FishDad2
Member
I setup my first reef tank this past July, a 225 gallon tank measuring 72"w x 30"h x 24"d. And since I didn't have any reef experience, I went with my LFS recommendations on lighting...a Hamilton retrofit kit with 3 x 250 watt 10K MH and 4 x 96 watt 50/50 PC.
However, the colors of the corals aren't as bright and vibrant in the tank as they are at the LFS.
Given that the health of the critters has been quite good, I think the lack of pop in their colors is primarily due to the tone of the lighting and it's time to make a change.
My inital thought, based on readings from various sources (all of which give conflicting recommendations), is to go with 2 x 14K & 1 x 20K MH, with 2 x actinic & 2 x 50/50 PC. This will shift the tone into the blue spectrum, hopefully bringing out the colors more.
That said, I'd like to get some recommendations from those with experience before I buy. So, any thoughts as to the Kelvin ratings and/or bulb manufacturers with which you've had good experience would be greatly appreciated.
And since your recommendations will based on what I'm keeping in the tank...it's mostly a mix of LPS and softies...both open and closed brains, red lobo, frogspawn, torch, finger leather, green star polyps, as well as several varieties of shrooms and zoos. I also have two Acropora frags that I was given...one of which is loving life in the tank, while the other is just hanging in there.
Future plans call for a continuation of the LPS and softie population scheme...I may go with some SPS on the upper reef down the road, but that's some years off...I need to get some experience/success under my belt and there are limits to the budget!!
However, the colors of the corals aren't as bright and vibrant in the tank as they are at the LFS.
Given that the health of the critters has been quite good, I think the lack of pop in their colors is primarily due to the tone of the lighting and it's time to make a change.
My inital thought, based on readings from various sources (all of which give conflicting recommendations), is to go with 2 x 14K & 1 x 20K MH, with 2 x actinic & 2 x 50/50 PC. This will shift the tone into the blue spectrum, hopefully bringing out the colors more.
That said, I'd like to get some recommendations from those with experience before I buy. So, any thoughts as to the Kelvin ratings and/or bulb manufacturers with which you've had good experience would be greatly appreciated.
And since your recommendations will based on what I'm keeping in the tank...it's mostly a mix of LPS and softies...both open and closed brains, red lobo, frogspawn, torch, finger leather, green star polyps, as well as several varieties of shrooms and zoos. I also have two Acropora frags that I was given...one of which is loving life in the tank, while the other is just hanging in there.
Future plans call for a continuation of the LPS and softie population scheme...I may go with some SPS on the upper reef down the road, but that's some years off...I need to get some experience/success under my belt and there are limits to the budget!!
