Lighting suggestions

mtrcyclefish

New member
After a shorter than expected break from the hobby I'm finally setting up a new tank. This time around I'm setting everything up right the first time instead of piecing things together as I go along. I'm starting off with a 115 gallon tank, 48x18x31. I'm going to run 2x 250w MH. My question is what should I use for supplemental? PC? T5? VHO? And what color bulbs should I run for the best coral color and growth? Any pics you might have as examples would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


P.S.

Dave and Jeff, I'm gonna be looking for a couple of frags of the corals you guys got from me soon!
 
31" is going to be tough. I would think about getting a 120 that is 48 x 24 x 24. Gives you an extra 6" of width and not as high. You can easily use two 250W MH with supplement VHO or T5's for actinic. I would't mess with PC's.
With the 31" I think you'll be getting into the 400W MH's, lot's of heat, lot's of extra $$$ when that monthly bill shows up.
 
My 110 has two 400's on it and sometimes I think that may be too much. But I have tried two 250's and that wasnt enough. I am using two 55 watt PC actinic 03 bulbs for supplement. It all depends on what you are keeping in there

DSC00290.jpg
 
I know that with 31" tank I won't be able to keep SPS's on the bottom. That's tough to do in any size tank. My thoughts were to keep higher light corals in the top 1/2 of the tank and with the softies and such more toward the bottom. I'm confident that I can do this with 2 x 250w MH, but i'm trying to figure out what supplemental lighting will give me the best color and growth from my corals.

Aaron, any problems with 3 tangs and that demon, I mean damsel, in the tank?
 
The tangs are great. the black piece of future fish food. sucks Just waiting for the right time to change the rock around then i'll get him out. I need to upgrade soon. Getting a little cramped in there. I think im going to go large.
 
IME T5's offer you the best supplemental lighting. I just went three weeks without a ballast on the center of my tank, and still got great growth in that part of my tank. I use 2 54w UVL Super Actinics and 2 54w ATI Blue+ on triad ballasts for my supplemental. You could run 10k XM's and one blue+ and one Super Actinic.

BTW are you a Wilmington cop? I deliver bread there. I drive the Rosen's truck. :D
 
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