Confused about lighting

buckets

buckets

New Member
<img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" /> I have had a 100 gal reef set up for about one year. I just purchased a 180 gal aquarium, and I want to know exactly what type of lighting I need. I know I need at least 3 watts per gal. and I think I am going to use powercompacts. But I don't know how many actinic blue lights to use vs the daylight ones. The system I want will have 8-96W powercompacts. How many blue do I need and how to I arrange them. Blue in the front or do I stagger them? Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks
 
richard rendos

richard rendos

Active Member
3 watts per gallon? What types of corals are you planning on keeping? Watts per gallon is so misleading. If you are keeping mushrooms, polyps, etc. then that is probably great, but if you are going to keep any LPS, or SPS, or clams, good luck. And are you stuck on PC's for some reason? VHO's are an excellent lighting system, and MH/VHO combo is even better. 3 MH and 2 VHO is fewer bulbs to have to replace every year than 8 Power Compact bulbs. Just things to think about. Personally I hate PC's.
 
old hermit

old hermit

Member
custom sea life has the smart light with 50/50 bulbs in it. i have one on my 29 gal and the corals are doing great.
 
2

25gator

Guest
i agree with that guy im going with 3 mh 250 /2 165 vho 180 reef mix its about 1600 with all upgrades in hood at ***************!!!!! <img src="graemlins//urrr.gif" border="0" alt="[urrr]" /> ;)
 
josh

josh

Active Member
Hi,
I would agree on a 180 I would go with 2 400 watt MH . . . radiums on a e ballast if you can afford it. Or just go with 10K.. if you go with 10K you would also need VHO acitinics for supplementation as well. And as for PC sucking, your opinion.. on a small tank they work very well .
And yes there are 03 true pc actinics out there, maybe not quite upto the purple of the VHO, but extremely close and have the exact same wavelength of the VHO with enough bleed over into the 430nm to give the purple and flourence of the VHO, maybe you just haven't seen them yet.
-Josh-
 
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