do you suggest getting a metal halide light from ebay? if so what kinds of things should i be looking for?...please help...i have a 4 foot deep aquarium 4 saltwater and i am looking for somthing around 20,000K.....is that right?...thanks!!!!
2007-05-02 11:44:01 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Mitch,
The only problem with buying them off Ebay....buyer beware! Are these new fixtures or old ones and roughly how old? Salt has a tendancy to mess up lighting on salt water. If you trust the person you are buying them off of, go for it but as was mentioned you will need to change the bulbs. Depending on the hours used.
Also depending on what you are putting into the tank. 10K-20K will work fine for a 4' deep tank.
2007-05-02 18:43:02 · answer #1 · answered by danielle Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your main spec to look at is your wattage. For a 4' deep tank(which is pretty deep). You will need some serious wattage to penetrate deep enough into the aquarium. Around 2 ft the lighting starts to diminish from a metal halide bulb. I would actually go with a 10000k bulb as the light will get bluer as the depth increases. The 10000k bulb is a full spectrum and is closer to actual sunlight. My recommendation would be a 400watt 10000k bulb and maybe an actinic or 2 to add the blue at the upper part of the tank. The 20000k bulb is a bluer spectrum bulb which corals love but it will get bluer as the depth increases beyond 2 ft.
If you know what you want to buy and the seller is reputable e-bay is ok. Try some local sites as well. I've gotten some stuff used from craiglist before and saved a bundle. I was also able to go and inspect the item before buying it as well.
2007-05-02 12:36:10 · answer #2 · answered by Brian 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I would also go with 10,000K. And try to find out how long it's been since the lamps were replaced - these need to be changed frequently (at least once a year) and are the most expensive part of the set-up.
If possible, buy just the fixtures (cheaper) and get new lamps so you'll know they'll be good and how long till you need to replace them.
See the link below for more info on reef lighting systems:
2007-05-02 15:06:25 · answer #3 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the time you can find a better deal on the boards like...
Saltwaterfish.com
Reef Central
Reef Monkey
Reef Frontiers
ect.....
Good-Luck :)
2007-05-02 11:59:33 · answer #4 · answered by sparksgirls6 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