Suggestions for budget lighting for a quarantine/frag tank. Standard 10 gallon. I don't plan for it to be in constant use so I'm just wanting something that will work short term. If I end up running a constant frag tank I'll spring for something better but am just looking for something that will do for now. Thoughts?
kessils are great for smaller tanks, they will keep most any frag colored up through QT and are reasonably priced...especially used
I think budget lighting is the key here, haha! Kessils are never in my budget. How bout a 2bulb T5? Something from eBay?
Yeah! I have 2 kessil 360s on the new tank and they were $400 each! I'm definitely looking in the cheap price range right now! Lol Didn't think about doing a t5. I might have a fixture I could get a bulb for but I was hoping for LED mainly for size and energy. I have a couple cheapo fixtures but I'm just not sure the color spectrums are where I need them to be. Is there anything I need to look for when buying something random?
Your talking about a really small tank and intermittent use. You could get a cheapo T5 and use some blue bulbs to color your frags way less than LED. Though I use LED, when you break down cost you save zero money! It's all marketing. It's like solar panels. Takes 20+ years to recoup money. Marketing....
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B016...d=1495655996&sr=8-4&keywords=aquarium+t5+24in 65k bulbs, will likely brown out your coral a bit but so what.
No such thing as best. Your goal of QT is to monitor and maintain/improve health/acclimate to your params. I've grown coral under 65k. They grow well, but brown out. You could spend the money and buy bulbs in the blue spectrum. This would likely color up the frags. Why in the world would you spend the money? Honestly, you could light a 10 gallon with cheap shop light ballast and a couple 65k 100watt equivalent CFLs. You would have to do the math and see what is cheaper. People, myself included, get caught up in gadgets, gizmos, and the latest marketing trends. Light is light.
Well I'd rather not brown out my corals while in QT. I guess I'll do some research to see what spectrum they need to thrive. I guess I'm not looking for the cheapest thing that will provide any sort of light but something that isn't the most expensive. I have a light. I actually have 2 but neither one really brings out the corals and helps them to thrive. I'd also like to use the tank as a frag tank at some point so something that will be appropriate for corals is more what I'm looking for. Just doesn't have to be a kessil.
Have you looked at hydroponic lights? the only differencee between hydroponic T5 and reef tank T5 is the fan and splash guard. If set high enough neither will be an issue.
Frag tank is a whole 'nother' animal! I found that fixture in less than 5min. You can find what your looking for without spending $100s
Well I eventually want to move it all to my 29 gallon but it's currently set up freshwater. And by frag tank I just mean somewhere I can store the random things I decide to frag up. Not necessarily do some big wholesale setup or anything. No mass production! (At least not at this point in life!) I have a few frag racks that are currently in my DT.
Yeah, I know it's out there. Just really didn't know what to look for! I've seen lots of black box full spectrum this and that but didn't know if they were ideal for corals.
I use black box full spectrum. Honestly, if your going to spend $100plus on a light then why not spend the money for a real setup. Get an actual frag tank, something with a descent foot print. Poopoo on just buying a 10 gal and making it work. Think long term instead of just making something work. You'll spend far less money in the end.
Because I already have a 10, 20, 29 and really no space to put a nice frag tank set up. At least not right now. If I end up consolidating more of my fish stuff I might. I have a 20 long in the living room but it's currently freshwater. It would make a decent frag tank. And I really don't want to spend $100.. If I am able in the future to set up something else then I'll probably spend the money and do it nice but right now I just don't have the money or the space. I think I may have to replace my gyre. Still haven't got it working. Don't know how old it is. Ideally I could upgrade to the 230 and still use my same icecap (I think!). Lots to think about.