watts per gal

[annnes]

In a typical reef system what is the rule of thumb on how many watts of light per gallon to ensure proper growth?

 

[effloresce]

its not realy good to go by WPG, it all depends on the type of light you are using, 20WPG of NO lights( normal output lights) will not even be as good as 4WPG as MH (metal halide lights)
what lights are you using, PC, VHO, T5, T12, MH?

 

[popcorny]

if u have coral i think its 5 6 wats per gallon i tink dont trust me i am a newbie

 

[annnes]

I just ordered coral life compact floresents with a total of 260 watts the specs are 6700 degrees/10000 degrees k duel actinic 429nm/460nm bulbs whatever that means? It has to be better than I am using now because I am only using 80 watt grow lights over a 90 gal reef system. I am a rookie at this but I am willing to ask questions and will take in any and all suggestions. thanks for your reply ann

 

[effloresce]

with that light i would say you dould keep polyping soft corals, 260w of PV light isnt very much on a 90g tank, 90g tanks are tall, and PC lights dont penetrate through the water far enough, all your corals will need to be on top, and PC lights arent very good for larger tanks, VHO lights are better for larger tanks but bad 4 small and vice versa with PC lights, sorry to say that.

 

[snipe]

Im not going to start a war but VHO and PC are pretty mutch the same thing. With 260 watts on a 90 gallon tank that is 2.8 watts per gallon that is very mutch. You want 5 watts for soft corals and 8 to 10 watts for hard corals. This is only a estimate to the PAR is what really matters and it is almost impossible to figure that out on a bulb. I plan on having 2x4x65 watt PC fixtures on my tank giving me 520 watts giving me 9.5 watts per gallon and I would still be kinda concernd on keeping SPS or Clams with it.

 

[reefraff]

PC will penetrate well at first but the lamps start to die very fast so VHO's are a better bet unless you want to change bulbs every 6 months or so. Neither will match T5 but they are inexpensive alternatives.
Forget watts per gallon. That was a viable systems before all the different lighting types and aquarium deminsions came into play. There are 55 gallon tanks that are 16" tall and others that are 24. The important thing is knowing how far your corals will be from the lighting and what kind you want to keep. The difference between 16" inches and 24 can make a huge difference in what lighting you need. On a 16" tall tank you could keep most anything using decent PC or VHO lighting. at 24" you gotta start thinking halides or at least a very good fluorescent system. With halides the length of the tank (and sometimes the front to back depth) determines how many lamps you need and the depth (how tall) dictates the wattage.

 

[effloresce]

snipe, like said above, PC lights dont penetrate and they also lose PAr and spectrum fast, while VHO will "die out" on the sides of the bulb and concentrate all of the light to the middle, on a smaller tank PC lights wont have a problem withe low light, but VHO will because the light that is reduced on the sides greatly decreases the ammound in the small tank, while in a larger tank the light has the chance to spread out and evenly disperse.

 

[annnes]

I worry about the MH lights because my tank is acrylic and I figured that the heat may harm the tank? It is a little let down to think that I have just ordered these PC lights new and to find out that they are probably insufficient. Can I maybe use these pc lights and have a boost of a smaller mh light or do you not mix the two? Ann

 

[snipe]

You can mix them use the pc as antinics and get 2 or 3 metal halide fixtuers Im not sure on your 90 gallon since I dont know the length. But you can mix them with no problems.

 

[effloresce]

The MH lights wont effect your acrylic, HQI light might if you dont have a qualified pendent with UV glass covers, but for the light to "wear down the tank" that would take decades upon decades....
I have dual 250w Mogul 14k hamilton bulbs on my 55g with dual 110w Actinics to simulate dusk/dawn

 

[jcarroll]

Hey effloresce, I've been overwhelmed at the choices of lights and I was wondering, I have a 55 also. What do your lights allow you to keep? Also, do you have to keep certain things at certain depths?

 

[fishieness]

does anyone know how many wats per gallon or lux or lumens i would need of Power compact in a 16 inch tank. How many for low lighting corals?? For medium lighting corals? For anenomes?

 

[snipe]

In a 29 gallon 2x65 should be good for any soft coral you wanted.
Well here is how it goes
Flourcent or Normal Ouput=NO that can sustain live rock and fish.
PC=Powercompact, VHO=Very High Output, HO=High Output can keep "if you have enough of them" any type of soft coral and some types of anemones.
MH=Metal Halide will let you keep any type of coral any type of anemone and clams.

 

[effloresce]

Carroll, with dual 250w MH's on a 55, you can keep anything, softeis, LPS, SPS, acros, clams, everything.
Provided you have then at the right deapth and acclimated to the lights, and also the correct water paraments and filtration.

 

[fishieness]

thanks. Ill think ill get the power compacts for my 29 gallon since i have an eclips system. But i did find an offer online where i can get a kit to put power compacts in an eclips system Also, i would liek to go with VHO for the tank im upgrading my baby snowflake eel to. Maybe ill have some corals in there.

 

[snipe]

Im going to use powercompacts on a 55 gallon. They should work on any size tank its just when you get into the big tanks 75+ then you need metal halide just cause you would need alot of powercompacts or vho to get enough light.