LPS Reef Halides

[greaps]

Hi, im considering an LPS / soft coral tank, planing a tank no deeper than 20 inches, is there bulb / ballast combo that works well without supplementation. Halides seem so specific to bulb type, ballast and wattage its quite a lot to understand. What bulb setups made your LPS look best.

Thanks ahead for any advise.

 

[Reef Frog]

Just curious - why are you going with MH in a 20" deep tank with no SPS? I'm not saying it can't be done or is a bad choice (never used one on an aquarium). But the right T5 or LED unit would work well with less heat & energy savings. Plus with all the different T5 bulbs & customizable LEDs out there you can create just about any color temperature scheme you want. They are also often easier to mount, especially if you would have a hood.

You might find that there would be few LPS that will thrive in the 1st half or two thirds if the tank under MH - many will bleach unless shaded somehow.

 

[cloak]

MH is fine. You might not be able to manipulate the color scheme that easily, (without supplementation) but it's definitely worth your while IMO. Depending on how big your tank is, 20K Radiums seem to be pretty popular. (250/400 watts) You might have to do some research as far as which ballast to run this bulb on though, there is a certain type that runs this bulb better than others, but after that, your golden. GL.

 

[ryanerickson]

I have 2 400 radiums on my 12" deep frag tank it is mainly for sps but there is also lots of zoas rics-yumas and random Lps pieces they all thrive I have a open brain directly under the halides no problem, same open brain in my display tank under ai sol is never happy. Also a lot of the zoas did not like my LEDs moved then under the halides and there happy. By the way display and frag tank run of the same sump, same system so no change in water params when I move from one light to the other.

 

[greaps]

Just curious - why are you going with MH in a 20" deep tank with no SPS? I'm not saying it can't be done or is a bad choice (never used one on an aquarium). But the right T5 or LED unit would work well with less heat & energy savings. Plus with all the different T5 bulbs & customizable LEDs out there you can create just about any color temperature scheme you want. They are also often easier to mount, especially if you would have a hood.

You might find that there would be few LPS that will thrive in the 1st half or two thirds if the tank under MH - many will bleach unless shaded somehow.

Thanks for the inputs, my main reasons for wanting to go MH is for light spread, start up costs, and a fear of color morphing, many on this forums have complained of led's changing corals colors. The tank I'm interested in is 20 deep, 32 long, and 24 wide.

I was thinking a MH elevated,would spread the light well front to back and without needing a second fixture.

 

[atrox]

I've go two 150watt hqi mounted 8" from water level, in a 40 breeder with a 4" sand bed. Halides are the way to go.