Help with lighting! What can I keep with...

[heathman]

I have a tank that has been set up for three months and seems to be doing ok. Lost some fish from ich along the way but have learned a lot. I have an eclipse hood 29 gallon tank. I have modified the hood to handle a protein skimmer and installed the smartpaq retrofit lighting 65 watts. I also took the old lights 36 watts total and put in moisture resistant endcaps and installed them in the middle area and it seems to be working great! SO I have 101 watts of lighting. What type of corals can I put in there! I know mushrooms which I have a few put wanted to add a couple of more things. This seems to be a odd light combination so i was not sure. Thanks for any advise. I pretty new here but I love the message board so far.

 

[saltn00b]

"smartpaq retrofit lighting 65 watts"
not sure what that is but it sounds like either NO or PC lights. your standard tank lights are NO's and they wont do you any good.
PC's are mediocre at best. i would advise you in that size tank to get inidivually reflected T-5s. that will allow you to anything you want.

 

[heathman]

Well I would like to do that but I am trying to make use of the eclipse hood that I have for the time being and then upgrade. I can't put T-5's in that hood unless someone here has done that. The smartpaq is pc's. So the lights that came with it do no good at all even as an addition?

 

[farslayer]

With PC lighting you can keep softies and LPS, albeit the LPS need to be higher up in the tank (above midway). I kept LPS for years under PC lighting. You can not keep clams, SPS, or most anemones (I believe some anemones are ok, but I don't know which ones).

 

[heathman]

OK! Here is what I have done. I have the Eclipse 3 hood on a 29 gallon with Protein Skimmer and now have added another 65 watt retrofit. So two Smartpaq retros which gives me 130 watts. I should be safe with any softies right? What about hard corals is that a no-no even with the to kits?

 

[mopar9012]

IF its PC lighting you can keep softies.
No SPS with that though. I have SPS corals under 175MH on my 29

 

[heathman]

Yes they are pc lights. 10,000k & 460NM Actinic. I have two of those kits. 65 watts a piece.

 

[farslayer]

LPS are fine, but SPS and clams require MH. You can go with some cool ones like frogspawn, hammers, torches, brains, etc.

 

[heathman]

Thanks for the advice! This site is great. I have learned a lot by viewing the boards. DIY threads especially has helped me with all my lighting and skimmer mods on my eclipse.