lighting question

[Gilraen Took]

When I can eventually start my tank I was wondering what sort of lighting I should have.

The corals I want for it are blue and green stripe mushrooms, button polyps, and starburst polyps. Live aquaria says that all except the Starburst do best under moderate light and low to moderate water flow. The starburst is says does better in moderate to high flow/lighting. Now I was thinking about having the mushrooms at the bottom levels of liverock, the button polyps in the middle, and the starburst at the top levels. The only thing I was wondering was that LA had the requirements, but not they type of lights that would give off the right ammount of light. So anyway, is it possible in a 60 gal. tank to grow all of those varieties, and have enough light for the starburst, yet low enough light to keep the shrooms happy? The light fixture is currently set up for regular fluoressant lighing so I'd definatley be able to go for something that uses those kinds of lights, and I'd definately prefer them, nut would change them if I'd need to.

[icereefer]

Well the first think you want to ask yourself is, am I going to be happy with just these types of corals???
most will say at first yes. but as the bug bit you got getting into this hobby gets infected in your body..... :lol: your wants get to be bigger, unless you have a great will power.. :lol:
well enough 101.
in most cases with that type of tank it's depth. you could keep what your wanting to get and they will do fine under PCs. your going to get a little more usuable PAR using T5s and VHOs and you will be able to keep what ever using MHs.
just using your regular strip lights,Mushrooms will far well ,but your Polyps and starburst mostly the starburst,like there lighting. so they may not far to well unless there sitting right on the top of your rock work and there again it depends on how high your rocks or going to be from the surface of your water. your not going to get very much useable PAR depth from your strip lights.
I hope this helps a little on your question.
Jim

[Sefu]

As many have said over the past, its a nice relief on the ol' wallet there to get the best equipment you can afford at the first go, so you don't upgrade periodically over time, and therefore saving yourself some $ for corals/inverts/what have you..

GO FOR BROKE GILRAEN

Save for Metal Halides :o

[Gilraen Took]

? woah, what are all of the abriviations???

PSs T5 VHOs MHs PAR?????????

No idea...

[icereefer]

Sorry about that,
PCs-Power Compact Fluorescents, T5's and VHOs and a Very High Out-put Fluorescent. and PAR is Photosynthetic Active Radiation, PAR is the intensity of usable light as it travels deeper threw the water.

Here you go this will help you understand some of peoples abriviations.
http://www.coralforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=6299