Lighting help.

[locofish]

Right know I'm using 2 150W HQI 14k Bulbs. I want to keep SPS and I need to know if I can keep my ligths and change the bulbs to 10K or will I need to add a 250W light. My tank is 55 gal.

 

[dvanacker]

If you have good HQI pendants just get some XM 10k bulbs. They have good par and you will be able to keep your 150w ballasts. But you will need acinic/blue supplemental. I suggest a T5HO or two if you can fit it with icecap or tek reflectors this will add to the par significantly. Thats my suggestion anyway.

 

[dots]

I just upgraded from 150's, you can keep them alive but they will be SLOW growing. Finding the highest PAR value of 10Ks would give you the best results.

 

[putman201]

the only problem i find with doing that is sometimes the crals brown out a bit... thatrs why in my 92 corner i have a 250 14k mh, a 175 10k mh, and 2 65 watt pcs runnig blue bulbs, not actinic. i'm getting really good growth with all my stonies, if i go away for 3 or 4 days and look in the tank i notice theyare getting bigger. the 175 10k gives pretty decent growth and the 250 14k helps color em up nicely. if you are serious about raising sps.. go with 2 250 watt mh, you wont be dissapointed trust me. Do you havre a chiller? cause that might be another factor...i dunno how i do it but with 2 maxii jets (1200 i think) a rio 800, all the lights, and my 27 watt quad refugium light under the cabinet, and a mag drive 9.5 doin the return plumbed externally, and a coralife super skimmer, my tank only reaches 79 and i keep the ac at 76-77 without chiller... anyways back to the nature at hand, i'd go with 2, 250watt 14k's with 2 54watt t5's... that is if money and heat isn't an issue...