so i have a 75 gallon marine tank, FOWLR. doing corals is too deep for me right now, and i also have 2 green spotted puffers so that probably wouldnt work out too well, but i was wondering if i were to get some nice lighting, currently i have just the 48" stock strip light the tank came with and the regular bulb, but if i were to get a 10 or 14K bulb for inside it: a) would that strip light be ok to put a bulb like that in and b) would it help with the coraline growth or anything else beneficial? would stuff just start sprouting from my live rock if it is seeded with anything? i want to get some nice natural growth in my tank and my current lighting isnt really letting that happen. i keep up with the tank and the parameters are always good, i do my regular weekly water changes, but i use tap water until i move and save up a little to get RO or RO/DI filter.
better lighting questions
- Thread starter jus85411
- Start date
Well for the first question what is the fixture's company you may want to refer to them for bulb compatibility in the instruction book or online. the second with any kinda upgraded or basic lighting you'll get coralline growth it will grow slower under regular PC's but with purple up or a good 2 part calcium, and alkalinity should help its growth as well and you'll have tons of stuff on the LR just depends on what is there and your water chemistry, lighting, flow, feeding, etc...
mr.reef24
mr.reef24
for me personally, I upgraded to the T5 set up with 10K and blue buld, with night time led's. It made a world of difference, and it doesn't get too hot like MH would.
i did notice that i have a little bit of purple/pinkish growth that is slippery so im guessing thats some coraline growth on my one piece of live rock. are the calcium and alkalinity test kits something that i should have even though i dont have corals etc? currently i have ph(from when the tank was freshwater), hi range ph, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite. i want to get phosphate test kit but the only place that carries them is completely out of my way and cant get there whenever i want. im just looking for the best way to get the best natural look i can for the tank and natural growth.
jus85411;3625800; said:
Yea, since coralline algae relies heavily on calcium. Calcium is deposited into cell walls of the coralline in the form of calcium carbonate, and they then lay down calcium carbonate as calcite. But that's only if you are actively trying to culture this algae. If you just like the look of it, and aren't trying to achieve rapid and steady growth, then no, you can hold off on those until you start adding corals. But it's still important to add calcium into the water in the meantime, or whatever growth you have now, won't last long.
ok cool, im definitely going to get some better lighting and those test kits next time i head over to the larger pet store as well as some calcium. im clueless when it comes to calcium dosings. what is the best brand of calcium i can add to my tank? im guessing that if i get a calcium kit it will tell me in the paper it gives you what good levels of calcium are and etc like they do for the other test kits? anyone have any good links that can tell me about the calcium levels in an aquarium or really anything that relates to the water parameters in depth? corals are probably a no-go for me with my GSP's and Chocolate Chip Starfish. i may try one eventually to see what they think of it only when the starfish isnt with me anymore, but theres a good chance i will just pass on the corals until i decide to set up another tank once im done playing with this tanks filtration etc.
Well, the only brand I really trust for my marine systems is Kent Marine. I've dabbled with other brands for various supplements, buffers, etc., but I always rely on Kent. And yes, dosing is easy to figure out, and every bottle of every supplement or addative has dosing instructions on them, and the calculations are easy to figure out once you sit down and read them all. Kent Marine can also take care of any future supplements you may need as you grow in the salt hobby, as their product line covers it all.
The link below is to the product you need right now - specifically for the coralline, and the following links are for additional supplements you'd want to consider later down the road, as well as the Kent Marine main website.
*Purple Tech* - Awesome not only for corallines, but also inverts too.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=20438
*Listing of Kent Marine Products* - From www.Drfostersmith.com
http://pet-supplies.drsfostersmith.com/search?p=Q&lbc=drsfostersmith&uid=814382577&ts=results&w=kent%20marine&method=and&af=cat1%3afish%20type%3aproduct&isort=score&cnt=36
*Kent Marine* Main Website
http://www.kentmarine.com/
And yes, the additional test kits you are considering, both have charts and directions for not only conducting the test properly, but also in understanding the results, and knowing what levels you should be looking for, and which to avoid. Calcium and other levels all depend on not only the volume of water in question, but also the bio load.
The link below is to the product you need right now - specifically for the coralline, and the following links are for additional supplements you'd want to consider later down the road, as well as the Kent Marine main website.
*Purple Tech* - Awesome not only for corallines, but also inverts too.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=20438
*Listing of Kent Marine Products* - From www.Drfostersmith.com
http://pet-supplies.drsfostersmith.com/search?p=Q&lbc=drsfostersmith&uid=814382577&ts=results&w=kent%20marine&method=and&af=cat1%3afish%20type%3aproduct&isort=score&cnt=36
*Kent Marine* Main Website
http://www.kentmarine.com/
And yes, the additional test kits you are considering, both have charts and directions for not only conducting the test properly, but also in understanding the results, and knowing what levels you should be looking for, and which to avoid. Calcium and other levels all depend on not only the volume of water in question, but also the bio load.
yeah i have always saw kent marine, the LFS i used to work at used to have some of their products, but never sold marine fish(yes wierd i know, at least to me). but of course they stopped carrying marine care products when i stopped there today to look for purple up or some calcium supplement, they didnt even have the calcium or phosphate test kits anymore! someone needs to open a big pet store or aquarium superstore near my area. the closest ones from my house that i know of are "That Fish Place" 1 and 1/2 hours away and "Captain Nemo's Aquarium Superstore" about 45 mins from my house. i have tried to see online what places might be near me but had no luck other than two trashy private stores that i would never recommend to anyone
Well you can always order online directly from Drfostersmith. I do all the time. I don't have the time to roam around looking for what I need in various places, so I just do most of my shopping online, and I buy in bulk - the 64oz bottles, usually 3 at a time of each (goes quick when you've got lots-o-gallons), that way I save on shipping. If you can't find any place near, and don't trust the other places you've located, I suggest trying online. Sure you pay a little for the shipping, but factor in the gas you're wasting and it evens it's self out, plus its less stressful. They are a great site, and your info is safe on there for ordering.
yeah i will probably just order online, thank you! the coraline i have so far is about the size of a quarter, with some little spots around it. but i dont supplement with calcium or anything, just keep up with my water changes. would it be a waste if i were to get the calcium supplement and not get the lighting just yet? or is one pretty much no good without the other?