norcals14

I have many questions hoping to optimize my setup...

Has anyone heard of using a 24" metal halide bulb for one half of the tank and a 24" flourescant on the other. Reason being I would like anemone's and some other inverts but don't want to mess with corals.

Proposed setup;

EQUIPMENT:
100g 60"x16"x24" clear for life tank, AGM G-2 skimmer, 2 powerheads, RUG filter or normal hang on, Custom hood w/ either half and half setup, or full metal halide.

INHABITANTS
True percula clown fish x2
Coral beauty angel x1
Blue Assessor Basslets x1 male x1 female
Tube blenny x1
Banggai Cardinal fish x2
Blue green chromis x3
Barbershop Goby x2
Randalli pistol shrimp x1
porcelain crab x3
a standard clean-up crew of around 30 snails total, 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 queen conch's, 5 blue legged hermits, and a sand sifter star.
2-3 bubble tip anemone's, and maybe a feather duster or 2.



Does anyone have any experience that would be helpful in this setup? Anything that wont work?
Anything additional that I will need to make it work?
Anything additional that my set-up could handle (more fish=better)?

Thank you!

agsansoo

I'll start with the 24" metal halide bulb ... There's no such thing. Metal halide bulbs are about 5" long. Metal halide go by K rating or Color Temperature and wattage. Now the fixture can be 24". Usually on a 100 gal tank it's 48" or 72" long. So 60" tank is an odd size. So that would take about 3 metal halide bulb and ballasts. You should spread the light evenly across the tank. One side MH and the other side fluorescent would look uneven.

AGM G-2 skimmer, 2 powerheads, RUG filter or normal hang on .....
Skimmer is OK, what size (GPH) are the powerheads ? Nobody still uses a RUG, this old technology from the 1970's. Not that's it bad, just old. What about a sump ?

samged

whats a sump? and whats a fuge?

norcals14

ok, I see so metal halide all the way across.

I don't know what gph for the powerheads I was hoping you guys could fill me in.

What kind of filter should I use? I've heard of using just the natural filtration and putting a carbon media in a hang on filter once a week or so.

How would I build a sump?

And I second the fuge question.. I believe it has something to do with growing your own food but not too sure... thank you!

Any tips on the fish?

norcals14

Oh and for a FOWLR tank with anemone's would I still need the 3-4 watts per gallon?

norcals14

bump

agsansoo

Depends on the type of anemone. Most anemone species need high intensity lighting, a stable, long established tank and supplemental feedings. They can be quite difficult to keep. The bubble tip anemone (BTA) is one of the hardier anemones (e. quadricolor). It's not a matter of watts per gallon.

Mike

Yep, I second that - and it also can depend on the amount of light (intensity) reaching the anemone. The deeper the tank, the more intense lighting may be needed. Metal Halide light penetrates deeper into the tank than flourescents.

A sump is another tank/container usually placed below the aquarium used for hiding equipment such as pumps, filters and skimmers. It also increases the total tank volume.

A fuge is short for "refugium" and can be a separate aquarium (hang on or stand alone but is usually connected to the main tank) and is used for whatever is needed by the tank inhabitants. You can use it to culture invertebrates for feeding your fish, growing macro algae for feeding fish or nutrient export, etc. It's basically a safe place (refuge) for growing desirable organisms.

Powerheads -
For a 100 gallon tank I'd be aiming for at least 2000 gph. This would mean getting some really big and expensive powerheads which could add heat to the tank OR if you're handy working with plumbing parts, you could rig a closed loop circulation system to move water throughout the system. Do a google search on it for more info.

Filters -
I'd only run them with polyfilter or maybe carbon every once in a while to polish the water. Test your activated carbon to make sure that it doesn't leach phosphates though, you could have algae heaven with Metal Halides. You didn't mention live rock in your first post... Are you going to be using Live Rock as your primary bio-filter? I'm assuming you are.

Fish -
I'd get more than 3 green chromis - 7 or so would look great.

Sand sifter starfish - I'd leave out if it were my tank. These seastars can really work over a sand bed and remove many the beneficial tiny inverts that work in the sand bed. Not sure on the porcelain crab, some say they're safe with other inverts, others don't.

Mike

bhcaaron

Agsansoo:

I too have read about keeping a section a little darker for those anemones or corals that do better in higher Kelvin lighting. Would having most of the section mixed in MH and Actinic but leaving a section with Actinic and other fluorescent lights be OK?

agsansoo

Once you put MH lights on one side, you'll want MH across the whole tank. The water shimmer is awesome to look at. Why don't you guys look into using T5 lights. Retro kits are cheaper than MH lights.

bhcaaron

I have seen pics of the difference of before and after MH's. I agree, they do make it look beautiful, however, I'd be more concerned with the animal life. Have you ever come across such articles?

agsansoo

concerned with the animal life ? Please explain yourself ?

bhcaaron

I'd rather make it better for my fishies than prettier to look at.

agsansoo

My fishes like any kind of light. My corals don't ! Metal Halide lights are good for coral life. Come on, save the reefs of the world. Setup a reef tank !

bhcaaron

Oh, as I stated before, its not a matter of decision, its only a matter of time.

norcals14

From what I've gathered as long as you keep the temps under control no amount of light is too much light...

sgould

There are a few species out there that prefer lower light levels, but as a general rule, you are pretty much right.

norcals14

Check it out!

Plans for my custom sump/fuge!