i'm using an 18 watt lamp :D

[ziggyziggy]

i've had my tank for two years now and everythign seems great with this lamp. its a 50/50 20 inch 18 watt lamp. everything seems fine. just wondering how different the tan kwould look if i upgraded to a PC 2x96 watt system. Does it look visually brighter and more beautiful? Also, am i harming my fish by giving it too little light?

[DEmigh]

Get ready for a whole bunch of questions :D :

Is your tank Fish Only, Reef, or that pseudo-hybrid FOWLR?
What's the size?
What kind of fish/inverts?

On a purely aesthetic basis, and purely my opinion, brighter is better :)

[ziggyziggy]

its fish only, no live rock, just regular rock. livestock include:

1 percula clown
1 yellow tang
1 blue yellowtail damsel
1 yellow box
1 striped damsel
1 chocolate chip starfish

10-15 hermits

i bought a double fluorescent dislay with a 20000K and actinic blue producing 60 watts and it looks exactly the same as my 18W 50/50 and returned it. just wondering if going to 2x96 watts would be noticeably brighter. tank is 45G

[OrionGirl]

Higher output lights may look brighter, but a lot will depend on the temperature of the bulbs.

That's 2 big fish in a small tank...

[ziggyziggy]

only the tang is big :confused:

[ziggyziggy]

Originally posted by OrionGirl
Higher output lights may look brighter, but a lot will depend on the temperature of the bulbs.

That's 2 big fish in a small tank...

then whats the point of wattage if they look the same with same temp?

[BrianH]

Just becasue certain lamps may "look" the same to humans does not mean they produce the same amount of light. Reef tanks are lit with certain color temps to benefit the creatures who need the light to survive.

Brian

[DEmigh]

Originally posted by ziggyziggy
[...] i bought a double fluorescent dislay with a 20000K and actinic blue producing 60 watts and it looks exactly the same as my 18W 50/50 and returned it. [...]

Is the 18w 50/50 a VHO fixture, and was the 60w fixture conventional? Otherwise, I can't account for the lack of difference in perceived illumination :shake:

For a FO tank, the light is mainly for your viewing pleasure (one of you more experienced types tell me if i'm way off base here), so the 18w is probably sufficient for your needs. If your vendor was willing to let you return the 60w fixture, maybe he/she would be willing to let you test-drive the 2x96. You might like the look of that one.

I'm not the very best at reading between the lines of posts, but I would guess that OrionGirl's reference to "2 big fish" refers to adult size. Damsels and Clowns don't get too big, so she might be asking about the Yellow Box. Is that one a juvie? This is pure speculation on my part.

[OrionGirl]

Tangs and box fish can both get big. 45 gallons is not big. Tangs are recommended only in tanks that are 6 foot in length or larger. Some box fish can get up to 10 inches in length--and I wouldn't keep a 10 inch fish in less than a 75.

Not criticizing your choices, just not ones I would make.