Metal Halide Aquarium
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
 |
 60 Metal Halide T5 HO Aquarium Light Moonlights NEW US $399.99 |
 HAMILTON 48 METAL HALIDE VHOS Saltwater AQUARIUM FIXTURE BALLAST US $300.00 |
 400W 14000K METAL HALIDE AQUARIUM REEF BULBS LAMPS US $23.99 |
 175W 20000K METAL HALIDE AQUARIUM REEF BULBS LAMPS US $23.99 |
 250W 14000K METAL HALIDE AQUARIUM REEF BULBS LAMPS US $23.99 |
 175W 14000K METAL HALIDE AQUARIUM REEF BULBS LAMPS US $23.99 |
 48 ADV PLUS Aquarium Metal Halide 716W Reef Fish Fan US $279.99 |
 Aquarium Metal Halide Ballast Fixture lamp US $250.00 |
 84 250 Metal Halide 4x96 Compact Aquarium Light Moon US $699.99 |
 Coralvue 175 watt 10K Metal Halide Aquarium Live Coral US $49.99 |
 Coralvue 175 watt 20K Metal Halide Aquarium Live Coral US $49.99 |
 Coralvue 250 watt 10K Metal Halide Aquarium Live Coral US $54.99 |
 Coralvue 250 watt 14K Metal Halide Aquarium Live Coral US $56.99 |
 Coralvue 250 watt 20K Metal Halide Aquarium Live Coral US $54.99 |
 Coralvue 175 watt 14K Metal Halide Aquarium Live Coral US $49.99 |
 Coralvue 400 watt 10K Metal Halide Aquarium Live Coral US $59.99 |
 Coralvue 400 watt 14K Metal Halide Aquarium Live Coral US $59.99 |
 Coralvue 400 watt 20K Metal Halide Aquarium Live Coral US $59.99 |
Should i get a T5 lighting or a metal halide for my saltwater reef tank?
I have a 75 gallon bow front saltwater aquarium. I'm planning to start a reef tank. Should I get a T5 or a metal halide? I heard that T5 is fine for the height of my tank plus a metal halide tank is pretty expensive. Any suggestions?
If I get T5 lighting will I be able to keep many varieties of corals/clams or only a few since it is not as strong as metal Halide?
A 75g bow front is pretty deep and although T5 will work, the PAR available at the bottom of the tank is not going to equal that of the metal halide.
If you have room to put the halides about 8 inches off of the surface of your tank then the heat will not really be an issue and may remove the need for you to run a heater as long as you have adequate flow (20x the total volume including the sump).
The halide bulbs are expensive vs. the T5 but 8 T5 bulbs vs. 1 halide bulb? The costs are not that far apart after doing the math.
They both require ballasts to run so you really are better off in my opinion to run the metal halides. You can get a 250w pendant style halide unit with ballast and a bulb used in the hobbyist selling forum of http://www.reefcentral.com for about 150.00 so they are not that expensive plus with 250w halide over your tank, you can keep any type of coral/clam that you want.
I would look into an LED fixture before making my decision. They are low heat, low power consumption, no bulbs to replace for about 10 years or more, etc, etc, etc.
Controlling Algae In Your Aquarium
Algae are plants that are undesirable in any aquarium. Once algae grow in an aquarium, they will compete with the other inhabitants of the aquarium for nutrients and other resources needed for survival. That is why it is necessary to control algae in the aquariums. Algae can never be completely eliminated from an aquarium, but by using certain preventive measures, the amount of algae can quite certainly be kept to a minimum limit.
First, let us see the factors that promote the growth of algae.
1.Sunlight - Just like for any other plant life, sunlight is absolutely essential for the growth of algae too. Though sunlight looks very good for the water of the aquarium, the same sunlight can cause algae to grow, which could be hazardous to the other living organisms. Not just direct sunlight, but any form of artificial Aquarium Light too would promote algal growth if it is kept on continuously for more than 10 hours per day.
2.Nutrient levels - Algae will grow faster if there is an overabundance of nutrients in your aquarium. All plants require nitrates, phosphates and silicates for their better growth. When you introduce nutrients into the aquarium, the levels of these nutrients might go higher, which would facilitate algal growth.
3.Plant population - Algae will grow faster in a tank if there are very few plants in the tank to compete with, because then they can get all the resources present in the tank.
Now that we know what the major factors promoting the growth of algae in aquatic tanks are, we can try to understand the methods that can be employed in order to check the growth of algae. The following are some algae control methods that can be employed even by amateur aquarium owners:-
1.There are some species of fish that eat algae. These fish are called as tank cleaner fishes. Some of the cheaply and popularly available tank cleaner fishes are the otos or dwarf suckermouth catfish, Siamese algae eater, bushy-nosed pleco, twig catfish and even the Japanese algae eating shrimp. You can introduce one of these fishes into the tank once it begins to show an algal infiltration. You can also include a hermit crab or a snail, since they feed on algae too.
2.Using a protein skimmer could be a very good option too. Protein skimmers are devices that remove the unwanted proteins from the tank environment. They will remove the dissolved organic compounds from the tank, which would otherwise promote the growth of algae. They bring the nutrient level down. Protein skimmers also reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide from the tank, which the algae, being plants, need for food preparation through photosynthesis.
3.Reduce the amount of actinic lighting in your aquarium setup. The actinic lighting is the blue light, and it helps to promote the growth of algae if used in excess. The ideal situation would be use 50% of actinic light mixed with 50% of white spectrum (daytime) light. Also, the light sources must be replaced periodically. All VHO (Very High Output) fluorescent lights need replacement after every eight months. Metal halide lamps will do with an annual replacement. It must also be remembered not to keep the artificial light source continuously on for more than 10 hours in a day.
4.Carbon dioxide is directly responsible for the growth of algae because, after all, they are plants. If your carbon dioxide filter has choked up, then there is a possibility that the level of carbon dioxide in the tank will be high. Using a pump in the aquarium to allow the water to circulate continuously is way of reducing on the amount of carbon dioxide in the tank. You can find out when the carbon dioxide level in the aquarium is going up by checking the alkalinity and pH value of the water within the tank. If these levels show an abnormal dip, then it is time to do something about increased carbon dioxide levels within the tank.
About the Author
SaltySupply.com offers
Aquarium Lighting
. We offer
Metal Halide Lighting
and
Korallin Calcium Reactors
.
Aquarium How To? Metal Halide Systems