04prixgt04 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I am starting my first saltater tank. I thought I was getting a 40 breeder but turns out its a 45 Tall. Do you think I am gonna have problems? I am concerned that is is only 13 wide. And will I have trouble with lighting since it is 24 tall>? I love the tank because it is unique and like WOW! anywho thanx in advance for the help and it it helps i am gonna run a 20 gal long for a sump and a asm mini g skimmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaJohn Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I dont think 24 deep is a problem you might want to look into LED's or 400 watt metal halies though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Lighting will depend on what you want to keep. I personally think 400w is a bit much but if you want to keep Sps on the sand you might need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 You shouldn't have any problems with those dimensions. A drop in your pH will usually indicate a buildup of CO2 and a water change is a good way to correct that, a buildup of organic acids (amino acids) will drop it also and again a water change is a good fix for that. Bear in mind your pH will change throughout the day so test about the same time each day, some tanks can see quite a change from just before lights turn on and lights turn off. I use the eyeball test a lot but starting out I would encourage you to test religiously and once you get an "eye" for how your animals act you can decide how often and what tests are important. Keep in mind your corals can adapt to conditions that will harm a new acquisition so you should still test periodicly. I'm with Rob as far as lights go, corals and lighting need to be matched to each other. There's no such thing as "ideal" lighting and corals will look and grow differently under different intensities and color temperatures. Since you're buying new look seriously at LEDs. The T5 and MH are cheaper up front but replacement bulb cost is significant. And welcome to the addiction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
04prixgt04 Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share Posted November 13, 2011 I looked around at led's. can you point me to some that I can use on this tank? 300 is the most I could ever spend on lights. I want to keep anemone , mushroom, and bubble coral. maybe a clam or 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+C Lo Slice Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 The 13" depth is a bit difficult to work with. I had the same concern for my 60 gallon and that's all I don't really like about my tank. But the rocks I got are HUGE so that didn't help with my issue. For right around $300, I bought a Coralife 4-bulb T5HO with 4 LED moonlights. My tank is longer than yours, so that fixture would most likely be cheaper for you. You can always go talk to Jake at River City Aquatics about your lighting needs. That's what I did, and he gave me a few different options and talked to me in-depth about the differences in each of the fixtures. Jake has been my go-to guy ever since - he's extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and patient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 To light a 24" deep tank, again depending on what you want to keep, for $300 will require buying used IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
04prixgt04 Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share Posted November 13, 2011 hmmmmmm..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 That's not a bad thing. If you want to just keep fish, the standard light that comes with a tank is fine. Softies(xenia, GSP, kenya tree, mushrooms, etc), would require an "ok" T5 setup. Maybe even PC. LPS, SPS, clams, anemones, would be ok with a "high end" T5 setup. Of course, LED and MH works too. If you are handy, DIY T5/MH can be setup reasonably cheaply. The Nova Extreme Pro T5 fixture is somewhat cheap and would fit in to the 2nd category above, almost into the 3rd. ATI Sunpower/Powermodule, Sunlight Supply TEK light, Aquactinics fixutres all are in the 3rd. Check Ebay too, Reef Central used forum is also good(but you have to have minimum post/time to use theirs). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgoodwill Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I am going to make a youtube video come this Wednesday regarding a really good LED set up for a tank that is almost those exact same dimensions. I have bought all the parts for under 300 so you should definantley check it out. I would type it all up but it would be so much easier for you watch the video. IMO this will not be hard to do at all for that size tank. You would just be using 40 degree lenses that will make the light go much deeper in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaJohn Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 rapidled.com has kits you can put together for a tank that size at around that cost. If you are a DIY person. you can even substitue 3/4 alum channle foe the heat sinks to save there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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