Lighting?

[Lorna]

Okay in my planning/research process to convert a 75 f/w to marine I was talking to someone at a lfs. The consensus was that I should blow my budget so to speak on lighting....in effect to get the absolute best lighting I can afford and not to bother with compacts and light hoods per se. He told me that setting one like the orbit over a glass top changes the light spectrum??? I prefer to go with something like the orbit with 384w in a 48" length for this 75 gallon tank. I plan to keep live rock, soft corals and maybe some lps no spl corals. The methodolgy was that I could always upgrade my tank but that lighting is expensive and to get the best up front......thoughts anyone?

 

[OrionGirl]

If you're wanting a reef, I agree, it's cheaper in the long run to start out with the good stuff. I know I wish I had!

The glass tops will reduce the amount of light making it through if they are dirty, but otherwise are fine to run. I've had great luck in a (FW planted) tank with PC's and a glass top--better growth than in a deeper, open topped tank, where the lights have to be further away from the water surface. Keeping the glass clean can be a PITA, though, and with MH, they are raised further above the surface so the glass tops aren't needed to prevent the lights from being splashed.

 

[mogurnda]

Does the orbit system have a glass or acrylic lens? If so, I'd skip the glass top.

 

[Lorna]

It has an acrylic lens. As I will be keeping some fish I thought a glass top would deter escapees from leaping from the tank while I am not looking only to be gobbled up by other members of the menagerie. Does the glass top help reduce evaporation? Where do people keep their made up water that they use for water changes? I can't imagine keeping it in an open trash can in my living room, or do they mix it a few days prior and if so do they run a heater in it? Currently I have two five gallon jugs that I make up r/o water that I use for my fresh water tank and I change out the 10 gallons every couple of weeks. Will this suffice for a 75 g s/w with a protein skimmer and 150lbs of live rock, 75 lbs of live sand along with necessary sand sifter critters etc. and a few small fish *couple of clowns, gramma, and a couple cardinals. and of course any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[OrionGirl]

You can cover the top with lighting egg crate to deter jumpers, or have a canopy that encloses the top--works just as well. Glass will prevent some evaporation, but it will also trap heat and make the tank more prone to temperature shifts.

For water storage--I have large agricultural sprayer tanks that I keep filled with filtered water--fresh and salt. Gravity feed to fill the tanks on the same level, and then buckets for the next level of the house.

10 gallon a week won't be enough for water changes to accomplish much on a 75 gallon tank, though it may be about the amount of FW topoff that you'll need (depends on how much evap you have--I go through closer to about 50 gallons a week on the 2 120's). I'd plan on being able to do at least 20 gallons with each change. A trash can could be stored somewhere else, with a pump and hose used to move the water into the tank.