20gal reef
- Thread starter tanis97
- Start date
I
ivanfj
Guest
It would certainly help but IMO, even high wattage NO isn't gonna make your hammer thrive like under some PC's or VHO. I think high wattage NO doesn't give out as much as lower wattage PC's. I could be wrong but that's just what I think. 
overanalyzer
Active Member
Originally posted by ivanfj
It would certainly help but IMO, even high wattage NO isn't gonna make your hammer thrive like under some PC's or VHO. I think high wattage NO doesn't give out as much as lower wattage PC's. I could be wrong but that's just what I think.
I'd agree - look into some 24" VHO's for over hte top of your tank! They put out about 150 watts and help items thrive in a 20 gallon tank and they are not too hot!
overanalyzer
Active Member
Originally posted by tanis97
what is a VHO light, any picture sample. thanx.
I checked on the price of a PC light, its range is above my current limit, just too expansive, not to mention the amount of energy it uses. thanx for all the help
VHO is more intense then PC and I built my system for around $150.....
Personally I don't think your hammer will survive NO lighting ....
I
ivanfj
Guest
This may not be somethign you wanna hear, but I don't think 52w NO is any LPS corals, which your hammer is one. You may be able to get away with mushrooms. You can add a 65w PC which is around 80 bucks cdn here and put all the lights you currently have together with the PC. I hope you would consider upgrading your lighting if you wanna keep the hammer. Or I am sorry to say you may wanna return it to your LFS.
overanalyzer
Active Member
Also - Kelvin ratings do not "total" up.
Each bulb should be about 6500K or greater - otherwise it is not really helping out the tank.
So you have 15W 20,000 Kelvin and 26W - 6000 Kelvin (daylight bulb) (my guess this is really 6500K)
for a total of 41 watts of NO light. Less then two Watts per gallon and not really all that intense.
How does the hammer look now?? any pictures? LPs corals can also be fed regularly but the color will become darker in a poorly lighted tank. The coral heads will also "Pan" out to try and get as much light as possible - so they will looks big and fat and healthy - but what they are really doing is not growing big and fat - but actually increasing their zooanthella in order to try and feed itself, but since it is growing it needs more photosynthesis to feed itself there for by puffing up it is slowly starving itself to death.
Each bulb should be about 6500K or greater - otherwise it is not really helping out the tank.
So you have 15W 20,000 Kelvin and 26W - 6000 Kelvin (daylight bulb) (my guess this is really 6500K)
for a total of 41 watts of NO light. Less then two Watts per gallon and not really all that intense.
How does the hammer look now?? any pictures? LPs corals can also be fed regularly but the color will become darker in a poorly lighted tank. The coral heads will also "Pan" out to try and get as much light as possible - so they will looks big and fat and healthy - but what they are really doing is not growing big and fat - but actually increasing their zooanthella in order to try and feed itself, but since it is growing it needs more photosynthesis to feed itself there for by puffing up it is slowly starving itself to death.