Need some help with new tank

So cuttingras what do you think about the power compact light that I want to buy??? Is it good enough for some "easy to keep" corals???? Please check out the link and give me some input. thanks

 

I have this very same fixture and there are some corals I can't keep but my softies are doing great.

Gin

 

Well thanks Gin, i will then buy that light on ebay, its going for cheap right now, around $40 including s/h. Hopefully i can get it for under $75 including s/h. So maybe in a couple of months (3-4) i can add some corals. Thanks for the info, i feel much better buying it now.

 

Now that you have that settled. It would be cool to have one of the multiple timer surge protectors. They usually come with 2 daytime timers and 2 night time timers. You could run your actinics for a little while on both sides of your daylight bulbs and then have the moon lights kick on when the others go out at night. Then its set it..and forget it! Just like a Ronco rotisorie oven.

 

You could also save a little and not even put the moonlights on a timer. Just leave 'em plugged in, LED's last forever anyways. Just have the mains on a timer

 

Wish I had LED moon lights. (jelous)

 

Dear tarheel and packleader, to be quite honest with both I have some idea as to what you two are talking about , but can you please post some pics when you tell me something new so i have a better of an idea. And give me more info about these timers...Tarheels explanation left me baffled with all this light talk.

 

sure. Here is a link to one of the timers I mentioned.

Aquarium Light Timers: Coralife Power Center

I only have single on/off switch on my lights but I believe most people run their actinic lighting (blue lights) for an hour or two after their white spectum light bulbs go off for the night and some run their actinics for a while on both sides of their photoperiod (time lights are on). This is supposed to benifit coral growth as well as make your corals look really cool like they are glowing under a black light. With a timer like this you set up your white and blue lights separately. Leave them both on at the same time for the majority of your day-lighting period, then have the white shut off, run the blue for an hour or two, have the blue shut off and have your moon lights come on for overnight.

The light you are bidding on has 3 cords so you can run the lights separately, with this timer set you dont have to be home to turn the lights on or off and are assured consistancy of your photoperiod.

Hope that helps.

 

We are talking about just basic timers for your individual lights. Your combo you liked has three different cords for the three different lights that are in the combo. You can put them on timers to automatically come on/off.
The timers are just basic timers people put on there lamps or whatever about their homes. They automatically turn whatever device they are attached to on/off at at whatever times you set them to. They are readily available at any hardware store, and probably even supermarkets.
I have mine so that the T5's (less intense) come on, then after about 1 1/2 hours the MH comes on. Reverse for turning on. The idea is to simulate sunrise/sunset. My moonlight LEDS are not on a timer, I just leave them on all the time.
With respect to tarheel, the timer on his link is completely overpriced. You can get a dual timer (all that you would need) at Home Depot for $4.96, that works perfectly fine.

 

Good advice from the pack leader. I was just trying to give an example of a timer you could use for all 3 if you wanted. I too have both of my lights pluged into a generic home timer, but I paid like $10, shoulda went to home depot. Think mine came from wally-world.