Lighting question

[snulma1]

Hey guys,

I tried to search for this but couldn't find it. I used to have a 55g w/ 2 x 175w MH and 2 x 96w PC's. I moved and had to sell it all for ease of moving.

I'm now in the process of setting up a simple 20H. Right now i've got about 40lbs of Southdown in it and about 20 lbs of LR. I'm looking eventually to try and put in some SPS, because I liked the way the grew and looked in my previous tank.

Here is my question. Right now the tank is lit by 2x65w PC's. While at the LFS the guy there told me that if I place the SPS mid level or higher in my tank, the SPS should be fine, and grow. He showed me some of their SPS that they have in a nano cube w/out the modded light.

I could be wrong, but I thought that SPS needed that stronger light? Is it possible to grow SPS under 130w of PC's?

 

[snulma1]

Anyone?






Bueller........Buelller??

 

[CaptRon]

SPS may survive, but they won't grow or display the color that they should have. I wouldn't reccomend PC's for SPS unless it is a monti or similar moderate light SPS. I have a single 175w halide over my 20 and I am starting to think I should have went with a 250. I think I will on the next bulb change. The halide that I have is on the 20 temporarily until I have my 40 up and running which will have 2 - 175w 14k MH.

 

[snulma1]

I really can't put a 175w on my 20, I don't have a chiller and at the moment, no room for a sump, so there is no way the temp is gonna handle that. I really do want to keep SPS, what else can I do?

 

[elegance coral]

You got problems! Your 130w pc's are not enough for sps. Your best and cheapest rout would be to find room for a sump to help with temp and buy a MH. I wouldn't go below a 175W 10,000K MH. Even with this I would put the sps near the top of the tank. You don't want your coral to just hang on to life. You want them to grow and be healthy. Good Luck!

 

[CaptRon]

I have 175w with no chiller. Now, my tank is in a nice cool basement, but when it was in my warmer living room, I used PC fans to keep the temp under 80. I just had to keep up with more topoffs.

 

[kodyboy]

get a viper mh unit (150 watt) that clamps onto the side of the tank, coralife makes one as well. Either would work.

 

[skey44]

i have the coralife and its not great but i have heard viper light horror stories

 

[snulma1]

My concern with a clamp on MH would be that it would be the only light on my tank. Cuz how else could I place PC's or T5's on it?

 

[kodyboy]

not the best lamps, I have had the viper, it worked fine, but the coralife does seem better. You could get a pendant instead, and have it hang from the ceiling. Some pendants have both MH and PCs if that is a concern. If you can only have the MH pheonix 14ks look nice by themselves.

 

[CaptRon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9706897#post9706897 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kodyboy
not the best lamps, I have had the viper, it worked fine, but the coralife does seem better. You could get a pendant instead, and have it hang from the ceiling. Some pendants have both MH and PCs if that is a concern. If you can only have the MH pheonix 14ks look nice by themselves.

Yep. IMO, 14k doesn't need any actinic supplementation. I'm using hamiltons.