SPS Lighting need you input

J

jason78

New member
Greetings fellow SPS addicts.

I currently have a 120 5x2x2 gallon rimless tank.

I have the following equipment

Apex Full Controller
2 x MP40WES
Reef Octopus Diablo
1/4 HP Chiller
300 Watt Heater
Neptun Dos - Dosing Kalk for ATO using dual float swithes also turns off if PH is aboce 8.3

4x150 Watt Metal Halide XM 15k DE Bulbs

I do weekly 25% water changes and Stable Paramaters are

Ph - 7.9 Night - 8.3 Day
Temp -77-79 degrees
Amonia - 0
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Mag - 1300
Cal - 400
Alk - 7.8


Here is my question.

If money was no object... (I DONT PAY FOR ELECTRICITY) so i am open to anything. But what I really want is amazing color in my SPS...

So is Radium 20k the way to go? I think with the shallow debth of the tank I will be limited to 250 watt. So is 3 250 watt Mogul Base Radium the way to go? Or will I not get the amazing SPS color and growth that the 400w Radium bulb gets?

I look forward to everyones respons
 
you can get answers all over the board, I think there is no easier light to grow acros than a 400 watt 20k. Seems everyone is talking t5.some love led and some bash them. Personally I took my led out of my office tank, went back to halide. My isolation tank has 6 t5 and does not grow corals like my main tank with halides in. If you want to go 250 watt, I like 10k better <a href="http://s382.photobucket.com/user/eralff/media/photo18.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/eralff/photo18.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo photo18.jpg"/></a>
 
Lots of options, all will work if you understand the system. I run LED and like it, but it is not for everyone. When I ran MH I preferred 10k bulbs with actinic. On a tank the size you are looking I would have done two 250 watt. I never ran radiums, but from what I remember they are a little weaker than the lower k bulbs. Going 400 may be beneficial if you can deal with the heat. If you do go mh make sure to get the proper ballast for the buld, it does matter.
 
I use 14K 250 watt HQI MH with reasonable success and it is my preferred lighting for both growth & color.
That said I use T5 across the rear half of the tank but I like MH in the front.
 
toothman said:
you can get answers all over the board, I think there is no easier light to grow acros than a 400 watt 20k. Seems everyone is talking t5.some love led and some bash them. Personally I took my led out of my office tank, went back to halide. My isolation tank has 6 t5 and does not grow corals like my main tank with halides in. If you want to go 250 watt, I like 10k better <a href="http://s382.photobucket.com/user/eralff/media/photo18.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/eralff/photo18.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo photo18.jpg"/></a>
Click to expand...

So even with my tank size you think 400 watt is the best.
 
Wazzel said:
Lots of options, all will work if you understand the system. I run LED and like it, but it is not for everyone. When I ran MH I preferred 10k bulbs with actinic. On a tank the size you are looking I would have done two 250 watt. I never ran radiums, but from what I remember they are a little weaker than the lower k bulbs. Going 400 may be beneficial if you can deal with the heat. If you do go mh make sure to get the proper ballast for the buld, it does matter.
Click to expand...

So you think a 10k 250watt with actinic would give me give me great color and growth.
 
I know this is a lighting thread but do you think 2 MP40s will be enough on a 5' tank? I'd maybe consider more, unless you run them really high. I have 4 x MP40s and 2 x Xaqua Xinouts on my 5' tank for an acro garden.
 
kenpau said:
I know this is a lighting thread but do you think 2 MP40s will be enough on a 5' tank? I'd maybe consider more, unless you run them really high. I have 4 x MP40s and 2 x Xaqua Xinouts on my 5' tank for an acro garden.
Click to expand...

The two mp40 pumps are almost two much. They create a 1.5" wave
 
Wazzel said:
Lighting is really subjective. I liked the look of the 10k/actinic, some do not. Growth with that combo was very good.
Click to expand...

I agree that lighting is very subjective. I really like the look of 10K MH with actinics too, that said I have not run 10K MH in 7-8 years, mainly because of the difficultly in getting VHO bulbs anymore and I went with a pendant that uses T5 and actinics just do not look the same at all with T5.

So I think, if you like less blue look, that two very good bulbs to look at are Ushio 14K and Aquaconnect 14K. I have used both and had good luck with them. I would probably recommend the Aquaconnect, as it is a little more blue that the Ushio, probably brighter, and I had great coloration and growth when using it.
 
Toothman's tank looks great. I had the opposite experience then him though. I used to run a 250 Radium on my tank and growth and color was ok. Once I switched to a sunpower t5 fixture that all changed. They growth and color got exponentially better.
 
When I see the length of your tank, certainly t-s would be a great fit, they come in 60" bulbs. If you want halides Hamilton cebu sun is a great light it also comes in 6" with 4 t-5 and 2 halide. I would get it in e ballast 400 watt. I am not sure if there is anything wrong with the set up you have. What are the issues that you are having with your tank. Would like to see a picture.

Not that familiar with what bulbs are available for 150 watt, But I certainly think a 10k bulb with that wattage would be better. Reason for 400 watt is that I want 500 par at top and 400 at bottom with 20k. With 250 10k would be better. Acros do like par. Hamilton 10k are really a crisp white with slight blue color. With pure actinic t5 or 12, it is a nice combo.

Good healthy colorful acros are more about how the water is kept, light is most likely the number one factor, as long as everything else is good. That picture the water has low phos. .01-.02 and slight bit of nitrate, and the tank is fed a lot of food. It is 400 gallons and I gets about a pound of frozen food a month. Foods with a lot of fatty acids like pe mysis are great, rods food.
 
Love this thread. :D

I've used; MH/T5/LED. Currently using T5+LED hybrid.

If electricity cost was no objection...then here is the ultimate lighting:

400w Radium
ATI Blue+ and ATI Actinic T5's
RoyalBlue LED's

I have added ATI Actinics because the Radiums are lacking in this area. Set that up and you will never look back.

If money was no objection this is exactly what I'd go for.
 
sahin said:
Love this thread. :D

I've used; MH/T5/LED. Currently using T5+LED hybrid.

If electricity cost was no objection...then here is the ultimate lighting:

400w Radium
ATI Blue+ and ATI Actinic T5's
RoyalBlue LED's

I have added ATI Actinics because the Radiums are lacking in this area. Set that up and you will never look back.

If money was no objection this is exactly what I'd go for.
Click to expand...

OK I have a rimless tank. I can mount the 400w pendants from the roof. But then how do I mount the t5 and leds? Lastly are you thinking m80 ballist and what led and t5 fixtures?
 
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