# Aquarium Lighting Advice, please

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aquarium-lighting-advice-please/253190>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 2, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aquarium-lighting-advice-please/253190 "2004-07-02T06:14:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dan\_Turk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dan\_Turk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Turk)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aquarium-lighting-advice-please/253190/1 "2004-07-02T06:14:04Z")

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Probably getting 2x250w Metal Halide retrofit kit w/ ballast and bulbs… $240 shipped. I have an option of 10000K, 13000K, or 20000K bulbs. I will also be running a power compact 2x 65w fixture under this same hood, for a total of 630w of retina-scorching power.

I figure I’ll make the PC fixture acenetics(sp) and have them come on early and go off late to make a dawn/dusk situation.

So what temperature lights should I get w/ the MH’s? I think 13000K is probably the best idea since I’ll be pulling blue from the PC’s, though 10000K is what everyone uses, from what I read.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![pipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c2a13f/32.png) [@pipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pipper)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aquarium-lighting-advice-please/253190/2 "2004-07-02T13:29:15Z")

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Don’t forget to order a glass scrubber too. Your gonna need it to clean off all the algae that’s going to grow on the tank walls with that much light running all day long.

Seriously- unless you have live plants that require that much light, you don’t need to have the tank lights on all day. The ambient light in the room should be enough for the fish to have a normal diurnal rhythm.

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**Author:** ![pipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c2a13f/32.png) [@pipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pipper)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aquarium-lighting-advice-please/253190/3 "2004-07-02T13:39:30Z")

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Ya know- when I stopped to think about the set up you’re putting in, you must have some live rock or coral that’s requires that light, so feel free to ignore my flippant comment about keeping the lights off! Good luck with your project.

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**Author:** ![Dan\_Turk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dan\_Turk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Turk)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aquarium-lighting-advice-please/253190/4 "2004-07-02T14:41:25Z")

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yes, live rock and some corals