Reef Lighting Watts per gallon

dzones

dzones

Member
I have read that 5 watts per gallon of light is the maximum one should use. I am pretty sure I have heard of folks on here using more.
I have a 125g reef that has a depth of about 18" to the top of the sand bed. If I am wanting to keep maxima clams on the sandbed. what would you recommed and what wattage per gallon are you all using?
Thanks!
Dave
 
escape2thewater

escape2thewater

Active Member
Im running 4.25 right now with 2 175w 10k MH & 160watt of actininc from NO flourescents. Upgrading to VHO soon then will be closer to 5 watts/gallon.
Kyle
:cool:
BTW - its on a 120 gal with 21" to the DSB from the waterline.
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
I believe I was told 5 watts was the "minimum" for reef...
I've got 130 watt PC over a 20 nano 6.5 watt/gal and was told to stick with softies,leathers,shrooms,etc. Limited LPS and be very careful choosing SPS...No Clams:(
Things are looking Way better in my tank than they did under the 2 watt/gal at the LFS...
:cool:
 
dzones

dzones

Member
I kinda thought 5 was a bit low for a minimum. i think it must be old info or something. I currently have a 175w 10k MH with 2 actinic blues on one end and i have custom sealife pc's (55w and an actinic in each one) in the middle and other end. I was gonna hook up one 400w mh on each end and not sure what to put in the middle..i have a 175w mh...a 250w mh...and my custom sealifes still...lots o' light to choose...any suggestions??
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
my new recoveing tank is a 20-25 gallon not sure and it has 110watts and the corals are recovering great from there recent ordeal .
Mike
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
pretty much any LPS and softie such as leathers and shrooms
the only thing that is limited is calms and SPS corals which some will do good under them and others wont so its a good idea on them to research before you buy a SPS coral or clam.
Mike
 
spsfreak100

spsfreak100

Active Member
Watts per gallon means nothing; watts mean nothing. What really matters is Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), Lumens and intensity. As an example, 5wts of normal output lighting on a 5 gallon tank would be 1 watt per gallon. Now, lets put 5wts of VHO over that same 5 gallon tank. We still have 1 watt per gallon, but, the intensity with the VHO is much higher than that of the normal output.
Another thing is that the watts are devided by tank size. What does tank size have to do with how many watts you have over your tank? As a second example, lets say you have a 20 gallon tank with 100wts over it, which would be 5 watts per gallon. Lets take that same lighting and put it over a 10 gallon tank, which would be 10 watts per gallon. It appears as if the lighting is stronger under the five gallon tank, when in reality, you have the same amount of lighting under each tank. One hundred watts is still one hundred watts, no matter how you slice it. Itensity, PAR and lumens is what matters.
As far as your question goes, I have 10wts per gallon.
Graham
 
reefnut

reefnut

Active Member
2- 400w MH and 2- 110w VHOs over a 60x18x24 tank... a little over 9wpg. And I would second Graham...
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member

Originally posted by SPSfreak100
Watts per gallon means nothing; watts mean nothing. What really matters is Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), Lumens and intensity...
...Another thing is that the watts are devided by tank size. What does tank size have to do with how many watts you have over your tank? ... Itensity, PAR and lumens is what matters...
As far as your question goes, I have 10wts per gallon.
Graham
I understand Intensity.PAR,and Lumens in theory,ie. 190 watts PC over my 125 is visualy more intence then the 180 NO it replaced...But is there any practical way to measure/gauge PAR,Intencity,and Lumens?
I mean is there a waterproof meter commonly available to put in my tank an measure at the top,midtank,and bottom for this Intencity...Something I could take to my buddies house and say "I have X,Y.Z readings and you have A,B,C readings you need to up grade your lights..."
Or are we stuck with a Trial and Error system or..."Get the Biggest, Baddest MH system you can't afford or your tank is Doomed..." message that we so commonly hear?
How is a person to reasonably decide which lights they should get for the corals they want if we don't have a common standard like Watts/Gal.?
Is there such a Standard?
:cool:
 
cindyski

cindyski

Active Member
squidd
we are doomed. and everyone here knows about my lengthly lighting thread. and i am sure you read it too. its crazy, but i did end up going with 6 160w vho's (1/2 actinic) people here think i am crazy, but other sites and in the real world people also say it will be fine. guess i will find out. i know there are some types of clams that i could for sure keep and some sps too, others maybe not. but i guess you can look at it also like, if you put a certain fish your tank it might not be compatable with other fish in your tank. even though you love the fish, you cant get it because it will die, or it will eat your clams or it will pick at your coral etc...
see no matter what we do, we still "can't have it all"
 
T

thomas712

Guest
So Graham give me some par values for your lighting, and the 250w Ushios'.
Thomas
 
the claw

the claw

Active Member
Don't have a clue what my par is, but I agree that that is the number you are after, or whats most important. Unfortunately I don't believe most of us have waterproof lux meters. 13 watts per gallon here.
 
reefnut

reefnut

Active Member

Or are we stuck with a Trial and Error system or..."Get the Biggest, Baddest MH system you can't afford or your tank is Doomed..." message that we so commonly hear?
Why go through trial and error when many other experienced hobbyists has done that for you? The ONLY time I have heard (or read) "Get the Biggest, Baddest MH system you can't afford or your tank is Doomed..." is when it comes to sps & clams. Yes there are clams and a few sps that may live under less then MH but really, why spend as much or more for a lighting systems that will provide less light and limit your selection? sounds silly to me.
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
Damn, I seem to have misplaced my Portable Spectroradiometer with Standard Cosine Receptor....
Anybody have one I can borrow...? :D :D :D
:cool:
 
aileena

aileena

Member
I often think that there is too much ado about MH lighting and keeping certain species of corals and clams, and anemones...
currently I have 4 46.5" vho bulbs on the icecap 660 ballast over a 60g...I currently have a Bubble Tip anemone, a green pocillapora, and several montiporas either plating or braching...I even have a small blue tip acro. Of course there are others softies and polyp corals that I have as well...
so far I have not had any problems with the sps...its still early however. I have no idea where i'm going with this, just to say that the dual 400watt MH 100g system becomes more the standard around here as time passes...I still like to post and read on the board though, dispite the fact that I dont have MH lights or a 100g tank...
 
spsfreak100

spsfreak100

Active Member

Originally posted by aileena
Icurrently I have 4 46.5" vho bulbs on the icecap 660 ballast over a 60g...I currently have a Bubble Tip anemone, a green pocillapora, and several montiporas either plating or braching...I even have a small blue tip acro.
Tell me how their coloration, growth and overall health is in a year :) It can take several months just to show minimal signs of stress.
Graham
 
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