Trying to geta a sense of what the LPS Team uses for lights....

[pjr300]

I'm moving away from SPS and toward LPS. I've been using a pair of Hamilton 250W 14K bulbs in my tank. It's a moderately blue, lower PAR bulb, being run on a M 58 standard ballast.

I hope this question isn't too redundant, but what do the LPS use for lighting? Should I go lower wattage? Seems like LPS doesn't need that much juice, although my Blue Chalice (near the top of the tan) seems to love the extra light.

I've also considered going to 175W double-ends on IceCaps, which provides about the same punch as the 14K SE Hamiltons, if not more, but with less power.

Then, of course, the T5 option exists.

I do have a few montis in the tank, and a few other SPS (Bird Nests) that I plan to keep.

I am open to all suggestions!!!

 

[143gadgets]

I love Radiums on Icecaps. Best combo for LPS in my opinion.

 

[pjr300]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12521498#post12521498 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 143gadgets
I love Radiums on Icecaps. Best combo for LPS in my opinion.

Thx! Are you using 250W IceCaps I presume?

 

[RevHtree]

I am running (2) 250w Hamiltons on Elec. ballast and my LPS are great!

 

[143gadgets]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12522081#post12522081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pjr300
Thx! Are you using 250W IceCaps I presume?

Yup 250s.

 

[Amoore311]

I'm a T5 guy myself.

Tek Light 6 Bulb over my 90 Gallon. LPS wise I've got Candy Canes, Brains, and Acans.

With and 8 Bulb I could keep SPSwherever I wanted. With the 6 Bulb I'd be more at ease keeping them in the top 1/2 of the tank, but some I'm sure would be fine in the lower regions.

 

[imprezed02]

T5 Nova Extreme Pro 265 watts 6 bulbs

 

[MinibowMatt]

dual XM 15K 175's on magnetics.

 

[axia55]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12522792#post12522792 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Amoore311
I'm a T5 guy myself.

Tek Light 6 Bulb over my 90 Gallon. LPS wise I've got Candy Canes, Brains, and Acans.

With and 8 Bulb I could keep SPSwherever I wanted. With the 6 Bulb I'd be more at ease keeping them in the top 1/2 of the tank, but some I'm sure would be fine in the lower regions.

What bulb combination do you use?

 

[vvolfe1]

I'm using T5's also. 2 BP's an 11k and a 12k on and icecap 660 with SLR's.

 

[Amoore311]

Blue Plus
Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
Blue Plus
Aquablue
Blue Plus


54 Watts Each.

 

[MCsaxmaster]

Food for thought: polyp size is utterly irrelevant when it comes to lighting needs. Some corals do best with bright light and some do best with modest light and polyp size, frankly, just doesn't have a thing to do with it.

For example, you can easily fry Pachyseris, Leptoseris, Pavona, (all "sps") etc. with too much light. You can do the same with Trachyphyllia, Scolymia, Blastomussa, (all "lps"), etc. Likewise, Pocillopora, Stylophora, Porites, most Acropora, etc. will tend to do best with fairly bright light, as will Goniastraea, Echinophyllia, Turbinaria, Platygyra, etc.

There just isn't any correlation between lighting needs and polyp size...at all.

Chris

 

[pjr300]

Hi MC! Hope NC is treating you well. The "D" says hello!

 

[musty baby]

400 watt Hamilton 20ks on a 120, and what doesn't grow nicely right on top center grows great off to the side or near the bottom. It was the same situation with 400s on my 75. MCsaxmaster makes yet another excellent point, and one that is hard to drill into peoples' heads; there really isn't a difference in lighting requirements for lps and sps.

 

[MCsaxmaster]

:thumbsup: