lighting

[glenn37]

I am setting up a new 54 corner tank and the dimensions are 39x27 1/4x23 and i plan on keeping corals and sponges and some fish in the tank any ideas for lights it came with a 30 day light that seems to light it up pretty well but that is for fresh water any suggestions would be helpful. my budgets is 300 and needs to have a timer on it.

 

[hybridazn]

For $300 you could buy a nice led light, either something new like the sbreedlight or a used ecotech radion/AI hydra 52

 

[pdt7361]

For just over $300...maybe $320, you should be able to buy 2 used AI Sol Blue LEDs on here with controller. I bought some about 6 months ago for that price on here.

 

[glenn37]

these would be needing to be put directly onto the to of the plate glass top though

 

[pdt7361]

For your lighting....do you have a canopy, do you plan on hanging from ceiling, do you want something that hangs from goosenecks, or do you want something that will mount across the whole top (the length) of the tank? Knowing what options are available for mounting might help narrow down recommendations.
Also for corals...do you want softies, LPS, and/or SPS?

 

[glenn37]

i would like a combination of both and hang across the length of the tank measuring 30 in side 36 ousside if needs be

 

[pdt7361]

T5s might be a good way to go...you could get a 4 bulb, 36in fixture with built in controller to program on/off cycles.

 

[glenn37]

that was what i was leaning towards but was not sure i have never had corals in my other tank

 

[mcarroll]

I am setting up a new 54 corner tank and the dimensions are 39x27 1/4x23 and i plan on keeping corals

Is there a brace running through the center of a 54 corner? That will complicate many single-fixture solutions by casting a big shadow down the center of your tank.

Between that and other issues with the wedge shape, lighting is always a little funky with corner tanks.

The lights being suggested so far, by and large, light up a 24"x24" section of tank, so you end up with one of two compromises (neither that bad), either:

• the front corners are on the dim side, but your fixture has a nice mounting height where you're not lighting up your room in any significant way

..or...

• you raise the fixture a bit higher to accommodate the 39" dimension, but you have to drive the fixture harder and end up lighting up the room with weird reef lighting.

I think ideally you would just make use of the natural light gradient in the front corners for corals that will thrive there....or just room for fish to swim. Keeping the lights lower will let you run them less intensely and waste less light out into your room.

Some Alternatives
You could also consider a 36" strip light such as the Orbit Marine Pro.....$279 at drfoster, but you can also find one used with a bit of patience.

A solution like this, where the LED's are spread out more in a strip, is going to move more of the light up to the front of your tank and eliminate, or minimize, the shading in those front corners and move the shadowy area to the back - effectively out of sight, if you know anything about stage lighting.

I think I would like this a bit better than the "dark" front corners and definitely better than lighting up your room with the reef light.

You could always add an 18" Orbit Marine Pro ($180) to light up the back section too if you wanted.

these would be needing to be put directly onto the to of the plate glass top though

Are you able to consider hanging these lights - either from the ceiling, wall bookshelf brackets or rails extended up from the stand? Lots of ways to go about it.

Very few reef lights are made to work without air circulation under the lights. Tune's 8850, 8811 and 8821 nano reef lights are the only thing that come to mind in fact.

The closest you'll get is - like the Orbit I mentioned - lights that have feet. Usually these are made for keeping the light a certain distance up off the water/glass though.

Last, you will not want that glass on the tank from day to day once the reef lighting goes on....it's a nightmare to keep clean due to splashing and algae growth plus as a bonus, every time it gets dirty your corals will be phased by the severe reduction in lighting and the resulting increase in light when the lid gets cleaned. Use some kind of mesh top or brave it and go open top instead.

 

[glenn37]

there is no brace running through the center of it and okay i can remove the glass plate on it i would have to build from the stand to hang them from but the ceiling i don't think so

 

[pdt7361]

BRS sells a really nice mesh kit

 

[pdt7361]

My personal opinion on the lighting would be to try and mix T5s and LEDs...this is a very popular combo as it brings out excellent color, growth, and shimmer.