lighting question

[ssheely220]

i have a 20 gallon long reelf tank that i have had setup for about a year. For lights i have 2x65 watt pc's on it but my dad has an extra 400 watt mh laying around. I was wondering if i could switch the lights if i start with the mh really high off the tank and short running time then gradually increase it.

I have mostly softies and a couple lps's in the tank right now.

thanks

 

[Salty Brother]

sorry to say, but I think that is overkill. It would probably cook your corals, espically since the 20l is so short. I have a 250w on a 40gal and it is perfect.

 

[ek9vboi]

yeah 400 way too much. If your tank is doing fine, just keep the PCs and save the energy.

 

[Zero-2-Sixty]

just happens to have a 400 watt hetal halide laying around?

but ya, i third the overkill

 

[BCreefmaker]

id say if its just "laying aorund" i doubt the bulb is of marine quality... most people dont bother to pay the extra money to get that nice light 14k's give off... i thought most commercial MH were in the 3k-6k range?

 

[ssheely220]

yea it was on his old 75 but he upgrdaded to a 125 and bought a new fixure for it. i believe it has a pheniox bulb that is 14k.