lighting for SPS

[johncash]

Hi;

I want to set up a 10 gallon sps tank. It is hard for me to find a light that will allow me to keep SPS colored and thriving that will fit the tank. It is 20 L X 10 W X 12 H. As well I am concerned about overheating. So how can I accomplish my goal, any suggestions? Anyone with experience keeping SPS in a 10 Gallon?

 

[jcal]

70 watt viper or 2 24" T-5s, keep the sps high up in the rocks. does the tank have a cover/hood?

 

[johncash]

no cover, but has a hood that is an inch short of fitting lengthwise, it has got to go. If the viper is a go what about the aquatrader 150 or 250 MH or the fishneedit 70 150 or 250. I am just a little concerned that I will be overhating my tank with one of those fixutres. Anyone with experice with 10 gallon sps. I dont even know if I have seen it done.

 

[Crippler]

Hi;

I want to set up a 10 gallon sps tank. It is hard for me to find a light that will allow me to keep SPS colored and thriving that will fit the tank. It is 20 L X 10 W X 12 H. As well I am concerned about overheating. So how can I accomplish my goal, any suggestions? Anyone with experience keeping SPS in a 10 Gallon?

I'm currently using a Current 24" Nova Extreme 4-bulb over my 10g and I actually think I'm putting in too much light at times. I'm having a hard time with not bleaching some SPS. I've moved some to the sand bed. The little bit of overhang due to the length diff of the fixture vs the tank is no big deal at all, IMO. I thought about MH, but didn't want to deal with the temp control that usually comes with it. Especially with such a small tank.

 

[Nanook]

You can use a 150 watt bulb, just raise the fixture higher so you don't overheat....this will cause spillover though.

 

[finksmart]

What's your plan with ATO?

 

[serpentman]

I would find a 10g SPS tank MUCH harder to keep than a larger tank. Although they can handle some fluctuations, I have found stable water parameters paramount to good color and growth which is very hard to do in a small tank.

Granted, I said it was hard but not impossible.

No matter what you go with in the way of lighting, temperature is going to be your biggest challenge.

 

[creed]

I had a biocube 8 with a sunpod 70 watt whiched worked well. Heat will be you problem on the biocube a clip on fan blowing across the water kept my temps good.