Lighting Question (Power Compact)

[CC-Star]

I have a 55 gal and was wondering bc someday I would like to go corals if 4x65w Power Compact lighting is going to be enough... ?? OR what about just a fish, LR, and anemone only tank?? (I am hoping so but just wanted some feed back from others that might have had a similar set-up)

(I know i know i know MH is the usual recommendation over any lighting system..but just do not have the initial money..etc etc so...really just want to hear about PC)

 

[Juck]

4x65 PC lighting is fine for pretty much all soft and LPS corals. A Bubble-tip anemone would be ok, but I wouldn't attempt any other anemone without a lighting upgrade.

Good luck

 

[SnowManSnow]

<--Running PC now. With a little less w/g . As far as anemones .. they, like many hard corals thrive under intense lighting. You can keep zooanthids, probably a bubble tip anemone, and most any shrooms you like though.

I got started with PC too, because of the $$.. for smaller tanks you can't beat the price... but actually in the long run MH isn't that much more expensive.. by the time you figure replacing you 4 PC bulbs every 8 mos. compared to replacing 1 or 2 250w MH bulbs.

If you DO consider MH.. there are some pretty good pendant style lights out there for a decent price. I'm getting a Ocean LIght pendant .. 250w for my 37 G tank for around $250 at the end of this month.

Hope this helps..
Have a GREAT DAY!

 

[Fozza]

Only other thing is however, electricity costs.

My brother's have 1 400watt MH and 1 70watt MH respectively. I on the other hand have a 130watt (2x65watt) PC.

My electricity runs around $1.50 for the light to run a week. My brothers 400 watt costs him $20 - $25. My brothers 70 watt costs still costs $8 - 10.

Even though the 70watt is lower wattage, it still costs him more than my 130watt. :?

I don't quite know how that works out though.

 

[CC-Star]

Thanks everyone for the awesome responses Very much appreciated!

Ya thinking we will just go w. the 65x4 PC for now...and someday when we get a house and upgrade to a 150+gal tank then we will invest in the MH. Then hard corals, etc....

Hopefully our false percula clownfish will take to the BTA, we right now have Pink Tip Anemone in the tank but I hear they do not host anything so...BTA it is I guess (seeing I am limited w. anemones due to lighting).

 

[SnowManSnow]

Doesn't the cost have to do with the effeciency of the MH unit? It doesn't seem that it should cost an extra $120 / month! thats twice as much as it costs to run my entire HOUSE for a month.. this can't be right.

 

[Fozza]

Is the 55 gallon 48lx18hx18w?

I think my 29 is 30lx18hx12w

I run 2x65watt PC's on mine. I have hard corals and Softies but they are LPS, I don't have any SPS.

I think your 4x65watt PC's on a 55gallon should be ok for LPS also.

 

[Fozza]

Doesn't the cost have to do with the effeciency of the MH unit? It doesn't seem that it should cost an extra $120 / month! thats twice as much as it costs to run my entire HOUSE for a month.. this can't be right.

Now that you say that it does seem a little wrong. Maybe they meant it costs $20 - 25 a month for the 400 watt and $8 - 10 for the 70 watt.

Mine still costs $1.50 a week though, which would mean it would cost something like $6.50 a month.

So going by that.

My 130 Watt PC = $6.50 a month or $78 a year
Bro's 400watt MH = $20 - 25 a month or $240 - 300 a year
Bro's 70watt MH = $8 - 10 a month or $96 - $120 a year

Still can't explain why the 70 watt MH costs more than the 130 watt PC tho.

 

[CC-Star]

48L x 20 1/2H x 12 3/4D

 

[Fozza]

Its slightly taller than mine but I still think you'd be ok. Maybe put the LPS a little higher up the tank.

 

[SnowManSnow]

haha still seems wicked high to me The PC bulbs will be cheaper to run because they are flourecent. Once a flourcent blub is started it doesnt take much to KEEP them going.
B

I'll start another thread about the cost of MH lighting.. you have my curiosity up.

 

[Fozza]

haha still seems wicked high to me The PC bulbs will be cheaper to run because they are flourecent. Once a flourcent blub is started it doesnt take much to KEEP them going.

Ah, I see, makes sense I guess.

I'll start another thread about the cost of MH lighting.. you have my curiosity up.

k, would be interesting to know.

 

[Juck]

we right now have Pink Tip Anemone in the tank but I hear they do not host anything so...BTA it is I guess (seeing I am limited w. anemones due to lighting).

A Pink Tip Haitian Condylactis needs much stronger lighting than you have right now. It might survive for some months but it will not flourish and will probably die eventually.

Clowns can be hosted by almost anything,,,, corals, anemones, powerheads,,, you name it,,, if they like it,, they'll live in it. Sometimes they will never pick a host,,,,, the instinct/habit seems to vary from fish to fish.

Condylactis are not natural hosts to any clown fish, but it can work if you're lucky. I have a brown condylactis that is host to 4 Skunk clowns,,,,, they like it just fine (they hang around their carpet anemone during the day and sleep in the condy at night).

Maybe you can trade the condylactis against a BTA at your LFS?

