Lighting Concerns

[TimSchmidt]

I just got my orbital 80w fixture and love the way it looks but I am a bit concerned about how this amount of light will affect my 10 gallon tank. The LFSs say I'm going over board and won't be able to keep a lot of corals due to the large amount of light I'll be using. Now I've seen great tanks using MH and a lot more light that I'll be using. So could I get some reassurance about the light I'm using? Will I be limited in the corals I can keep? I just want to know if I should return it and try to find something smaller.

Tim

 

[sadielynn]

I think personally with 80 watts you should be fine to keep anything (almost anyway) if it is a coral that does not require alot of light try to place it bottom or in a shaded area ....80 watts on a 10 gallon is just fine in my humble honest opnion ........I personally run 72 on a 7 gallon tank and am doing fine ....Keep it JMHHO :mrgreen:

 

[brandon]

i also have an orbit 80w light for my 10g gallon tank and i love it
JMHO, i would keep the light cuz my corals love it :langle

 

[skipm]

The light you have is fine, you won't be satisfied with a smaller light. If it makes you feel better I remember reading about a nano that had a DE 250 watt HQI MH pendant over it and other than a lot of evaporation id did fine.

 

[TimSchmidt]

Thanks for the votes of approval, It just seems that the LFS guys don't know much about nanos. They said most everything would die if I put any coral under that much light. I guess I will have to acclimate my corals to the stronger light but that should go without saying. Well thanks again!

Tim

 

[Anonymous]

just conferring with others opinions and adding that you in no way will have too much light.........shrooms, candies, and other low light corals will thrive under that light but high light corals will not. but as always start your corals on the bottom and slowly move them up which is a good practice in general, unless they are frags and you know they were under higher light.

 

[TimSchmidt]

Ok since alot of people seem to think this light is ok for this tank, I had orignally planned on using the legs it comeswith to have the light about3-4 inches off the top of the tank, but after talking to the LFS I was thinking of hanging it like a pendant about 10 inches off the top. Suggestions?

Tim

 

[sadielynn]

If you hang it you will loose alot of par it is not a really strong enough to hang that high up so use the legs you will be a bit better off JMHHO :mrgreen:

 

[Anonymous]

no need to as i said but you can if you want a pendent, in general they are nice cause you can lift them out of the way if you want but i would drop this that light right down on the tank...........in general the rule for flourescence is NO MORE then 3" above the water IMO your LFS is inexperienced or uninformed if this is what their telling you.

 

[TimSchmidt]

Thank you thank you!

Tim :langle

 

[reefman23]

Just another reason to question EVERYTHING the LFS tells you. 80 watts of pc is not too much for anything really. If you get a non photosynthetic or low-light coral, placement under a ledge in on the end of the tank would be enough to keep it from bleaching.

LFS dont know what they are talking about half of the time and the other half of the time they are just trying to sell something. If it makes you feel better, i have 2 40 watts just like yours along with a 70 watt MH over a 12" tall 20 gallon...no problems.

Like john/dawn said... no more than 3" above the surface of the water...just use the legs that came with the fixture. The height, or amount of air that the light has to travel through reduces the amoun of light that makes it to the corals exponentially.

Jesse

 

[r00onmac]

i have a 150watt DE MH over my 5.5 gallon AGA.... no problems yet.. my mushrooms are more colorful and growing faster than ever... i see a new zoo head coming out weekly, and my torch has doubled in size...