Lighting for a 120 mixed reef on a very tight budget? how many AI's for a 120 gallon mixed reef with nems?

[brissey02]

Looking to finally upgrade from my fluval 3.0, and get something more worthwhile. I have a 120 gallon mixed reef with a bubble tip (will eventually be looking to buy more nems)

I have a 120 gallon tank (4x2x2) with a hood. Lighting will either have to be mounted to the top of the hood at 15" from the water's surface, or 4" from the water's surface.. still trying to come up with other ways that don't include a mounting arm.

I am on a tight budget however. $250 at the most.

what lighting system would you recommend? (and how many units of these systems?) if I am able to pull of a miracle and am able to do some trades for AI prime's, how many would I need?

 

[Jekyl]

2 black boxes are your best bet. Like marsaqua or viparspectra

 

[Jekyl]

Just some advice, nems like a mature system. I would wait the better part of a year before getting one.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Mature live rock yes but I’ve kept nems in brand new tanks, mainly nano cubes. Fed mine with weekly shrimp and bi weekly water changes for years. Had to get rid of them, they can out grow small tanks fast

 

[Uncle99]

Looking to finally upgrade from my fluval 3.0, and get something more worthwhile. I have a 120 gallon mixed reef with a bubble tip (will eventually be looking to buy more nems)

I have a 120 gallon tank (4x2x2) with a hood. Lighting will either have to be mounted to the top of the hood at 15" from the water's surface, or 4" from the water's surface.. still trying to come up with other ways that don't include a mounting arm.

I am on a tight budget however. $250 at the most.

what lighting system would you recommend? (and how many units of these systems?) if I am able to pull of a miracle and am able to do some trades for AI prime's, how many would I need?

This is two Visparspectra......But they need to be hung from ceiling
Also try two Hypereef 150, these can be attached by arm.
All grow corals well, but no ramping or special effects.

 

[brissey02]

Just some advice, nems like a mature system. I would wait the better part of a year before getting one.

we just started with the one bubble tip. won't be getting another for several months. This one we've had for a couple weeks and its already doubled in size.

we definitely didn't take buying a new lightly. It was a very careful consideration with numerous talks with my local fish store, who's notorious for refusing sales on tanks that don't meet the criteria in which they believe something will do well in. tank has been monitored closely by them since it was 2 weeks old, and they're still closely monitoring. if I have any problems with it, he'll be going back to spend some time in their tanks until I get it under control.

 

[brissey02]

This is two Visparspectra......But they need to be hung from ceiling
Also try two Hypereef 150, these can be attached by arm.
All grow corals well, but no ramping or special effects.

how high up would you recommend mounting the vipaspectras?

 

[Uncle99]

Mine are 14” above water surface.
As high as you can until light spills out.
Higher mounting helps mix the spectrum in this light configuration and reduces hot spotting.

Do not underestimate the intensity of this light,

I do everything with this light, nems, maxima clams, acros.

I might start blue at 50% and white at 1%.

In a month, if everyone is happy, blue up 10%.

Even after 4 years and blue at 90%, I kept my white at 1% as I love the colour pop.

 

[kutcha]

we just started with the one bubble tip. won't be getting another for several months. This one we've had for a couple weeks and its already doubled in size.

we definitely didn't take buying a new lightly. It was a very careful consideration with numerous talks with my local fish store, who's notorious for refusing sales on tanks that don't meet the criteria in which they believe something will do well in. tank has been monitored closely by them since it was 2 weeks old, and they're still closely monitoring. if I have any problems with it, he'll be going back to spend some time in their tanks until I get it under control.

I think your missing what they are saying, by new tank we are talking about new rock that has not aged and doesn't have the biodiversity of a more "aged" rock. Now if your tank was started with live rock this would not be of any concern because the tank itself doesn't hold the bacteria and biodiversity it is the rock and sand. If it was brand new white dry rock used in this tank you will have to keep a very close eye on the nem as they hate new tanks because there isn't a large biodiversity and they can be looking great for a few weeks to a few months then what seems like out of nowhere just die. Also keep a eye on it doubling in size that fast because it could just be hyper expanding to try to compensate with more light absorption for what isn't in the water column for it to consume.

 

[A. grandis]

Looking to finally upgrade from my fluval 3.0, and get something more worthwhile. I have a 120 gallon mixed reef with a bubble tip (will eventually be looking to buy more nems)

I have a 120 gallon tank (4x2x2) with a hood. Lighting will either have to be mounted to the top of the hood at 15" from the water's surface, or 4" from the water's surface.. still trying to come up with other ways that don't include a mounting arm.

I am on a tight budget however. $250 at the most.

what lighting system would you recommend? (and how many units of these systems?) if I am able to pull of a miracle and am able to do some trades for AI prime's, how many would I need?

ATI Sunpower to cover the whole system.

 

[748S911]

118 each get two and mount in hood

 

[kingjames_dc5]

Check you BRS on YouTube they have suggestions for how many ai primes you would need with spectrum settings, height off the water, spacing between them and par readings.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Look at Noopsyche K7 V3 140W, looks like you would need 2. @noopsyche

 

[RC51]

Looking to finally upgrade from my fluval 3.0, and get something more worthwhile. I have a 120 gallon mixed reef with a bubble tip (will eventually be looking to buy more nems)

I have a 120 gallon tank (4x2x2) with a hood. Lighting will either have to be mounted to the top of the hood at 15" from the water's surface, or 4" from the water's surface.. still trying to come up with other ways that don't include a mounting arm.

I am on a tight budget however. $250 at the most.

what lighting system would you recommend? (and how many units of these systems?) if I am able to pull of a miracle and am able to do some trades for AI prime's, how many would I need?

Suggest super cheap but good LEDS and T5s
On my nano I am using 3 bars of t5 and 50$ LED bar and it works. Probably can grow SPS if I turn the LEDs up