9w and 13w lighting?
- Thread starter BallPy
- Start date
this is a great place---Ive spent hundreds of dollars with each of these companies and they have never done me wrong/ even if you are impatient like me and want to pay for overnite shipping, they both are very reasonable.
THe little 9x2 PC Minimight lite setup I use on the reefbowl is found at
www.aquaticeco.com you can also call the toll free number and have a rep look up the items if its not on the web page.
Bulbs can also be found at www.petmeister.com
HTH
THe little 9x2 PC Minimight lite setup I use on the reefbowl is found at
www.aquaticeco.com you can also call the toll free number and have a rep look up the items if its not on the web page.
Bulbs can also be found at www.petmeister.com
HTH
Wally World has 13W PC desklamps that can easily be taken apart as a DIY light. Some folks also use some worklight/booklights (Search on nano-reef.com for bookworm).
6K bulbs can be found at Wally world as well (at least at some of them) and actinic and combos at hellolights and ahsupply.
-Ed
6K bulbs can be found at Wally world as well (at least at some of them) and actinic and combos at hellolights and ahsupply.
-Ed
Yes I like that very much, and am considering ordering one for myself. Neat link. Thats nice for your size setup (2g) are you going to make a cutout in your lid so the light wont shine through the red filter. That lid seals nicely, and I think you have reinforced it well. If all else fails, light your corals from the side as the primary or supplemental design.
No I dont think it would, but I have heard of retrofitters using pc ballasts to overrun NO bulbs (why this is done I have no idea but it is electrically possible).
Considering the cheapness of 13w ballasts and bulbs, Id feel better recommending the complete 13w setup either as an azoo galaxy light or the packs offered by hellolights or that other link that was posted. This seems safer in terms of avoiding fire hazards and also getting the most longevity out of the aftermarket bulbs you will use in the final design.
That is really good sealing, you lid fits on all sides. Did you decide to go with the 70/30 option, the one where a small pwrhd does %70 of the circulation work and where a small airstone would output %30 of circulation, mainly to keep fresh air under the lid? I think that will work best.
Also, you may not even need an airstone. If not, you will have the very least systemic evaporation. If you leave a good two inch gap under your sealed lid, this likely collects enough air to provide balance even through the night cycle. A new problem would be CO2 accumulation but this is workable if the tank has a small relative bioload.
This again would depend on active fish load... each time you raised the lid to dose (often if you have stonies) air would refresh under the lid providing enough oxygen stay for the next go-round. There is not that much demand for oxygen past what standard circulation will provide if your nano reef uses little or no fish.
I still think you could keep a small fish in there with no problems after the tank has been fed and cycled for awhile.
Brandon
Considering the cheapness of 13w ballasts and bulbs, Id feel better recommending the complete 13w setup either as an azoo galaxy light or the packs offered by hellolights or that other link that was posted. This seems safer in terms of avoiding fire hazards and also getting the most longevity out of the aftermarket bulbs you will use in the final design.
That is really good sealing, you lid fits on all sides. Did you decide to go with the 70/30 option, the one where a small pwrhd does %70 of the circulation work and where a small airstone would output %30 of circulation, mainly to keep fresh air under the lid? I think that will work best.
Also, you may not even need an airstone. If not, you will have the very least systemic evaporation. If you leave a good two inch gap under your sealed lid, this likely collects enough air to provide balance even through the night cycle. A new problem would be CO2 accumulation but this is workable if the tank has a small relative bioload.
This again would depend on active fish load... each time you raised the lid to dose (often if you have stonies) air would refresh under the lid providing enough oxygen stay for the next go-round. There is not that much demand for oxygen past what standard circulation will provide if your nano reef uses little or no fish.
I still think you could keep a small fish in there with no problems after the tank has been fed and cycled for awhile.
Brandon
I havent really thought about the 70/30 but now that you mention it, I think that will be the plan to go with. I still dont think that I will keep any fish in there. I will defently have a small number of inverts and hopefully a lot of coral.
PS- (Brandon)- In your previous post you said maybe not to use an airstone. Are you saying I should just use a powerhead or use the airline minus the stone with the powerhead?
PS- (Brandon)- In your previous post you said maybe not to use an airstone. Are you saying I should just use a powerhead or use the airline minus the stone with the powerhead?
Yes I should clarify this---I am meaning you may choose to not use an airstone (pump/line etc) at all. Your surface exchange rate can be enhanced by using a pwrhd to circulate the water column from the bottom of the tank to the top, where it interfaces with the atmosphere (in your case a two inch gap between the lid and the water's surface) to pick up O and give off CO2. An airstone can provide this vital circulation (as in the RB) but in your case a strong powerhead would move it sufficiently and I also feel a 1-2" gap to hold this vital airspace above the water would be sufficient for the exchange purposes. Provided you are lifting the lid periodically to dose or feed, the airspace would freshen each time your broke the main seal. Whether or not you are doing this often enough could be measured in pH units for example...or an increased need for carbonate support to counter a dopping pH trend.
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