Light?

[bsmith]

Hey I am trying to set up a new salt tank and wanted to know about light. How much light must I have a day? Does the amount depend on what I have in the tank or how big the tank is or even what bulbs I use? I work from around 7-5 and leave my windows open but I know that bulb light is different, can someone help me find a good medium for a tank?

[MaelStrom]

Well It depends on what kind of tank you plan on doing. Reef tanks require a lot of light( well depending on the species of corals that inhabit it) while Fish only tanks just require enough light for viewing.

[bsmith]

well I am new to SW tanks, I heard something about if I get live rock then I don't need a filter and the rock will filter the water..? I would like some live rock or coral (not sure the difference yet) but not sure how much, I think I might get a 30gallon tank if that helps. I would love to set up a low-maintenance and light independent set up. I will be home after work and will have the light on, and I might be able to get a timer as well, I just don't want to get too advanced for my first tank.
any suggestions..
p.s. - I was thinking of a couple clownfish, maybe a pair of tangs, starfish, cleaner crab.. thats probably it

[leveldrummer]

if really need to search around and find out exactly what you want, if you want corals, and what type. find some pictures of stuff you like and post them, and we can help you with that, any corals you get are gonna need stronger lighting that your use to with fresh water. and those lights are usually quite expensive, although you can find used stuff, and you can get kits that you put together yourself that really help make it cheaper.

live rock is basically the structure of the reefs. it will help filter your water, but a protein skimmer is a very very VERY good idea for any saltwater system, between the rock and the skimmer, you wouldnt need anything else, no powerfilters or anything.

[Reefneck]

What is it with everyone lately wanting "maybe a pair of tangs" in small tanks??

People, READ before you say things like this! Tangs do not belong in ANY tank less than 4 feet (55G) and then only one or 2 species can do well. Most need a 6 foot tank at least to thrive.

Research people. This same thing gets said almost daily on this forum alone.

[Fishfirst]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read a good book before jumping into this... Seems as though you haven't looked too much into what you want, or basic setup designs.

[TheOldSalt]

I think the tang problem is coming from the stores. They all have a few yellow tangs on hand, it seems, and they insist on trying to sell them to people who don't know better as beginner fish good for small tanks. I see it all the time, and it really bugs me. There really oughta be a law...

Anyway, bsmith, you'll not fit ONE tang in a 30, so don't even think about a pair. For that matter, trying to keep a pair in a big tank is easier said than done. They fight, you see. They are also called "ick magnets" for a very good reason, and you'll have enough problems as a beginner without having to add guaranteed disease to the mix.

Filters- good!
No filters- not so good.
You won't need a mechanical filter with enough good liverock, but you'll need a skimmer if you want that rock to STAY good.

You say you don't want to get too technical for your first tank. Well, if you cut too many corners it will also be your last tank. Before you set up your tank, study, study, study until you understand all the WHYs behind the WHATs. Once you do, everything will suddenly become a lot easier and you'll avoid many costly mistakes.

Reefs are from tropical zones, and tropical zones have long days, with around 12 hours of light per day. That isn't full strength light for all 12 hours, though. you can do fine on 10 hours per day. If you let the sun come up and pre-light the tank before the bulbs come on, then that would be great. Turn the bulbs off just before sunset, and let the tank get dark naturally.
Heh,heh, that would be optimal, but most folks don't want that, as they'd prefer to keep their tanks lit well into the evening. If you have 14 hours of light per day, then you are going to have confused critters and lots of algae. You can help fix this by blocking out the sunlight and setting the light timer to come on much later.

[Ice]

Originally Posted by TheOldSalt

Reefs are from tropical zones, and tropical zones have long days, with around 12 hours of light per day. That isn't full strength light for all 12 hours, though. you can do fine on 10 hours per day. If you let the sun come up and pre-light the tank before the bulbs come on, then that would be great. Turn the bulbs off just before sunset, and let the tank get dark naturally.
Heh,heh, that would be optimal, but most folks don't want that, as they'd prefer to keep their tanks lit well into the evening. If you have 14 hours of light per day, then you are going to have confused critters and lots of algae. You can help fix this by blocking out the sunlight and setting the light timer to come on much later.

You can even invest in a timer for your lighting.

[Damon]

GFCI's are a life saver. I feel a must have for any reef tank (if your house doesn't have them installed already).

[Reefneck]

Originally Posted by Damon

GFCI's are a life saver. I feel a must have for any reef tank (if your house doesn't have them installed already).

I will second & third that!!