Lighting for SPS?

[beeker]

Hi i recently started a 20g H tank and currently have a 175w 15k XM MH fixture over the tank, and was wondering what would be a good addition to get more growth/color out of my sps?

Should i add some actinic lighting? Or would it be better if i changed my bulb to a hamilton 14k?

any info/advice would be great.


thanks
kyle

 

[dwdenny]

Well the 15kk xm has poor PAR numbers. From what I hear people like the color but the growth is not all that great. The best(highest PAR) 175w SE is the Iwasaki 15k but it is a bright white and will more then likely need actinic supplementation if you like the blue look. The hamilton is good bulb I hear. HTH

 

[beeker]

yeah i like the look of the hamilton 14k and it does look a little bluer than my xm 15k bulb....but i don't really have a lot of room for more bulbs under my ghetto made hood. But if it was easier/better to grow SPS under more actinic or 6500k i could probably figure out how to add 2 more bulbs too the hood.

 

[dwdenny]

Have to looked at Sanjays website? If not here it is http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/ you can look at bulbs on different ballast all sorts of stuff.

Doug

 

[beeker]

anyone have any suggestions on what works really well for their sps tanks as far as lighting?

 

[SunnyX]

Like dwdenny said, the Iwasaki 14k would give you increased growth over the XM 15K.

 

[beeker]

alright well i just placed and order for the Iwasaki 14k 175w mogul base bulb....how slowly should i aclimate my corals to this new bulb? i figured id let my xm run for about 8 hours then let this one run 2 and then the next day let the xm run 6 and it run 4 etc...does that sound good?

 

[beeker]

also do you think ill need actinic lighting with this bulb?

 

[dwdenny]

You will have to be the judge of that one. One way to acclimate would be to use the screen method. Put several layers of window screen between the tank and lights and romove one layer over a four week period. With the Iwasaki you PAR number are going to triple so acclimation is going to be key factor. I would prefer the screen method personally. The bulb is a bright white according to Sanjay it is a 13kk bulb so probably will need some actinic could use T5 actinic+ lamps small as last a good 14 months or the VHO for the best color pop from your corals.

 

[beeker]

yeah i figured id get some actinic but...fitting it on a hood that already has a MH parabolic reflector attached to it will take some ghettoness...but i'm sure i can figure something out.

you think i could use LED lights and get away with it for the actinic?

 

[beeker]

if i had to choose from 2 different 24w T5 bulbs which ones would you recommend for SPS?

 

[dwdenny]

I doubt the LED lights will work. If you found some more powerful ones maybe. As far as the 24w T5 I think the blue+/Actinic+ from giesseman(sp) are the best. Stay away from the pure actinic they are not all that great. URI or UVL as they are now is coming out with T5's here at the end of May they say. There will be a superactinic available then as well.

 

[beeker]

thanks for all your help man

still debating if the 14k iwasaki will not need actinic, if it doesen't need the actinic, then i might get the T5 kit and 1 blue+/Actinic+ bulb and maybe 1 6500k bulb, do you think this would grow SPS well?

 

[dwdenny]

Yeah easy! The GE T5 is a PAR hog(it has tons of PAR) it might make things look a little green though. I would get the bulb and let it burn in and go from there. But remeber to acclimate the corals to the lamp beacuse it is a big jump form the XM 15kk.

 

[beeker]

yeah ill acclimate slowly...how many pieces of screen do you think i will need? and what type metal or the nylon palstic mesh? my light is the required hieight off the tank but i still don't want to risk a fire.

 

[dwdenny]

Get the fibreglass window screen from HD or Lowes. you might have to use egg create to hold it up. I would get at least 5 or so sheets and remove one per week. If the corals look stressed out it back on. Most do it this way I dont think you will have a problem.

 

[beeker]

so if the 14k iwasaki is blue enough then i won't need 2 actinic in the T5 setup? Should i just go with one actinic bulb and one daylight? would that be the best setup for SPS? or 2 day bulbs if the 14k is blue enough? or would i get plenty enough growth out of just 1 day?

sorry for asking sooo many questions i would have loved to searched and find out the answer on my own but not too many people i know of use a 20 gallon high for SPS so it's hard to find lighting that will work on it for SPS, plus i'm new to reef tanks and my 20 gallon has itself only been up and running about 6 monthes.

thanks again for all your help.

 

[dwdenny]

I understand the search very rarely works for me. If you pay the $25(i think that is what it cost) to support RC and I will soon then the search function works better. I be all honest with the amount of PAR that this bulb puts out I don't think you will need the T5 daylight lamps. What I would do is get the bulb let it burn in and see how you like the color. Then if you want your tank to look more blue then then add a couple T5 blue+ lamps. The MH will be enough to support SPS. Actinic is for aesthetics anyway at least that IMO. I have not read any scientific data that says it is needed.

 

[beeker]

well thats exactly what i needed/wanted to hear lol

yesh i think the 14k iwasaki will do better than my xm 15k, i really wanted to go with the 14k hamilton since i have seen the color and it does seem to be less bright than my 15k but a little more blue. But i mainly wanted to be able to have all the SPS i wanted too in my tank and have them thrive. I tryed to find some pics of tanks using a 14k iwasaki and didn't have any luck...though i can't search on this site to see if there are any.

the first SPS i had lasted a month and then had some tissue damage to it that was starting to heal and then in all of one week the polyps stopped extending and i knew that it was a gonner so i haven't put anymore SPS in my tank for about 4 monthes now so i think it should be a lot more aged and do better...i hope.