250w XM 10k on a 40 breeder: Too much?

[shelburn61]

I've been running a 175 10k XM with 190w actinic over this tank for 6 months. Results have been fairly good, but for a number of reasons I am going to switch out the bulb soon.

I have a 250w magnetic ballast on hand so I was thinking of upgrading to the 250w XM 10k. This will more than double the output (137ppfd for the 250w, 62 ppfd for the 175w)... and, yes I will acclimate.

At only 16'' deep the tank doesn't really need this much light and I am concerned the LPS might not dig it? I am leaning toward the new Iwasaki 14k (72ppfd) at this point, but extra growth would be nice?

 

[PITSTOP]

bigger tank would be best - 250 sounds overkill - I use them on my 120 - how about a 150 DE?

 

[scarletknight06]

go for it. a lot of people will tell you that 175's are fine, but I have seen people's tanks where their sps are closer to their bulbs than mine and they run 400's and I run 175s (i have a 40 breeder also). I am switching to a single 250w DE this week and I have a friend with the same size tank and he runs a single 250w xm 10k, and it works well for him.

 

[Wiskey]

no it does not "need" that much light. I have 2*250 XM 10K over my four foot 50 gallon tank and my corals do fine with it, including my LPS.

BUT I only bought the 2 * 250 setup insted of 2*175 because I plan to upgrade soon.

I would worry about heat with the upgrade though, that is a problem I am sure I will have come summer.

Whiskey

 

[clkwrk]

10k 250 de over a 40 breeder will be too much even at 12" .

I know cause my acans and blastos don't like hamilton 250w14k de 12" of the water . I have to keep them on the sides and they do fine. Although the sps love it

 

[clkwrk]

Whiskey your tank is deeper than a 40g breeder

The blasto frag from me above is from my mother colony and it does best off to the side. Thats when it expands the best . My green bubble coral also was all the way to one side.

IMO if you put an lps dirrectly under a 10k 250xm you will burn it.Unless you have a coralife unit

 

[Jovreefer]

I dont think it will be to much at all...I've seen people with them over their 20 gallon tanks! I'm going to put one over my 20 when I get my tax return back Just keep the LPS off to the sides and not directly under the bulb.

 

[scarletknight06]

if you acclimate properly you should have no problems

 

[Wiskey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6632651#post6632651 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by clkwrk
Whiskey your tank is deeper than a 40g breeder

The blasto frag from me above is from my mother colony and it does best off to the side. Thats when it expands the best . My green bubble coral also was all the way to one side.

IMO if you put an lps dirrectly under a 10k 250xm you will burn it.Unless you have a coralife unit

Like I said the only reason I am using those lights is because I am planning a upgrade soon .

With a single lamp over a 3 foot tank I would think that there would be plenty of lower light places for lps . That blasto is under the centre brace between the bulbs on the bottom. The torch is partly shaded, and the candy cane is partly shadowed by a rock ledge.

I was thinking that if you had a single 250, 12 inches off the water then to the side of the tank it would really be 21.6 inches off the water surface on the right and left side.

Whiskey

 

[redwinger02]

I have a 250w xm10k over my 26 gallon frag tank and everything is doing just fine.

 

[cubman20]

I am running 400 watt 14k hammy with one 96watt pc lot of growth. thats on a 40 breeder

 

[shelburn61]

The bulb will be 6" off the water. Can't raise it. Moving LPS to the sides is no problem, already doing that.

The 250w XM 10k SE on an m-58 runs at 315w and actually puts out more light than most 400w combos. More than any 250w DE except HQI.

 

[Ti]

nah, not too much