lights too intense?

viet-tin

Active Member
I have purchased 2x400w mh lights for my 100gal[(60x18x21)lights will be hanging about11-12" above tank]. I was wondering if this will burn softies and other corals? should i return them and get 2x250w instead?
 

reefnut

Active Member
My tank is 60" x 18" x 24" and I have 2- 400w MH with 2- 110w VHOs. Yes, you can burn softies & bleach sps corals by not acclimating them correctly. But I wouldn't say it is to intense... care just needs to be taken when placing and introducing new corals.
 

viet-tin

Active Member
Then i shouldnt return them? And how will i acclimate them? I got the 400w because my bro in law was thinking about wpg. Should i get 2x250 with vhos instead?
 

reefnut

Active Member
That my friend is up to you. Maybe someone else has an opinion?? I like my 400s.
Basically when I add a sps coral they start on the sand bed for about a week and over the next two weeks they get moved up the rocks until they reach their destination. This has given me the best results.
With some LPS corals I added they were placed sheltered from the direct light for a few weeks and slowly pulled out until they were in direct light. Not sure if this was totally necessary but all three are doing really well. I have a frogspawn at the top of the rocks in full light that is growing like crazy...
I had some softies... toad stool, some finger leathers, cabbage coral (& still have Xenia) that all learned to love the light.
I did fry my schrooms...
 

reefnut

Active Member
I guess I should add... IMO 2-250w MH would be sufficient.
This little guy is about 1" off the sand bed and is doing great...
 

audisteve

Member
If by chance you were to bleach a sps by not acclimating it to the light how do you help it recover? Or if it starts to lose it's color and you can't see any more polyps does that mean it's dead?
 

viet-tin

Active Member
For acclimating, since the mid section of the tank will be lit the most, i was thinking about putting my corals on the outside where the light isnt too strong then move them towards the mid section little by little. I think i will do that for softies and the bottom-top with sps
 

tkblazer

Member
i would run the 250s if it was me... but its just my opinion, i'm running 250s on my 75 tall and its BRIGHT
 

nm reef

Active Member
I run 2x400 10K Ushios & 2x110 actinic VHO's over a 100 and I've had very few issues with damage to any of the corals I keep. The majority of the softies/leathers/shrooms/zooanthids made the transition over to the new lighting and all of the additions since setting up the new lights have done fine. Care does need to be taken in regard to location...and careful acclamation would be wise. My major issue has been with temp...but even that problem has been manageable so far.
 

viet-tin

Active Member
would i have to purchase a chiller to help with my temp? im not building a canopy...its jus gonna hang over my tank. Maybe i can buy a fan and have it blow over the water? But if i need a chiller, what brand is best?
 

golfish

Active Member

Originally posted by viet-tin
would i have to purchase a chiller to help with my temp? im not building a canopy...its jus gonna hang over my tank. Maybe i can buy a fan and have it blow over the water? But if i need a chiller, what brand is best?

Are you asking if YOU would have to buy a chiller or if your cousin would have to buy one:D
I run 2x400 watt MH's over my open top 120, 30 gal fuge and 40 gal sump. My house stays 78 degrees and my chiller runs two to three times a day. I also have a large fan blowing over the top of the tank. But, my tank is in a closet, so the temp gets a little hotter in there even tho I have good air exchange. You wont know until you have it setup. Since its open top I'd run a good size fan. You might want to think about auto top off.
FWIW, I run a 1/3hp aqualogics chiller. I do recommend them.
 

viet-tin

Active Member
LOL

My cousin is a cool guy. Most likely hell help me buy it...since he cant build his own tank hes going to help me build mines. If i were to get an auto top-off, what should i buy?or is there a way i can build my own?
 

reefnut

Active Member
I don't run a chiller. The canopy has two fans, there is one fan blowing across the top of the tank and one blowing over the sump. Temp stays 80-82. It's hard to say if you'll need one though.
 

viet-tin

Active Member
My house doesnt get to hot, usually stays around 78-80. So im hoping i can get away with just a few fans.
 
Top