Help with SPS lighting

[Milez803]

i currently have 48'x 22'x36..tank..with a custom overflow in the middle.. currently running 2x54watts T5 and 2x250 Watts MH.. i been reading alot about T5..and how it is possible to maintain sps coral with them.. anyone have any idea what type of t5...and how many bulbs would require for SPS coral.. any advice would be grateful..

 

[Milez803]

another quick question....the amount of flow in the tank..how would u know if you have a decent amount..i have 2 return flow..both on each side of my overflow box ..in the middle of the tank..blasting on the wall of both side..which bounce off the glass..and also a max jet..in the middle of the overflow..hitting a live rock ..attempting to cover the powerhead..wonder if that enough flow..not sure what size is my tank..custom build

 

[gary shandling]

Im guessing this is a 75 gallon tank? You have lots of light in there with 500 watts of MH lighting alone. I would use the T-5 strip for your antic lighting. MH lights are very good and your coral will do just fine with this. I wouldnt goto T-5's if you have MH lights already. MH lighting gives you more freedom for coral placment from low to mid to high in the tank.T-5 lighting would mean you need to be more carefull with coral placement.

SPS perfer good water flow and water readings over very high lighting but with good flow and water readings with your MH lights they should thrive giving better color and growth.

 

[Milez803]

from what i was told..my tank is 130..gallon..its 4 feet lenght..3 feet wide and 22 inch tall..not sure if my lighting is enough..coloration on my sps seem to be turning brown..when it was in my 65 hex...the color was alot better..as for current...any way to test..if the flow is good..i do see stuff floating around in the bottom of the whole tank..

 

[gary shandling]

For flow you go by your powerhead ratings. You want a minimum of 20 times water exchange. In a 135 that means around 2600 gph. But with dpd 30 to 40 times exchange isnt unheard of. SPS and most other coral need small meaty bits of food and keeping the food suspended and flowing for best capture chance is best.

Whene factering your flow rater dont count your skimmer or any canister filters or your return pump from fuge or sump. These items will help but cant do the job alone.

Also feeding type and amount and amount you feed really matters as well with your water readings and type of stock and amount of LR and tanks age all play a factor.

In most cases theres more then 1 reason for any problem.

 

[Scooterman]

I coppied this from a guy that is keeping sps & clams under T5's only!

1. What fixture do you use?
I use an 8 bulb Sunlight Supply TEK Fixture, with the mounting legs.
Do I use the acrylic splash shield? No. Do I recommend it? Yes, but
only if you ventilate the fixture is some fashion because heat builds up
in there, warping the acrylic. Sit a few 120MM fans on top of the
fixture, drawing air out. Are there others out there that are both
more and less expensive? Yes. Can I recommend any others, no,
as I have only used the TEK and the Icecap Solar Flare (it's only
ok for being so overpriced).

2. What bulbs do you use? A combination of UVL Super Actinics,
ATI Blue Plus, and KZ Fiji Purples.

3. Where do you buy my bulbs from? www.reefgeek.com
www.premiumaquatics.com

4. What order do I have them in the fixture? From front to back they are:
ATI Blue Plus, UVL Super Actinic, KZ Fiji Purple, ATI Blue Plus, ATI
Blue Plus, KZ Fiji Purple, UVL Super Actinic, ATI Blue Plus

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
Your current lighting is quite adequate for a 22" deep tank. T-5's would also work but I don't think it is very cost effective to buy new lights when you already have good lighting. The problem is the distance of the lights from the corals. 6-12" off the water is the standard distance (I run my 400's 9-12" off the water).
If you want to go with T-5's eight bulbs would do the trick 4 -11,000K's and 4 - 420-450nm depending on your white/blue preference.

In regards to water flow for SPS the polyps should shake like if you were to hold a small tree by the trunk and gave it a hard shake for a few seconds then stop for a min or so. This roughly imitates the wave surge they experience in nature allowing food to be brought to them and waste products to be carried away.

Your tank volume is about 164.57 gallons LxWxH multiplied then divided by 231.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[atavus]

Your tank volume is about 164.57 gallons LxWxH multiplied then divided by 231.

Or the easy way: http://www.google.com/search?client...feet+*+22+inches+in+gallons&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

And yes, that's a 164G tank or bad measurements. If it's 130G then I'd guess the 3' wide number is probably off, 36" is REALLY deep, you're tank would be nearly a box rather than a rectangle.

 

[MarineDreamer]

I noticed that you said that your corals are turning brown and I got the impression that wasn't what you signed up for. How old are your bulbs? I notice on my tank that as the MH bulbs age, the corals' pigment changes in response. To the point that when I replace my bulbs, SE 250W 20K MH's, that I have to acclimate the corals to them. Just a thought...

I also like the 'glitter lines' that MH's give, so I too vote to keep the current set up.

 

[Milez803]

thanks guys for the info..yeah..my tank is more like a box rather than a rectangle..it is 22 inch in height..i think the reason why its not a 164 is because of the overflow box..it is very large..and its right in the middle of the tank..because i have 4 side view of the tank..with rock stack around the overflow box..

as for the lighting..i believe it might be time to change the bulbs. its been about 8 month on the bulbs..at this point right now i'm running 14k or 12..has a tint of blue to it..but i'm looking to get some for growth rate.. i was told 10k would be nice..but the coral of 10k seem so white...doesn't really look too great...so i might replace it to 12k

 

[Skimmy]

here's a thread on RC all about t5 lights and sps, great thread...
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1220131

 

[Milez803]

thanks for the info guys..but at this current moment..gonna stick with the 250 watts ..halide.like kevin said..it would be expensive just to buy new T5 anyways..but i was thinking about switching one 250watts into my 400 watts. but wonder would it look funny with 250 watts on one side and 400 watts on the other...if they both have same kelvin bulbs..would it look similar?

 

[Milez803]

another question is...i pick up a purple bonsai acro..which was glue to the frag stone..even thou the polyp doesn't bloom very big, and color faded..the bottom of the section where i glue is starting to incrust onto the stone..is that consider a good sign...same for my orange monti digi..but color also faded more brown..then orange..

 

[gary shandling]

Encrusting in a sign of growth and a good sign. THe color change could be from a differance in lighting.

 

[kevinpo]

but i was thinking about switching one 250watts into my 400 watts.

I think lowering your current lights would be just as effective.
IMHO 400W are generally for 24-36" deep tanks.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[Milez803]

i already switch my 250watts to 400watts..and also from 10k to 20k bulbs..my tank is 22 inch deep but my acro are like 4 inch below the surface of the water...i'm currently hanging the 400watts 2feet above surface water..i might try to move the bonsai a bit lower to the bottom of sand bed and slowly move it back up..if color return..thanks for all the advice guys.. especially you kevin....the man! hehe