# Lighting......



## Piper (Mar 3, 2011)

In looking around my 125G Tropheus tank, I am wondering what my next project (where do I spend money next) might be?

I have never had a system with high-end lighting. I had a 55G saltwater tank for years that just had a duel florescent shop light. Nemo was fine with that.

My 125G came with 2 All-Glass 36" single bulb florescent (72" tank). The bulbs are Aqua Ray F30WT8-AR-FS for Fresh or Saltwater. Can't find much about these bulbs.

I am not currently even considering going to live plants so that isn't an issue; although, depending on what if anything I do I might want to leave that option on the table. I know some of this lighting stuff is just personal preference but I am wondering what some of your experiences have been like.

What is too little lighting and what is over kill in your opinion? I have heard some suggest Tropheus are fine with just basic lighting. The only issues I can come up with for lighting are algae growth (I'm all for green algae) and fish color. Or maybe is the question more of a bulb choice than a fixture question?

So, do I need to consider bigger more expensive lighting fixtures, different bulbs or am I fine where I am?

Thanks for playing!

Jim


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Bigger more expensive lights won't necessarily get what you want. There are a number of considerations when you look at lighting. Light output normally given in lumens, colour temp in Kelvin degrees, And CRI (Colour Rendition Index.)
The higher the lumen output the brighter the light will appear. Sunlight on the ocean at the equator at noon has a colour temp around 5500 K. A tube in the 5000K range will appear close to this. Daylight tubes of 6500K are closer to early morning or afternoon light, and tend to be whiter or more bluish than 5000K lights. Daylight tubes are favoured by many aquarists. CRI may be the most important as sunlight has a CRI of 100, and we accept the colours visible under sunlight to be the true colous. The higher the CRI, the more natural or true the colour will be rendered. 
So, if you want to grow algae, any tube or bulb will do that. If you want to see true colours get a tube with a high CRI.
As far as lumen ratings, there can be quite a variance in similar tubes. For example a T12 40W tube in most colours/types has a lumen rating of around 2400 to 2600. A Plant and Aquarium light which tends to look pinkish has a lumen rating of around 1800, and a tri phospher such as Philips Ultralume has 3300 lumens. All use 40 watts but produce significantly different light outputs. 
In you particular setup, the lighting is what I would call a little on the low side. if you aren't growing plants you don't need high end lighting. In fact, even growing plants you don't need high end lighting. my prefernce is for tubes in the 5000K area, that can be bought cheaply at places like Home Depot. That means T8, which is what you have. I am guessing that if you had 4 of the tubes you have now, you would have satisfactory light. You could add a 48" shop light in the center of the tank to supplement what you have. A fixture can be bought for $15 or less, and tubes are about $4 each. you can also mix various tubes for different effects, or to better round out what you want to see. Hope this helps.


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## Piper (Mar 3, 2011)

WOW - good info thanks for the response.

Jim


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Everyone one seems to have a different opinion on how lighting should look, and the human eye seems to work differently in different people. I look for the cheapest way to do the job. You can light a tank well and economically. 
If you were to get a cheap shop light, some are more than narrow enough to fit inside a section of vinyl eaves trough which can be painted to match the aquarium trim. That gets rid of the shop light look, cheaply.


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## londonloco (Mar 31, 2011)

I've seen house gutter material used for lighting housing, it looked pretty good (not sure if this is what you meant by "a section of vinyl eaves)".


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

You take a section of white vinyl eaves trough which usually comes in 10 or 12 foot lengths, cut a piece to length you want, and add end caps. You now have a closed box which you can mount the light fixture in. A few holes drilled to allow heat to escape and then paint the trough whatever colour you want. You could used a colored trough but then you wouldn't have the white inside, which is preferable.


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