nano-reef

[Samw]

I'd like to get a small tank for my office desktop. I was thinking about an Eclipse 6 or a taller acrylic cube tank. I like Eclipse except the lighting is a bit low and it seems like a waste to buy the whole system and then buy some lighting kits to upgrade the lights.

Any suggestions for a place to buy a cube tank that might already come with decent compact fluorescent lighting? I'm thinking about a 6 or 7 gallon tank.

[robert]

Hello Sam,
I would buy one of these HAGEN(???) starting kits from LFS. Make sure that canopy is made to fit 2 incandescent bulbs. I think you probably will have to buy 10gal one as 6gal has only one bulb in it. Using screwdriver and drill you can modify it (takes about 5 min., you will see what I am talking about when you get one) to take 2 PC fluorescent bulbs. You can buy appropriate 26W 6500K PC lamps from Albright lighting for $12. 50W should probably do well for some stuff. If you need more light buy one extra canopy. I bought 2 ($25 each) canopies like that for my refugium, plus 2x26W @ 2800K and 2x26W @ 4100K. I got 100W of light for about $85, incl. tax.

My ¢2½ :cool:

[ 15 September 2002, 19:54: Message edited by: pirate ]

[sumpfinfishe]

Hi Sam- I just emailed you two pics. of when I first got into this hobbie. My first tank was a 5gal Hagen with a small fluval filter.The lights were an incondesent canopy with two 25 watt power compacts like pirate was talking about. I bought the lights from home depot at around $10 each. And yes I had to modify the canopy a little as the bulbs have a built it ballist at the base. The fitting was the same size, I just had to cut the canopy at the back a bit in order for the bigger base pc's to fit- it was easy! My clowns continued on into my next tank-a 20gal, the long tentacle outgrew the tank and was traded, and yes the dumb mistake of adding a dotty back was soon learned. I had to e you the pics as I don't know how to add pics to a post yet so if you know I would be thankful if you could explain how?
Hope that helps, sumfinfishe

[ 15 September 2002, 18:12: Message edited by: sumpfinfishe ]

[reefburnaby]

Hi,

If you are looking for acrylic...then King Eds has one (and only one) 6 gallon cube tank acrylic for $60. I wanted to get it for my office...but I didn't want more hobby stuff at work. King Eds has some other small and strange tanks, so you can pop by there and see if you like something there. All-glass has a glass version of the Eclipse (Big Als). I would also check http://www.all-glass.com/products/index.asp since they have some hex tanks that are within your range.

Lighting...What do you plan to keep in them ?

- Victor.

[ 15 September 2002, 18:57: Message edited by: reefburnaby ]

[Samw]

Thanks guys.

Pirate (hey, new name), Sumpfinfishe, good idea. I totally forgot about that option. Seems like a better choice than getting a PC kit. Victor, thanks for the tip. I've seen that one there before. I might go for it if I don't see anything else.

[Bob I]

I guess I will get into this. I originally set up a 10 gallon nano with the following lighting. I used an old incandescent canopy, which had room for two bulbs. I went out to Ikea and bought two 15W screwin PC bulbs for $5.95 each. It worked alright, but I was not keen on the spectrum of the bulbs, so I converted to a 32W PC light from CSL. I have noticed that Pisces here in Calgary now sells 25W PC bulbs especially to fit those incandescent canopies. They are 6500K and sell for $24.95 each.I found that 15W PC bulbs are fine for a nano if you use two. :D :D

[robert]

Sam, I was talking about 26W 6500K screw in PCs for $12 each. ;)

[ 15 September 2002, 19:52: Message edited by: pirate ]

[Samw]

Hi Bob. Yeah, I don't think the Ikea bulbs are appropriate. Its a soft white light and probably 2000K. Pirate, yup. That's exactly what I'm interested in. Cheaper and hopefully equal alternative to the PC kits. Victor, I'm not sure what I'm keeping yet. Probably Montipora Digitata, Candy Cane, Yellow or Neon gobies, Seahorses, Feather Dusters, Derasa clam.

[Jacoda]

Sam:

I got excess of 13w 6700k and 7100k PCs for $10 each, let me know if Ur interested.

[Samw]

Thanks Ace. I'll let you know. I'm probably going to get higher wattage bulbs though.