Lighting concerns

[Surfside74]

Hello,

I have recently purchased a power compact system. It has 4x96 watt bulbs in it for a total of 384 watts or roughly 8.5 watts per gallon. This is definetely bright. I have T5's on my other tank and have an assortment, including clams in that tank. I have only three fish currently in the 45 gallon tank, one being a Picasso trigger. I am not sure what other fish i am going to add. Looking maybe at a panther grouper, an eel, and maybe another trigger. I wnt something different than the normal reef fish in this tank. I am going to start the coral selection and implementation process. I know mushrooms, LPS, Zoos, etc will be fine under this new lighting. Does anyone know or had experience with any SPS, either natural or aquacultured under this lighting. Any input will be helpful as I am just at the beginning stages with this tank. Thanks....Rob

[rigleautomotive]

most montiporas and some acroporas will do ok under pc lights.it is not optimal but some people have some success with them.

[Myka]

PCs are not recommended for SPS. T5s can sometimes do it if you have enough. Halides are best.

You know that all the fish you listed are NOT reef safe? Do you know how big a Panther Grouper gets? They grow VERY fast.

[Surfside74]

How much light should you have if you wanted to do a fish only tank. Or a tank with mybe some mushrooms and polyps in it. I know the grouper grows fast. has anyone had any luck with a trigger in a tank like this. I heard that they leave mushrooms and such alone. Would a 96watt PC be fine for the above? Any help would be great before I assemble this thing. I do have T5 in my Red Sea Max and have had some luck with SPS and clams. Thanks.

[Myka]

A FO tank only needs enough light for you to see the fish and for the fish to see eachother. ;)

What size tank are you planning for these very large fish? We have to know what size the aquarium will be including the dimensions in order to recommend lighting for corals.

How long has your RSM been running with the clams and SPS?

[Surfside74]

The Red Sea Max has been running for quite a few months. I am just about to finish it off with some more Zoos and Ricordeas, as well as some fish. The tank that the Humu, Yellow Tang, and Blue Tang are in is a 45 gallon. I have the protein skimmer, filters, and the light that will give me about 8.5 watts a gallon. I believe I am going to keep these fish, possibly another trigger or two, with some Zoos and Mushrooms. I do not believe I am going to go crazy in this tanks with corals. But who knows. I do not think I am going to put the grouper in there. I think I will stay with the triggers and low maintenance shrooms. Any advice or ideas? The tank is 3' long and 12" wide, 24" high.

[Myka]

Get rid of the tangs! That's my first advice. It is ABSOLUTELY inhumane to keep Tangs in a tank that small. They are active fish that need room to swim. Don't even think of putting a Grouper in that tank! You need at least a 6' tank if you want to keep a Panther Grouper. A single yellow tang needs at least a 90 gallon. With those two tangs I wouldn't suggest anything smaller than a 120, but they would much prefer a 6' tank as well. You DO NOT have the room for "another trigger or two" in that tank. With a 45 gallon tank, you are limited in the fish you can keep happy in there for an extended period of time. They may do ok for a year, probably less. Take into consideration that these fish are being taken from the wild only to be crammed into a tank that is too small for them, and they will likely have an early death.

Time to do what's best for the fish.

In regards to the RSM...keeping corals or clams for "quite a few months" isn't long enough to call it sucess. I don't think you will be able to keep the clams alive in that tank for a long period of time.

You need to learn what's appropriate for your size of tanks.

Sorry to be harsh, but there's no reason to sugar coat an animal's suffering.