refugium lighting
 

What lighting would you reccommend for a 15" wide by 24" long by 24" deep refugium?

I'm thinking either this one:

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s...ID=pc-alf24065

or this one:

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s...ID=pc-alf24130

I'm not affraid to spend the extra money for the double strip but the question is "do I really need it" considering the tank is only 15" wide?

Does anybody have either of these lights used by any chance?

reply
 

If the fuge will be strictly for macros then the first will do. Although, 24" is pretty deep for a single PC. If you want to grow out frags, say on a shelf up high, then the dual will be better. I'd say the dual is the better pick.

lighting
 

My tank is mostly sps so I don't think 65 watts is enough light to grow sps frags but I could be mistaken. The original plan was to grow just macro algaes, but like you say, the tank is 24" deep.

I'd say the first is fine. My fuge is 18x18x12" deep and I have a 20W 50/50 PC over it and i have corals in the bottom........I know its not that deep but I think that single light on yours will cut it.

Chris

post
 

I went to the electrical wholesaler and picked up a 5500k flouresent bulb, (the ones that are replacing regular bulbs these days) I went with 35 watt, in a 35 gal refugium.

socket cost $4.00
bulb cost $22.00
and some wire and a plug I had around the house

lighting
 

Anyone else with an opinion?

Buy a clamp lamp from home depot (comes with a cone reflector) and buy a compact fluorescent bulb from a hydropnics store. Pick the wattage depending on the water level in your refugium/sump, just make sure its an R30 base. These types of bulb are typically 6500K but there are 25000K ones too if you want to set up 2 lamps to get more blue in the spectrum. If your refugium is not viewable and you are only interested in growing things, then the cooler bulb will do.

Refuge lighting
 

Jason...

I have a 175W 20,000 K ..... I'm toying with chucking THAT on mine.... that way I can accelerate the macro growth AND grow out any frags I want....

Jim.

If you don't, I'll take it off your hands.