View Full Version : Lighting question
jencheung
10-17-2008, 7:34 PM
I have a 24 gallon Nano Cube that currently has two 36 watt 50/50 compact fluorescent bulbs. It seems to be running just fine, I'm getting growth from my softies and both my branching hammer and candy cane corals (my only non-softies) have split in the two months I've had them. My question is this: I'm not really clear on whether 50/50's are the way to go or if 10K bulbs, 14K bulbs, 6.5K bulbs or one of those and one actinic bulb would be better. I always see pictures of corals under actinics and the colors are goregous while I don't really see that blue hue in my tank with the 50/50's. I'm going to keep the stock hood and fixture it came with so my options really are just in the types of bulbs I choose. What's the best option both for the health of my corals and for the aesthetic aspect of the tank? Thanks!
tamz273
10-17-2008, 8:04 PM
Ive got 2 Halides and 2 PC's and they are doing great... so i think the same ratio would be just fine... 1/1, btu im not sure if thats teh answer ur looking for...
I find separate daylight and actinic bulbs to be more visually appealing myself. If you're looking to make a change, I would suggest starting with a 10,000K and an actinic, then adjust the daylight bulb to the 6,500K or 14,000K as your personal preference desires. The 6,500K bulb will be more yellow and should result in faster coral growth (but probably not as nice of coral color even with the separate actinic) and the 14,000K bulb would be a little more blue itself and will likely result in slower coral growth (but probably a little more color).
jencheung
10-18-2008, 11:52 PM
That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for fsn77, thanks!
That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for fsn77, thanks!
You're very welcome! Please let us know how it all turns out. :thm: