Can you have too much light?

[gexkko]

I currently have 2x65w 50/50 coralife pc's on my 29g tank. Right now it only has a few fish, a red shroom hitchiker, and a small bta. I intend to make it a reef over the next few months as it ages a bit more, and i know my currently lighting will be insufficient for many corals.
I found a 400w 20000k MH set-up for fairly cheap, but I was wondering if that would end up being too much lighting for my small tank. I intend to use the PC's on my tank because I like the light they give, as well as the "sleak" look it gives my tank (it kind of hides the HOB skimmer/filter/overflow box I have.
Basically, would a 400w MH + 2x65w PC be too much lighting for a 29? Thanks for any help.

 

[reefstar22]

I think honestly it would be stupid...not that it would be to much, just you would be wasting money...that would be like buying $1000 in food for one person...yeah they'll be fed well...over fed even...but a ton of that food will go to waste...
your going to waste electric power, money and time.
stick with what you have...your fine.
Plus if you get that light, your going to need a chiller to keep your tank cool...and those run around $300/$400.... plus your going to pay even more of an electric bill for that.
over all opinon, if you buy the light you'll be doing this when your done :

 

[reefstar22]

heck I run 2 400watt mh's on my reef...and i have a 125 gallon tank. ...and its actully more light then I need.

 

[gexkko]

Ok, thanks. I wasn't sure if my pc's would suffice. I'm fairly certain I can't grow any sps since its only about 4 watts/gallon, but I wasn't planning on any of them anyway.
This is why I asked here. Saved me money :cheer:

 

[viper_930]

Your current PC lighting isn't enough for SPS. You don't have to go with 400 watts though. A single 150 watt halide would be great.

 

[cool99bomb]

Originally Posted by Gexkko
Ok, thanks. I wasn't sure if my pc's would suffice. I'm fairly certain I can't grow any sps since its only about 4 watts/gallon, but I wasn't planning on any of them anyway.
This is why I asked here. Saved me money :cheer:
Watts per gallon is old and has been proved USELESS many times. DONT USE IT. Its terrible, old, and useless

 

[reefstar22]

pcs wont work for sps, you will need MH's for that...i didn't notice that. I would hold off for sps untill your ready to invest around $10k. Simply because you will need a reactor, a huge skimmer, a deep sandbed outside of the tank. mh's ...etc... the list keeps going.... again ..thats why sps tanks are such an " amazing " thing.... you dont have to have the best of the best to have SPS...but no matter what way you go ..its going to be alot of work, and ALOT of money.

 

[gexkko]

Good to know. I keep seeing people refer to watts/gallon, so I was unaware it was a useless thing. Thanks
As far as the sps goes, I will definitely hold off until I can build my goal tank: 300g. That won't be for many years as I'm still a college student, but it's definitley a goal to work towards.

 

[candycane]

I have one example. I run nearly 9.09 watts per gallon on my 55 and things grow like crazy. This is HQI lighting. The only reason that I have that many WPG is because I am putting all the stuff in the 55 (just one of my tanks) into an acrylic 180. Plus I have another 250 watt pendant that I purchased about 6 months ago for when i do it. Each pendant is 250 watts. So I am going to only be running 4 watts per gallon on a 180, but the 180 is only 24 inches tall as opposed to the 55 being 18. So all of the stuff should still be fine that is at the bottom of the tank. It would be a waster electicity wise, but might be nice to have around if you plan on upgrading tank sizes in the future.

 

[gexkko]

Good point, it never hurts to have the equipment around for future upgrades

 

[lbaskball]

If you plan on keeping anemones I think its better to have more then 4 watts per gallon, but then again it depends on the height of your tank too.

 

[susiestank]

I have a 150watt MH Aquamedic Oceanlight pendant over my 25 gallon. I would deffinitly have to think that 400watts would be alot!

 

[ibew]

all it depends on hieght and length stupid lights per gallon is the most stupidest thing I every heard the only problem u will have is that to much light is to close to water may change temp and having that much light to close to corals may bleech them u can suspend the light higher to cominsate all lighting purduces heat mre wattage more heat means more hight on light if your 29 gal was 20 high and your fixture was just aswide as your 29 gal tank and u had that much light u will have to raise the light to the right hieght so u dont heat water and so u dont bleech corals and also the light you want to run corals from must be above that coral I seen pictures of one foot by one foot MH pendents on top of 72 inch wide tanks unless all of your sps frags are in that little are your not going to grow