Here's the deal Dual lighting......????

[KimPossible]

I have a 55 gal tank with 30 lbs LR a male and femail Bartletts Anthia, Majestic Angle, 2 Clowns and 3 Chromus..roughly.
I completely changed from natural lighting to half and half.. You're probably wondering what half and half is.. I have a split generic hood.... I put a 50/50 65k daylight and Actinic 420 Phosphor rfor reef tank combo on one side ....and a high intensity actinic lamp peaking at 420 nm. on the other. (Don't tell anybody I'm reading the side of the box )

I would like to keep a anenomi and possibly a coral or two, but I dont want my tank so dark... so i split in in half ( my ingenous idea ) 1/2 coral 1/2 Reef in a 55.
Is this even feasble??? What about the health of the fish???

Tell me your thoughts

Thanks- Kim

 

[Navarre]

Um 1/2 coral 1/2 reef

Both need the same requirements, bright light. The term "Reef Tank" means a tank that has a mixture of fish alongside corals and inverts to create an eco system. Invert tank is a tank without fish and only keeps inverts like shrimps and corals. Fish only is just that.. fish only and no corals.

So your reef setup IS a coral tank. This needs strong lighting so by keeping one side dark means you are severly limiting your options.

 

[NickT]

youll need atinic and 6500k (or simalr "white" light) across the whole tank.....

how many watts does your hood put out? you might not have enuff light as it is....

look into 4x65 watt compact florecent..... this will let you have 1 whole strip of atinic and one whole strip of 6500K... also that will be more than enuff wattage to grow most life found in reefkeeping.....

 

[KimPossible]

I bought a bulb that is made by Zoo Med "Coral Sun" it is an Actinic 420.
It puts off a purple/blue light in my tank, it's pretty dark.

I need to upgrade my hood. It only holds one 18" bulb on each side.

One side i put the actinic only and the other the 50/50. One side is bright, one side is the purple/blue dark light.

Both of these bulbs are 15 Watts.

Ok, I need to run the 50/50 across my whole tank along with the actinic. Both on the same side.

look into 4x65 watt compact florecent..... this will let you have 1 whole strip of atinic and one whole strip of 6500K... also that will be more than enuff wattage to grow most life found in reefkeeping.....

Upgrade my hood....Got it.

I am trying to create a healthy environment for my fish. I love my LR about as much as the fish. It is producing under natural lighting. Whats going to happen when I upgrade....the right way.....I need help.

thanks
Kim

 

[Navarre]

Actinics really dont do much to help the tan grow. The lighttemperature is wrong and very little corals can use it for any appreciable benefit. Basically the actinics are there for asthetic reasons as it is pleasing to the ye to see the colours that this bulb intensifys. The 6.5k is doing all the hard work in your tank as this is far closer to natural sunlight and the corals will be able to use this energy far more efficiently. The problem with 6.5k temperature is that it looks like the tankis full of cats urine Its a very yellow colouration and is not as naturally plesing to the human eye. This is why a 50/50 usually works well but this is becuae usually they tubes sit alongside each other along the length of the tank ranther than aross the width. Either change the lights so that the tubs can rn the entire length of the tank side by side as this will give a more even light to the tank. Or simply ditch the actinic and use 2 bulbs of the same colour )