Is My Lighting good enough for SPS

[ADA33]

Hi everyone
I have been reading all of your threads for about 2 weeks now and have enjoyed them alot.
I have a question my tank is 75 gallons and has been up for 1.5 years all calcium is at 450 and alk is at 3.5 soft corals are doing good my lighting is 2 10k and 2 acnic for a total of 260w compact lighting. is my tank ready for sps. Also I have a Sebae that is doing great which tells me the water quality is good it has been around for about 10months. Tank is 18" deep
thanks in advance for all your input
Denny

 

[spoon25]

prolly not if your using PC....i wouldnt reccomend anything less then vhos and MH's for sps

 

[clkwrk]

IMO your lighting lacks . IMO I would go for 175mh min or t-5's

 

[Roll221]

Most Montipora will do well under PC lighting. I subscribe to the theory that as long as you water quality is good...and stable..did I mention stable your corals will do well under marginal lighting. See the thread I just posted (Office Mini Reef) Those Montipora Digitata on the top rock grew from 3 inch frags from my home tank under 2 55w PCs. Granted they are really close to the surface but I do everything possible to keep all water parameters as stable as possible.. there is that word again

Good Luck,
Ed

 

[ADA33]

So if I upgrade will my corals and Sebae be shocked

 

[clkwrk]

No . Let me dig up some examples as my tanks went from pc's to halides . Give me a lil bit.

 

[ADA33]

thanks your the best

 

[ADA33]

thanks your the best

 

[clkwrk]

Okay the old 75 with 260w pc's and my first 2 sps . I still have the one on the left and the one on the right died 6 months ago in my 44g.

Here is the same tank with 2x96w pc actinics and 2x175 ushio bulbs and more sps . Lighting in a PFO hood painted white no reflector.

This everything from the above 75 move into a new 75....Lighing upgraded with pfo reflectors for the halides and pc's. This is also when my BB journey started.

Later I moved to 250 de halides

My 44g went thru the same transition with lights. From PC's to 175 halide to 150 de.

2x55w pc's

175mh

to 150 de

Not once to I do anything to aclimate anyting except I reduced the light to 8hrs max. Everything actually like the extra light IMO

 

[clkwrk]

Both tanks had anemones

 

[clkwrk]

Here is mine now under 250se until I get my new 250 de pendants which was what was on the tank 3 weeks ago .

 

[spoon25]

nice tanks....i have some transition periods when i had better lights....then again i know my tank isnt very well established so that has a big role in how sps may grow in your tank

 

[ADA33]

thanks I think its time to upgrade
great info

 

[clkwrk]

You wont be disapointed. Also I figured at the time I was paying 50 bucks a pc bulb every 9 months which was $200 every 9 months with the halides only it was the same but I got more wattage and a better source of light.

Here is a pic of the 90 with the 250 de's that were on it up until 3 weeks ago look how close the softies are to the light up top. They are loving it and that was 250's that ran at 290watts.

 

[ADA33]

your anemones looks awsome
here is mine about 9months ago I need to take new pics tank looks alot more experinced now
/Users/dennykatz/Desktop/DSC02494.jpg

 

[ADA33]

um how did you get your pics on

 

[ADA33]

/Users/dennykatz/Desktop/DSC02493.jpg

 

[ADA33]

/Users/dennykatz/Desktop/DSC02493.jpg

 

[clkwrk]

I host most my pics on photobucket.com the use the provide img tags

 

[ADA33]

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