CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP???

jakepilot

jakepilot

Member
i have a 75 gallon reef tank...with a 4 inch DSB and lots of LR i have 2 175 watt MH lights on top with 10k bulbs in them, can i keep SPS corals?? LPS corals?? will this lighting arrangment restrict me to anything?? i figure i will have 5.1 watts of light per gallon with this setup? is this enough light for them? what wont i be able to keep???????????????????????????
 
1

10k

Guest
You should be fine. I am running the 12k's on my SPS, LPS, and Soft coral reef, and it's a 125. Your 75 is nowhere near as deep as mine is. It would help alot to at least run one actinic for a more subtle light shift at dawn and dusk...What do you do when you're asleep and someone turns the light on at 6am. YEOOOW..That hurts don't it!!...lol ;)
 
wamp

wamp

Active Member
Sure.. I would start with some sort of Acro.
Just put them high in the tank and a good amount of current.
 
jakepilot

jakepilot

Member
someone?? anyone?? how will 5.1 watts per gallon restrict what i can keep?? or will it....i have 2 175 wt MH lights on top with 10k bulbs on a 75 gallon tank, will this restrict what i can keep? i want to keep SPS LPS and everything in between..
 
1

10k

Guest
Your fine with 5per gal. But remember iy's not wgal that matters in this case... :)
 
ren

ren

Member
No clams but as for corals and really everything the WPG is just a rule of thumb. What matters in the lumens that are reaching to the bottom.
You should add some sort of actinic kicker though. this would be the best that ya could do IMO.
If you get a coral that doesn't seem to be doing very well - considering that it is a hardy / easy specimen and water params are good - move it higher. I kept a leather toadstool in a 100gl under 40W. It wasn't thriving as now under the VHO but it was alive and ok - I kept it up high in the tank. Gotta think 3d here - light looses effect the deeper it goes so if your specimen isn't doing great at the bottom - move it higher and vice-versa -something might be high and getting too much towhere it would thrive with less.
I'd say bottom line here is reasearch the type you want for lighting - current - parameters - hardiness. Make a list in excess of what you like - research each species - and weed out until you have a good list left.
 
wamp

wamp

Active Member
I have to disagree with ren on the clams. I had one in my 75 with PC lights. NOT a maxima but a sqwamosa (spelling). They do not require as much light and are more likely to survive in your aquarium. They are pretty and come in a wide range of patterns. They are also alot cheaper than the Maximas..
Good Luck!
 
q

q

Member
When people say intense lighting it is usualy 250W+ actinic. I don't think that you will be able to keep the high light corals with 175's and have them maintain their color.
Just my opinion. I don't have a whole lot of experience with it yet. Just stocking the sps corals in my 75. I have 2 175W MH and 4 VHO. I think it is moderate light but the corals will tell.
 
jakepilot

jakepilot

Member
what about the corals?? and what is an atinic kicker?? will the 2 MH suffice?? i think i will just stick to corals, no clams for me...so do i have enough light?
 
ren

ren

Member
Hehe Wamp All I know err ummm thought I knew was clams need lotsa light see learn somethin knew every day :p
 
steamboat1569

steamboat1569

Member
In the research that I have done, it seems that Metal Halide puts out the strongest light. It penetrates deeper. I am thinking of trying sps corals again now that I have MH. It has done wonders with my lps corals. I use MH with an actinic spectum. I have one 12000 K and one 10000K for my 55 gal.
 
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