lighting opinion needed

stevebeaver

New member
Here are a couple pics of my 130 gal soon to be reef tank.
It has 2 x 175 10k MH's. I want to add a few sps corals in the near future. I have thought about upgrading the lights to 2 X 400 watt Mh. The tank is 30" tall but the lights on it seem to be VERY bright, are they enough? or should i plan on upgrading?



130gal1.jpg

130gal2.jpg
 
First, I would like to say that is some really nice wood work on your tank. Second, I think 175 would not be enough and 400's might be too much. I think 250's SE or DE would do it and would be easier to lose the heat.
 
Thanks, woodworking is the second hobby, kinda nice when you can put the two hand in hand. the only reason i was looking at 400's was i found a deal on a couple of ballast. but you are right about the heat. i lost sight of that.
 
If you only plan on adding a few SPS I would think your 175's would be enough. Make sure to run carbon and keep the water clear for good light penetration.

If you plan on housing more then just a couple of SPS then I would look at 250's.

Once you add a SPS coral I bet you will inevitably want to add more.
 
Plan upfront for the heat, vents/fans on canopy, external pumps. The increased heat from the larger MHs is a big issue OR can be.
 
Nice live rock! Is it all tonga branch? Where'd you get it? Your tank looks amazing. I would be afraid of changing anything about it!!!
 
go with 400 watt. That is what I run on my 90 gallon that is 24 inches deep and it isn't to much light. But I do have 4 120mm fans in the canopy. 2 in each end , 2 of which push air into the canopy and 2 that push it out.
 
the rock is called totoka it comes from brazil i believe. i had a LFS order it for me. i have 2 120mm fans in the canopy . 1 pushing 1 pulling.
 
Personally I would go with 2X400 14K on it if you want the SPS to really stand out. You could also just add a center 400 watt 20K for actininc effect and leave it as is.

I agree 175s are fine though as long as you go with around 10K or so.

Don't ever say you want "a few SPS". It never works out you can never stop at just a few. Plan on some serious water flow on that that thing as well. I use and recommend TUNZE but thats just out of personal preference and peace of mind. I would shoot for around 4000 to 5000 GPH to start with but that just me, I like serious water flow in my systems with SPS :)

Enjoy the addiction that is to come :thumbsup:
 
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