 

[Fozza]

Just checked my provider for electricity and their rates are 4.1cents per kWh.

Which means my light would cost roughly $15 - 20 a year.

Which means my light can't cost $1.50 a week, must be $1.50 a month.

I'll ask my brother's tomorrow again how much it costs them.

 

[Fozza]

P.S

Sorry CC-Star for hijacking your thread

 

[CC-Star]

THanks Juck Ya we have ordered the new lighting system..hopefully in time to save the poor little pink tip....But ya definitely want BTA and they are good about switching. After QT'n these really cute F.percula clownfish (which are about the size of my pinky nail) and put them in the tank nad see how the react to the pink tip then if they do not take maybe trade in.

Right now we have rigged up a system w. some extra lights hooked on the side of hte tank to shine on the pink tip...he was really out and full yesterday ...but this morning and yesterday morning he was all pulled in. Hopefully he just does that to excrete waste or something and will again like yesterday come out and puff out again.

Thats alright Froza

 

[ChrisRD]

CC, to answer the original question - I agree with Juck, 4 X 65 watt PCs over your tank should be fine for soft corals and LPS. As mentioned already, most anemones, Tridacna clams and SPS corals will need more intense light to thrive.

 

[ChrisRD]

My 130 Watt PC = $6.50 a month or $78 a year
Bro's 400watt MH = $20 - 25 a month or $240 - 300 a year
Bro's 70watt MH = $8 - 10 a month or $96 - $120 a year

Still can't explain why the 70 watt MH costs more than the 130 watt PC tho.

Easy to explain, your brother who's running the 70 watt MH would have to be getting charged a higher power rate than you by his local electric company.

The PC bulbs will be cheaper to run because they are flourecent. Once a flourcent blub is started it doesnt take much to KEEP them going.

Not really. Some halide systems will have a high peak draw on start-up, but quickly level-off. Both systems (halide and fluorescent) generally require, full rated lamp wattage (possibly slightly more or less depending on the ballast used) to run the lamps. Giving the lamp less than full power would result in it producing less than full light output.

As to lighting costs - it's really not possible to determine without knowing what rate your electric company is charging. If you know that, you can estimate pretty closely based on lamp wattages and hours per day of use. If you have a wattmeter, you can figure it out exactly (there's generally some difference between lamp wattages and actual power draw). In general, electronic ballasts tend to draw about the same as the rated lamp wattages. Magnetic ballasts generally draw more wattage than the lamps are rated for.

Be careful about looking on your power bill to get the electric rate. Generally the rate in KWH will be indicated somewhere, but that doesn't include delivery costs and taxes. To get your true rate, divide your total electric bill by the total kilowatt-hours used.

Using the example of say $0.09/KWH and running the lamps 12 hours a day we can check the setups Fozza mentioned to compare what the differences in running costs might be...

For the 130 watt PC setup (assume electronic ballast):
130 watts / 1000 watts per KW = 0.13 KW
0.13 KW X 12 hours per day = 1.56 KWH per day.
1.56 KWH X 30 days = 46.8 KWH per month
46.8 KWH @ $0.09/KWH = $4.21 per month.

For the 70 watt MH setup (assume magnetic ballast):
84 watts (assume ballast draws 20% more than lamp rating) / 1000 watts per KW = 0.084 KW
0.084 KW X 12 hours per day = 1.01 KWH per day.
1.01 KWH X 30 days = 30.3 KWH per month
30.3 KWH @ $0.09/KWH = $2.73 per month.

For the 400 watt MH setup (assume magnetic ballast):
460 watts (assume ballast draws 15% more than lamp rating) / 1000 watts per KW = 0.46 KW
0.46 KW X 12 hours per day = 5.52 KWH per day.
5.52 KWH X 30 days = 165.6 KWH per month
165.6 KWH @ $0.09/KWH = $14.90 per month.

HTH

<edit to correct typo>

 

[Fozza]

Still can't explain why the 70 watt MH costs more than the 130 watt PC tho.

Easy to explain, your brother who's running the 70 watt MH would have to be getting charged a higher power rate than you by his local electric company.

I asked my brothers, they said they are getting charged 5.5p a kWh, which would be around 11 cents per kWh. I'm getting charged 4.1 cents. So you got it spot on Chris.

 

[ji]

Is the 55 gallon 48lx18hx18w?

I think my 29 is 30lx18hx12w

I run 2x65watt PC's on mine. I have hard corals and Softies but they are LPS, I don't have any SPS.

I think your 4x65watt PC's on a 55gallon should be ok for LPS also.

I have a 4x65 on a 55 gallon. The lighting seems strong enough
for anything as long as you place the corals well.

The tank is mixed with SPS, LPS, zoos and softies. All seems fine, with the SPS at the top, and no losses. The two SPS corals that I have, I started from 1" frags one year ago. One is a green acro, which has not grown very much (about 3" now), and is just starting to branch. The other is a brown Montiporia digita. This has grown like mad, and has over
50 branches.

As far as LPS, there is an anchor and a brain in in middle, and two (quickly growing) fungia all the way at the bottom.