Do I Have Enough Light for Rics?

[happyclam]

I have 4 96w PCs over my 135gal tank (72"L x 24"T x 18"W). Do I have enough light to keep rics?

[RickM61]

384 watts total..i would say you have enough..how much of that is atintic lighting

Rick

[phathead]

yes that is enough to be honest that is probably perfect for ricordea.

[besl]

I need to keep my rics (orange, blue and green) under a ledge sheltered from my lights in order for them to maintain their coloration. The rics will be just fine under your lighting system.

[happyclam]

Thanks for the replys everyone. 2 bulbs are actinic and 2 are daylight. Would they be able to survive at the bottom of the tank, or do they need to be in the upper half (the tank is 24" high)?

[happyclam]

I'm going to upgrade my lighting because I want to keep other high light corals. So I plan on using 2 20k 250w XM bulbs in the Sunlight Reef Optix 2 Retrofit Reflector powerd by a Sunlight Supply Electronic Galaxy 250 DUAL ballast. Will this be too bright for rics, or will they be fine on the bottom?

[happyclam]

OK, scratch the MH, I'm going to do T5 instead. I am going to use a Current USA Nova fixture with 12 39w T5 bulbs. Is this lighting OK for rics?

[JMCAquarium]

I grow all mine under t-5's you'll have to play with height levels to get them to full color.

[BigScott]

i use 250 watt MH..20 k bulbs..

[ricordeanut]

Do not mention this on *********, they do not believe in anything but halides, no matter what you have in your tank.

[JMCAquarium]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13267732#post13267732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ricordeanut
Do not mention this on *********, they do not believe in anything but halides, no matter what you have in your tank.

T-5's are advanced to the point they are almost as powerful either works for corals anymore these days

[pete 43]

I've had mine under 150 watt M/H for quite some time.All seemed fine,they've actually split more than once,and then I noticed that the rics were trying to crawl away from the light and losing their color from being under my live rock

[hexedagain]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13267732#post13267732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ricordeanut
Do not mention this on *********, they do not believe in anything but halides, no matter what you have in your tank.

Nah, it just seems that way. I know several people over there that run T5's, including me. :D

[happyclam]

Thanks for the help everyone. As you can tell from my previous posts, I never figured out what type of lighting to do, but I do currently have the PCs, so I think I'll just stay with them. Earlier I thought I was going to keep SPS, although since this is my 1st saltwater tank, I bet that would end up in a big, fat failure. Could the rics be kept in both the top & bottom of the tank? Are there ant other corals that could be kept in this tank?

[mach169]

most leathers and some lps

[happyclam]

cool- I would love to have a big leather coral on my rock islands, surrounded by rics completely covering the rocks. This way I get bright color from the rics, but a huge upright, swaying shape from the leathers. This would hopefully be a pretty easy to take care of tank, since softies are more forgiving that stonys & they don't require CA additions, right? Also, the rock work is on the bottom 1/4 -1/2 of the tank- would the rics & leathers still get enough light?

[fishes2889]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13267732#post13267732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ricordeanut
Do not mention this on *********, they do not believe in anything but halides, no matter what you have in your tank.

I run T5's...:rolleye1:

T5's and MH's are on the same level in my book. Switched from MH to all T5's and love it. Will never go back.

[RevHtree]

I love T-5's!

[opusthepenguin]

Ive got a 5x2x2 mushroom tank with 2 150 14ks and my wifes got a 58 all ric tank with a 150 10k and 2 t5 actinics. Both grow mushroom/rics really well.