FOWLR Lighting

[padgett152]

I have a 75 gallon FOWLR set-up. I may add some easy care softies in the future. Right now I have 2 Coralife 130 watt fixtues. They both have 2- 50/50 65 watt bulbs in them. The bulbs give more of a white than the blue I am looking for. I plan to replace one 50/50 with a true blue 420 range bulb. My question is 2 part: first, will softies grow high in the tank with this arrangement. Second, will coraline respond to the arrangement. I have a total of 260 watts now. Is that plenty?

 

[pdelcast]

Your lighting is fine for FOWLR, but then you ask about softies? And you want a bluer color too?

Usually blue lights and high intensity are for SPS/LPS corals, but softies also use photosynthetic zooxanthellae, so they do need light for growth. However, usually the light requirement for softies is significantly lower than SPS.

It sounds to me like your setup is fine, and moving a couple of the 50/50 to 450nm or 420nm bulbs would be fine (the 450nm bulbs would be brighter blue, 420 seem dim to our eyes and look more purple.)

 

[jefathome]

260 is plenty of light for the softies. Shrooms, leathers, some zoa's, and probably Xenia. You mignt want to look at a blue+ bulb over the pure actinic though. If you added a pure, you would have about a 3:1 ratio of actinic to white. Might be a little much.

 

[jefathome]

You might even be able to do a chalice near the top.

 

[Indymann99]

Padgett, I have essentially the same lighting as you just in 1 fixture. (PC)

Coraline is everywhere.... the LR on the right side is new.

hard to get the true color in the picts..

 

[padgett152]

Are you using 50/50 bulbs?

 

[Indymann99]

(2) 10k bulbes and (2) Actinic - all 65w

I am prob going to switch to T5s as I am getting the coral bug... ugh.... :rollface: