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Energy saving Day Lights
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3clr View Drop Down
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    Posted: January 19 2009 at 5:20pm
I have a ~120G tank (6x2x2) with fish and corals with Metal Halides (HQI) lights. Thou I'm in the hobby for more than a year, I have no idea about bells and whistles of aquarium.

The question is, can I use the "energy saving day light" bulbs (6500K - spiral type) that you get in homedepot or costco for my tank? Also, how about the "energy saving florescent lights" (PAR 30 type), at homedepot?

The reason is to save energy and hence save cost. Also, those bulbs are very easy and simple  to mount (no blasts) and less expensive to buy compared to Metal Halides, etc.,

Thanks in advance for your advice.
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TriggerHappy View Drop Down
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Points: 2688 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TriggerHappy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 19 2009 at 5:34pm
My first question would be what are you, specifically, keeping in the tank?

Edited by Camarofish - January 19 2009 at 5:34pm
210 gallon Mixed Reef
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Dion Richins View Drop Down
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For a fish only tank it would work great. For corals...not so good.
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6x2x2 is a 180 i think not a 120
72 Bow ASM G2 Oceanic1 mag 9.5
TEK 8 bulb T5HO
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Dion Richins View Drop Down
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Points: 11664 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dion Richins Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 20 2009 at 9:03am
Your right Steve. I didn't catch that. A 120 is typically 4x2x2.
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Mark Peterson View Drop Down
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Those twist PC bulbs save no more energy per lumen (amount of light) than the standard PC bulbs that you probably have right now giving supplemental actinic/blue light to that tank. And it would take a ton of them to do the job that you are getting from the MH.
Yes, MH does use a lot of electricity, but no other lighting can simulate the brilliance of the sun or give that shimmer. VHO and T5HO lighting grow colorful coral but it takes a large bank of them to provide the same lumens as MH.
If you truely want to conserve energy and really want to save money, place the tank in a window where it gets direct sunlight. Sunlight gives an even better shimmer than MH and is absolutely free.Smile
Below is a pic of our sunlit reef before the Tangs gobbled up all the Caulerpa. The sun grows algae extremely well, so lots of herbivores are needed. There may also be a pic of another of my sunlit tanks in this thread. http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
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Adam Haycock View Drop Down
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Spiral compacts don't put out as many lumens/watt as MH or straight fluorescents. T8 would be a cheap method since bulbs and fixtures are cheap and lumens/watt is relatively high. Many corals will not be happy with this light however. You could use T12 but initial setup and operation costs will be higher (but corals will be happier). Plus VHO is vastly superior to any other form of reef lighting.

Although cost of a new setup would pay for a lot of use of your current MH setup.

If possible, use sunlight like Mark says. His sunlit reef was amazing.
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