Help on Lighting upgrade

[tomas21]

I currently have 55 gal FOWLR tank for a liitle over a year now. Its running only 1 40w VHO since my PC's went out, and I've been planning on an upgrade pretty soon. Don't really know what to get. MH's seem so expensive, and I've heard good things about VHO's and T5's . The tank is a 55 gallon tall, 48X13X20. I've heard that deeper tanks need stronger lighting. Currently, theres some fish and a RBTA in it. I may plan on buying a couple corals but not sure at this point. Can anyone recommend something for somebody on a budget? I also need help on wattage, size, and number of bulbs.

I'm looking for a setup that will fit in my black laminated canopy. Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[brynboy]

how long have you had the rbta in there? 1 40 W bulb seems kinda low. i ran 1 250 W metal halide over my 60. everything in the center of the tank seemed to thrive. for a fowlr 40 W may do, but anemone and softies will need a bit more light. the usual rule of thumb is 3 or 4 W per gallon, but then again that would be dependent on how deep your tank is.

take a look at some of the specs on some of the signatures found here. that'll give you an idea of what people are using on their tanks.

[GeeOh]

I agree wid my boy Brian, if you're going to make it a true reef, you're gonna need more light. 3-5 watts for med. light if U want to grow softies. 6-10 for high light (only necessary if you're gonna do acros) I really like MH. You can always find a used set up on here for cheap or get a retrofit from MParkis. Another thing you'll need to consider is your canopy. You didn't tell us how tall it is. If its a 12 inch canopy, then you can put the MH, otherwise stick to PC, t5 or vho. Therapy has a great 250 gallon tank with just PC's. If you can't put the MH/HQI, then go PC. Retrofits are available with MParkis also, or get used stuff or I would suggest www.aquatraders.com cuz their lights are hella cheap if you're on a budget.

As for conserving electricity. Forget it. If you're gonna do a reef tank, expect your electric bill to go up no matter what. 550watts for a 55g tank if you're gonna keep it at 10 watts per gallon. 225 watts if you're at 5. At 8-12 hrs a day of light, you're gonna get a spike in your bill. All that vs. the 40watts you're doing now...its gonna quadruple your electric bill.

Last question I have to ask is what type of filtration do you have? Protein Skimmer? Wet/Dry? Sump? Hang on back? Refugium? Canister?

There are 3 basic things necessary for a successful reef: 1) Live Rock 2) Strong Light 3) Skimmer everything else is up to the reefer.

[tomas21]

Thanks for the reply's..

I have a Remora Pro HOB skimmer, AC500 fuge with Cheato, 60+lbs live rock, 2.5 sandbed...

I'm looking to do the following for lighting since my canopy is not very high... 6in

$103.00 for the following
VHO ARO Ballast AS-220
110W 46.5 URI Actinic 50/50 VHO
110W 46.5 URI Super Actinic
Ground Powercord
Endcap Mounts
Endcaps waterproof