Zoanthid lighting
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Equipment
Forum Description: This is the place to ask question about reef equipment.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7059
Printed Date: September 23 2025 at 1:23am
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Topic: Zoanthid lighting
Posted By: jordanh
Subject: Zoanthid lighting
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 12:20am
I'm considering setting up a zoanthid only tank, it the 10g tank pictured below. Does anyone have any suggestions on what kind of lighting I should use for this? I'm considering using two of http://www.aquariumguys.com/minicompact3.html - these . Does anyone have first hand experience with zoanthids changing color under different light? What about growth rates under different lights?
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Replies:
Posted By: dnellans
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 8:33am
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I would use one of these instead, i run two of these plus one 55 w 65k
pc over a 29 gal and can even keep some of the easier SPSs. http://www.hellolights.com/96w5050.html |
Posted By: smatney
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 8:55am
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I have a mostly ric and zoo 12 gallon tank. You will do fine with PC's. You can come check it out anytime. ------------- Susan Matney Farmington, UT |
Posted By: ewaldsreef
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 2:51pm
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Susan, how many watts do you run on your 12 gallon tank?
In my personal experance I believe more lighting is better. I havenever had good luck with zoos in my 10 gallon tank with a 55w pc. This could be due to other reasons. In my 125 with the MH lighting they do really well ( untill the addition of the copperband  )
I am sure you will do fine with the pc lighting. I definetly wouldnt worry about putting a halide over the tank. I would however recomend a more powerful pc light. Like the one mentioned above ------------- Contact me for professional aquarium maintenance and localy grown coral frags. [URL=http://www.aquatitranquility.com][/URL] |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 5:04pm
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My zoo's like lots of light! 250 14k over a 45 gallon tank. ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: smatney
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 6:44pm
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I only have two 36w pc's over the nano. The zoos don't grow fast but they are fine. ------------- Susan Matney Farmington, UT |
Posted By: jordanh
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 6:54pm
| Hrm, I agree that more lighting is better; ideally I would put a MH over my zoa tank but I just don't want to sink that much money into this tank. I've always been curious about those 20w coralife 50/50 screw-ins. Maybe I will get 3 of those and try them out. Still not sure; I guess I could probably get a decent price on some regular pc lights used. I'll post in the buy/sell/trade forum if it comes to that; but does anyone have anything like that for sale, just to get an idea? |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 7:21pm
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Susan , put your zoo's in your tank upstairs and they will grow if you have good water flow and you feed them right. ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 7:27pm
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The best thing you could get for the zoas IMO would be MH. I know its more expensive but all the zoanthids I own I purchased from a guy who has them under MH. Now that they are under my PC's they have lost some of their intensity. They still look good but just not as vivid as in his tank. I get pretty good growth but the color is definitely not as good. ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: jordanh
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 7:34pm
| Well, I do have a dual 250w retro kit in the basement, I could use one of the lights over the tank; shouldn't be a problem if I hang it high enough... What do you think? |
Posted By: Xacttech
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 10:18pm
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I think if you've got a dual 250 Retro kit you should go to walmart and
pickup a 20 gallon tall tank for ~$30 and use it as a zoo tank instead 
I have the same tank you have pictured and put a 250 over it... wheeew... tooo much light (for that tank) Most of the light bled so much that I couldn't justify paying the bill for it. So I'm back to the "stock" PCs that came with the tank. |
Posted By: jordanh
Date Posted: June 22 2005 at 11:28pm
| Hmm, my brother has a 5.5 gallon tank, maybe they could share a bulb... |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 12:16am
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If she did that, then her nano wouldn't be as cute. |
bugzme wrote:Posted By: smatney
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 8:16am
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Zoanthids are a softie - they do not require MH lighting. There are many people who can have zoo's without MH's. I don't want to give the impression here that they have to have MH's to have color or intensity. Come see my nano tank. Small nano's can be done with limited cost. Why pay for the electriciy for a MH over a softie tank - doesn't make sense to me? ------------- Susan Matney Farmington, UT |
Posted By: jordanh
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 6:50pm
| I've decided to try out the aquamedic 20w 50/50 bulbs; I will probably use 3 of them. I'll let you know how it goes, but it might be a while before I get around to settin g it up; I'm going to do auto-topoff on this things too. |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 7:01pm
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Cute- smute. If you want anything to really grow you need Halides! ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: jordanh
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 7:35pm
bugzme only one way to find out.  I've never used any other kind of light besides MH. This will be a good experiment for me and shouldn't cost too much.
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Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 7:59pm
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In this hobby costis no object! Money talks and bull*hit walks. ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |