SPS without halides?

[kaholic]

Can you keep any SPS without MH? I have a PC that's pushing almost 10 watts per gallon so I was hoping that might be sufficient. Anyone had success without halides?

 

[ssweet1]

yeah you can keep them with VHO's and/ or T5's. I wouldnt try it with PC's I dont think they would do too well. I am here in Jacksonville too! The next club meeting is at Rob's Reef in Orange Park. You could ask about what SPS would do ok under whatever lighting you have, I am sure several people there could help you out. Carrie

 

[scoobs]

OK some will say different but i know for a fact you can grow acropora with them.. Got a frag that was about 1" and now is like 6" tall and like 8" wide.. its huge..
400 watts on a 46 gallon tank ftw.

 

[hurt]

I've seen a few tanks that had pc lighting and sps corals. I believe Bang Guy has a nano with such a setup. The key is to keep the corals at the very top of the tank. I'm talking 2-3 inches under the water line, with a high wpg(10+) also. And I wouldn't try it with all sps corals, particularly acro's. I'd go with Monti Digi's.

 

[sleeper]

T5s are, in many ways, better than halides... they just don't have the reputation or distribution. If you put a par meter at the bottom of a 24" tall tank, the par rating for T5s is better. AND they use slightly less electricity, AND the bulbs last longer.
However, you can also grow SPS with PCs. I've done it. It's just a much slower process, and you basically have to feed them a lot. Which, in turn, runs a higher risk of mucking up the water (precisely what happened to me with some Montipora digitata, btw; I had it for a while, then a nitrate spike killed it). But it CAN be done.
But yeah, T5s rule.

 

[kaholic]

Thanks. I may try a test frag and see how that goes for a while before putting any others in there.
Hi Carrie. If I ever get the time, I would love to join a reef club around here. Can you send me some info on it of you get a chance? Is it at different places? Once a week type thing?