saltwater live rock?

Question

I have a 20 watt hood from a freashwater 29 gallon that i want to turn into a saltwater fish tank. is that 20 watt light good enough for fish and live rock only (fowlr) ? if not what is a good website to get a good light for a "cheaper" price without bad quality? I plan to put in about 15 lbs of rock. please don't tell me that that isn't enough! i already know.

Answer 1

Whether what you have now is adequate really depends on what you want from the live rock.

The main purpose for using it is to have the beneficial bacteria to cycle the tank and convert the harmful nitrogenous compounds to nitrate - this will happen regardless of the lighting.

If you want to have good growth of coralline algae on the rock, or you want to grow macroalgae you'd do better to have stronger lighting and in a different wavelength than what you'll have in the standard hood. A convenient and less expensive way to do this is given by 007 in his answer. Just don't try to use double tubes of standard fluorescent to keep any corals or anemones - most wouldn't survive unless you move up to a compact fluorescent or T-5 system, and these really aren't necessary unless you want to get into photosynthetic inverts and higher-intensity macroalgaes.

NOTE: If you want to increase the amount of live rock without a similar increase in price, buy dry reef rock (base rock, lace rock, travertine - all about $1.50/lb) and use it at the bottom, then put the better quality live rock on top and in front - it'll look just as good, and the bacteria and non-photosynthetic organisms will colonize it over time making it "live rock" as well, but at a fraction of the price. It also moves the good live rock pieces closer to your lighting.

Answer 2

I don't understand why 15 lbs. of rock isn't enough. I have seen successful tanks MUCH smaller than yours. The pet store up the street has a 5 gallon reef tank.

As for the wattage, if you want a cheap alternative, try this. Get a peice of glass custom cut to cover the top of the tank at a glass store. It should be about $10. Then, go to Home Depot and spend another $10 on a strip light that holds 2 bulbs. Hang it over the tank. Twice the light, at least.

Have fun.

Answer 3

I would remove the hood.
Get a piece of plexiglass to fit the top of the tank.
Purchase another light fixture and use both the new one and old one.
Try to get a tube in the 6500k to 10000k spectrum for 1 of the lights and an Actinic for the other.
This will be more than enough light for a FOWLR tank and will bring out the full colours of your fish and allow for some Coraline growth.
A double compact flourescent would be a better choice but will cost more and some of the bulbs are more$$$ to replace.

Answer 4

If the trojan horse is pink and seems bushy then that's a bristle trojan horse, I even have got here upon them a techniques from hazard unfastened. I even have had one kill a clam and that they are able to sting fish exceptionally Gobies and Blennies that cover interior the holes in rocks, the bristle trojan horse hides interior the hollow and while the fish is going in they are able to sting. I wait until the mild is going out and then the bristle worms will come out and if i will i'll take the rock out and poke interior the hollow to attempt and kill it or if the rock is close to the backside i take advantage of tweezers and grab it and pull it out, yet do not touch them as they'll sting you. The anemone will probable be Triffid anemones, those you do not choose, they multiply and sting fish, you may desire to get them out, you may desire to purchase Arrowhead crabs that consume them or you may take the rock out and as with bristle worms poke interior the hollow that it shrinks back into and kill it, in case you may not take the rock out then attempt and do it with it interior the tank, it could desire to take some tries yet you will get it. the two black legs could desire to be brittle starfish or crabs which you will not have any problems with. I as quickly as have been given a Pistol shrimp, which you certainly do not choose they are able to break the glass and attack the fish. in case you hear a noisy noise like gunshots popping out of your tank at night then alterations are you have one and could desire to get it out. I even have even have been given a small Cowrie that got here out of the rock, those are hazard unfastened and help with cleansing.

Answer 5

If you already know it isn't good enough, yet you plan to do it anyway, why are you bothering to ask for advice here on anything? It obviously doesn't matter what others think is good enough, so just do whatever you want.

Answer 6

the hood should be fine just get a better bulb for it, look for an actinic bulb. Aquatinic is one brand I know of. they are not cheap, but it is much better than a standard aquarium bulb.

Answer 7

you would be better off with a power compact. i don't believe the 20 watts will be enough.