Help with lighting!!!

[mike68]

I can't decide on the lighting should I upgrade or not? The tank is 48"L x 18"W x 16" Tall. Right now I have 2-175w xm 20k with four 28w pc lights over the tank. Two pc are 50/50 and the other two are 03 actinic. Do you think this is enough light to have SPS only in the tank? There is about 2" of sand on the bottom so I have about 14" of water depth. Should I upgrade to 2-250w xm 20k's without supplement lights? Please help with my tank. Any ideas would help. Thanks

 

[Reefer Jerm]

Whats up reefer Mike!!

This is reefer Jerms opinion...175's are for wimps...lol...be a manm mike go for the 250's...lol..just kidding man..

But 175's are junk compared to 250's...400 are nice but way to big for most systems...I run a home/family frag aquaculture farm and only 250's for halides here...and all Radiums...well testing a 20K XM now...pretty good bulb..but I like the radiums a bit better...

Ditch those pcs..they will rob all the color from your sps...I PROMISE YOU!! Although they will grow coraline algea like nobodys business...browns out acros...thats just fact...I use all URI vho's, and ATI/G-mann T-5's for my actinic and extra blue light...I use PC's on my cheato and xenia scrubbing tanks hooked to my main acropora tanks..and they work great for that....


Just the expermintally tested opinion, of a humble, smart eleck Reefer...lol
Doc

 

[Krish]

Welcome to RF Mike! I ran dual 250w 20K XM's on my old 75gal and loved it! I was going to get the dual 175's, but was told I'd regret it and so I went with the dual 250's and was happy I did. SPS's need some of the most intense lighting so if it is in your budget, I'd go for the 250's one time

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
Unless money is no object stick with what you have for now and see how your corals do. I have grown many very colorful corals with 175W halides. For such a shallow tank a 175W will do quite well. 18" is the maximum depth I recommend for a 175W and high light SPS corals. Remember that lighting intensity is only a small part of the overall SPS requirement. Water quality, flow, and spectral output are ahead of intensity IMO.
If you didn't have halides already I would recommend 250W'ers as they allow for more flexibility.

Here is a picture of one of my 90 tanks from 1997 with a single 175W. It is either a 10,000K Ushio or a 14,000K Belgium bulb and 2 URI VHO actinic bulbs. I ran this tank from 1997-2001.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[mike68]

Thanks for the info. I'm just so confused with lighting. As for water parameters everything is good. I have great flow and the monti's I have right now seem to love the tank. The reason I had thought about 250 watters is because I love the xm 20k and with the 175w bulbs it seemed kind of dim. The only reason I had add the pc's was for more light. The other thing was I didn't want the 250's the overheat my tank. I'm still leaning towards the 250's without pc's just to see what happens. How high can I keep the 250's from the top of the tank. Right now my 175's are about 7" from the top. Thanks

 

[kevinpo]

I recommend 8-10" off the water for 250's.

Regards,
Kevin