and mushrooms or some of the stony corals. I would recommend that you stick with the softer stuff because they are easier. As for now just keep reef friendly fish for a few months until you get more insight on water chemistry. But you don't really need to dose as long as you keep up with your weekly water changes.

 

[Jzhou]

Is your skimmer the coralife 65?

 

[roypersson]

Thanks for all this info.

Yes I really do look at and love the look of the hard corals. So I know I will goal myself in that direction over time. But for now I will still with hardy fish and coral while I get used to testing, dosing, feeding etc. New Years resolution is get some more tricky types of fish and coral by end of year (become an intermediate in this hobby).

Yes 65 Gallon Corallife Skimmer.

So back to the lighting... will this dual lamp light I have manage the entry level corals? If I want to go to the more advanced corals should I keep an eye out for more advanced equipment? If so... what?

 

[Jzhou]

Soft corals should be ok. Let me research more about that fixture first. BTW you should get a different brand of test kits. API is great for freshwater, but is just garbage for salt. IMO, I'm not a fan of brine shimp since it is mostly shell. I prefer mysis

 

[JonnyJ]

the api test kits are fine for Nitrate,nitrite,ammonia and ph is decent. i have been using them 5+ years.

for mag & calcium i would suggest salifert


those lights should be ok for now to keep softies.

 

[roypersson]

Thanks for the advice. I'll use these test kits in my early days but will upgrade at the next available sale / deal. Brands of test kit you recommend.

To be honest the damsels were given to me by another MR member to help continue the cycle in my tank.

 

[leifkrarup]

Hello,

About three months ago I walked into a local pet store with no knowledge of salt water tank keeping hobby.

I walked out less 1200 dollars with a bunch of stuff I thought would get me going.

One of which is my coralife aqualight high output T5 dual lamp 48" light.
http://www.petmountain.com/product/...output-t5-dual-lamp-light-fixture-double.html

I thought it was good..

But after meeting with a fellow MR member I was told that in order to really keep a reef tank I needed two things. A sump and a better light fixture.

He mentioned LED but said I should look into a 5 bulb set vs. a dual lamp. I guess I need more light maybe?

Can anyone suggest something I should look for to keep a reef tank (48 inch)?

Thanks so much,

Roy Persson

Go for LED....will save you money in the long run, will grow corals like hell, will give you possibility to mix light color, will save you from buying a chiller.....
See my post about my 160 W Pacific Sun LED unit.
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/equipment/90763-led-suggestions-2.html#post896298

 

[fishman1069]

LEDs are great but very expensive atm. They should come down in price as the tchnology grows and more people start making them. I would try to get at least a 4 bulb or 6 bulb T5 light. That way if you do run into a deal where you want to buy a certain coral you dont have to wiorry about your light. There are pleanty of members on here selling lights like that. Keep your eye on the marketplace. Also, DO AS MUCH RESEARCH AS POSSIBLE BEFORE YOU BUY! Thats usually the biggest mistake people make in this hobby, including myself. You have to make sure your gonna have the resources, knowledge and system to care for these delicate creatures. This hobby can be great but it could also turn into an expensive nightmare pretty quickly. Remember this quote " Nothing happens fast in a reef tank except disaster!"