Lighting Noob

E

ejwan

Member
I am just getting into setting up my first tank ever. I have been studying like crazy and I am getting a grip (slight) on setting up and cycling, pumps, skimers etc. But Lighting. I don't have a clue. Maybe I am trying to make it to hard. And that is my problem, I don't see any HARD numbers for anything! "well lets see, if I order some led lights with lots of blue and some whites, maybe I throw in a red or green, Should I get an emerald blue vs a royal blue"

1. How is light intensity measured at the coral itself. What are the light requirements of specific corals (say in lux or lumens) and wavelengths and duration.

2. Does tank depth affect absorption at different wavelengths (colors)?

3. How goes light height above the water affect intensity? is it linear, exponential. (to lazy to look in physics book). So if I raise my lights from 12" above the water to 18" do I need 50% more light to keep the same intensity at 18" deep.

So should I just order something that looks pretty without regard for my tanks requirements (whatever they are), or just hope the manufacturer of my lights has a clue.

Can anyone point me in the right direction, or should I just sit down and be quiet?

Thanks
 
MMreef

MMreef

Active member
Those are all valid questions but I think you are way over thinking this. Firs tell us what are you plan on keeping, SPS , LPS , softies? Each has a different needs when it comes to light.
 
scotty

scotty

Member
I am just getting into setting up my first tank ever. I have been studying like crazy and I am getting a grip (slight) on setting up and cycling, pumps, skimers etc. But Lighting. I don't have a clue. Maybe I am trying to make it to hard. And that is my problem, I don't see any HARD numbers for anything! "well lets see, if I order some led lights with lots of blue and some whites, maybe I throw in a red or green, Should I get an emerald blue vs a royal blue"

1. How is light intensity measured at the coral itself. What are the light requirements of specific corals (say in lux or lumens) and wavelengths and duration. this cannot be answered. even some softies in the same general family can require different light. also the light doesn't give out equal par or lux or lumens throughout the tank, so that question is so relative to the situation, really just gotta ask what these successful guys are running and use that as a guide.

2. Does tank depth affect absorption at different wavelengths (color. at like feet of water, not really in the 20 inches you are probably planning.

3. How goes light height above the water affect intensity? is it linear, exponential. (to lazy to look in physics book). So if I raise my lights from 12" above the water to 18" do I need 50% more light to keep the same intensity at 18" deep. very much affects it.

So should I just order something that looks pretty without regard for my tanks requirements (whatever they are), or just hope the manufacturer of my lights has a clue. decide what tank togo with first. light will be dictated by the tank size/shape/depth.

Can anyone point me in the right direction, or should I just sit down and be quiet? keep asking questions.

Thanks
 
Jep21

Jep21

Well-known member
First decide what type of reef u want. Wether lps sps softies or if ur doing anemones.. Then figure out what size tank u want and then we can tlk lighting and how to set it up height wise.

In my own experience i would go leds but u got other choices too like pc lighting, metal halides or T5. Leds are Cheaper in the long run but expensive upfront .. But u get the benefits of light controllability depending on which ever fixture u will go with and the ability to ramp up ur lighting .. In my opinion go with a coral compulsion 120 led full spectrum programmable..
 
MMreef

MMreef

Active member
Take look at some of the tanks of the month here or other forums. This will give you more of an idea what those people using for light to get their tanks look spectacular.
 
tkh

tkh

New member
There are actually a lot of good threads in this forum regarding basically the same questions you have. Tinman in particular has started or contributed to many of them, and a lot of the threads have some great links to read up on it all.

Having just gone through this very overwhelming part of the hobby myself, I'd say
1) Choose a tank
2) Choose a budget
3) Determine if this budget makes sense after some initial research.
4) Ask tons of questions, the community here is very helpful!

My personal recommendation for anyone with the willingness to do so is DIY-LEDs, you can truly customize your lights to your liking, although you don't necessarily save a ton of money in doing so (you do save some). That's me though, and its also not what I did (shoulder surgery meant that any DIY project, even easy soldering, was out of the question when I was buying lights). That said, if you're looking for something that works well, and is a lot cheaper, at least in the up-front initial cost, metal halides are a nice option. Particularly since so many people are getting rid of theirs, you can find some great 2nd-hand deals, and be assured that you are getting a very proven technology. LEDs, I'm my opinion at least, still have some room for technological advancements and growth. They do work well though, and if you would like to fine tune your color balances, have sunrises, and other less-vital (or even gimmicky) functions of lighting, then LEDs would be the way to go. And, if you look at what I did, I essentially ignored all of my advice, and my initial budget, and went with AI Vegas... So... yeah.......

It is confusing, but ultimately that is because there is a lot of technology that actually works, looks nice, and keeps your coral alive. Good luck in the search, and just come back with questions when you have them!
 
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