Retrofit lights on an Eclipse 1

[HClH2OFish]

Hi all,
I've got a tiny tank (15 Gal Eclipse 1 show tank) that's doing pretty good.
Currently it only has 1 Cinnamon Clown, 1 Yellowback Damsel, 2 red hermits, 1 astrae, and 1 Choc Chip starfish
Got about 3" crushed coral with 1/2 the tank having 1/2" of play sand
Don't have any LR currently -- only thing added to the tank is an intank surface skimmer (cuts down on the slick on the surface)
Tanks been up for about 5 months now with no major problems (tho we did lose our Scooter Blenny) and I'm looking to see what kind of lights I can use to replace the stock daylight tube currently in it.
Once I finish our move (new home) I want to see about getting a couple of pieces of LR to put in there to add a bit to that tank (my g/f love all the little critters running around). What is a good light for this setup? I've seen how some people have retrofit higher output fluorescents in these, but am unsure how hard it would be to do on my own.
Ideas???
Thanks!

 

[Bleeding Blue]

HClH2OFish

That is a pretty interesting name. What made you think of it. Anyhow, your question here is a little unclear. I guess it all depends on exactly what you are looking for.

The live rock you speak of will do more for your tank than add little critters, it will offer a natural for of filtration. It is a sort of complicated process, but essencially the benifit of the live rock is that it filters out nitrate (the same thing your bio-wheel is currently filtering out) without requiring the nitrate to be present in the water column, which is the main failure of the bio-wheel. The addition of this rock requires no extra light, and I suggest you look into adding live rock regardless of what else you decide.

As far as lighting goes, before you decide to upgrade your lights, you should decide what sort of life you would like to keep in your tank. If all you are looking for is some critters to run around in your tank, you may not need to upgrade your lights at all. There are a number of cool shrimps and crabs out there that are very cool crabs and shrimp out there that would do great in your tank. I personally think that arrow crabs are very cool, and not too many people keep them because they are not reef safe. However, I would stay away from lobsters if I were you. They can be very pretty, but will quickly out grow your tank.

If you find that your interests steer more towards keeping corals and other light dependant inverts (clams) than you will have to think about lighting upgrades. However, it is still not as easy as all that. Different sorts of animals require different intencities of light. If you are looking to go this route, I suggest that you buy a book on aquarium inverts, and pick out exactly which animals you would like to keep. This way, you can cater your tank to there needs. You must also remember, that if you take this route you will definately have to get rid of the chocolate chip star, and possibly have to get rid of the yellow damsel. I hope this helps.

M

 

[kleinfreak]

I have heard it is really easy. I'm not sure exactly what model hood fits a 15, but here is an example of a retro fit system for an eclipse.
Depending on your needs and available space, you may or maynot be able to double up on your lighting.
http://www.hellolights.com/913wretrofit.html
http://www.hellolights.com/13wretrokit.html

 

[HClH2OFish]

Thanks for all the info. Sorry about the confusion..I shouldn't post when I'm sleepy!
The lighting question are mainly just for a change in lighting. I'm not going to keep any coral/inverts in there that will require special lighting.
I'm going to be keeping our Damsel and Starfish in there with a few crabs and maybe a Fire shrimp in the future. I just don't like the current light that's in it (it's the standard Eclipse Daylight bulb that came with it)
The reason I'm thinking of a retrofit is if I decide to use the hood on another tank, I'm going to eventually have a few inverts...I'm really interested in the Maxima clams, but may just keep on in a Nanocube.
Anyway...got my info and thanks for the replies!

BTW, the name I chose shows why you should be fully awake when you setup profiles...lol
It should be NaClH20 instead of HClH20 -- Saltwater instead of...Hydrochloric acid? whatever HCL is..lol

 

[Chronicles]

I personaly have a 15gal with an eclipse 1 hood. Right now I have (4) 13watt PCs on it. You can fit (6) 13watters, (2-3) 28watters (2) 36watters, or the big daddy 18.5" 96watt quad. They will all fit under the hood, without getting rid of the filtration. Some of those combos will require you to take off the plastic shield for heat issues, unless you wanted to run a fan. With my (4) 13watters I had a piece of plexiglass cut for the front section, and it sits along the top rim of the tank to prevent any splashing. I don't have any heat issues using this.

Like they said, it depends on what you want to keep, and how much money you want to spend.