Lighting in a 75g. softie/LPS tank

[AquariumPerson]

Ok, since my 75g. acro tank was immediately destroyed by a stuck auto water fill system stuck on the on position (filled my 75 with full fw with 100+g. on the floor) I am deciding to take a wild twist and not do SPS anymore. Well, I just dont want a coral anymore that requires lots and lots of care just for it to look good.

Anyhow, I am doing a DSB. Yes, a DSB. My 75g. acro tank was BB.

Im taking a twist, ya know. I bought 200lbs of "quick crete" sand from home depot (its whitish really fine sand) Its not concrete, noo. It was meant for play sand. Anyhow, thats what I am doing for a dsb. 200lbs may be too much, but i wanted to buy 5 50lb. bags so i wouldnt have to go back if I didnt have enough.

(None of the info up there really relates to my question, tho)

My question is, with a 75g. tank, with a 5-6" DSB, with (2) 110w. VHO's, will I be able to keep LPS and Softies? Or will they die due to not enough light? I would think they would have enough light. I will be using one atinctic (or blue) and one white. VHO's, they will be. I also have 250w SE MH bulbs (10k XM) but i dont think the lps etc will like 250 watters with a 6" sand bed in a 75g.



What do you think? I really hope to have enough light. Thanks

 

[fat-tony]

for softies that's more than enough light, and even some LPS. If it's not, ARO is a cheap ballast that is 2x110 for like $35 in some online stores (an easy upgrade at least)

 

[Dubbin1]

My LPS and softies love the 2 250 MH lights I have over them. I don't really think that your 110w will be enough.

 

[AquariumPerson]

i will have (2) 110w VHO's thats 220 wats... i dunna what you mean up there about 110 watts.

on my 125 i have one white and one blue vho only and i have some lps at the bottom that are still doing fine.....so i thought 2 vhos was gonna be enough but I want to make sure.

 

[Paintbug]

im using 260w of PCs on a 75g. i have softies, and LPS and they are all doing great. my hammer is splitting, as well as the candycanes, and trumpets. my mushrooms are spreading, the zoos are spreading, my colt leather has doubled in size in the month i have had it. i would say 220w would be fine. but i would recommend going ahead with a 4 bulb setup to equal 440w. it wont be that much more $$! and you would have twice the light!

 

[Craig Lambert]

I agree with Dubbin1. I don't think 220 is enough. I run a 75G DSB with Softies and LPS with VHO, but I run 6 bulbs and 630 watts.

 

[kbmdale]

I agree, don't think 220w over a 75g is gonna be enough, right now I have 3x95 VHO over my 30gL.

 

[Dubbin1]

Ahh I thought you only had one 110w. Anyway many people do not include the actinic bulb to count since they do not produce much light. Anyway I think you can get away with softies and maybe a few LPS but I would take things slow. Why not just use the MH's that you already have? The LPS and sofies both will love them.

 

[rjwilson37]

Yep, I would get 2 more VHO running 440w, or just use your 2x250w MH over it with 14k bulbs and no VHO.

 

[rjwilson37]

I have mostly soft and LPS corals in my tank besides the Cap Corner and I am running 2x250w MH, the LPS just love my lighting.