Depth of SPS with my lighting?

[BrooksReef]

Hey guys/girls! So I've been wondering how low I'd be able to keep SPS with my lighting.

I have a 250w 15k MH, and I run 4 54w T5's.

I've been keeping some high, and some low but I'm wondering if I'd be able to put some even lower? My tank depth is 20".


Thanks,
Brooks

[glennr1978]

should be able to place them anywhere in the tank.

[BrooksReef]

Sweet! But saying I place them lower, the colors won't be as vibrant?

[Toddrtrex]

What 15K bulbs are you using?

[fishieness]

in a 75? i wouldn't keep them too close to the end too with one halide. And are you using the current outer orbit pro?

[CleveYank]

Relative to which varieties of SPS you are trying to keep. Relative to what the ACTUAL par output of that 15K (hence Todd's question I think). And relative to which ballast. And relative to which combo of T5's you are running. If you are running 4 atinics you will need to keep them closer to directly under the one light. If they are T5's with whiter and higher par outputs then maybe not so much.

I'd post a list of the ballasts and bulbs you are running and the photo period and that will probably get you the best guess. A PAR meter and some light readings is really the best way to really know if your local club or someone in your area has one.

[BrooksReef]

I'm using a XM 15,000k Bulb. If thats what you needed.

I'm running 4 Glo 54w T5 Bulbs. 2 Actinics 2 18,000k

Photo period:
Lights on at 7:00 AM
MH off at 6:00 PM
18,000k's off at 8:00 PM
Actinics off at 10:30 PM

[Toddrtrex]

Thanks CleveYank, that was what I was getting at.

And you are using the bulb that I thought you were -- the 15K XM, has very poor PAR. I think that the 20K (( XM )) has very similar PAR.

With that said, think that you could still try some of them lower in the tank, and if you don't like the growth/color can move them up more.

When it is time to get new bulbs I would look at different ones. (( Nothing wrong with XM bulbs in general, just the 15K ones ))

[CleveYank]

Take a look at some tanks by sunny X and delkin. They've got some info here and there about T5's. I noted that as far as SunnyX was concerned....hopefully I'm not misquoting. But I think he was driving that the atinics of T5 are not very efficient and basically a waste of electricity as compared to the higher PAR (still blue, but more white) more powerful other possible T5's. Get into some of those and you may have enough. I do not believe the 15K XM is one of XM's better bulbs and has a low PAR output. <----EDIT...yeah what Todd said about XM...beat me to the punch...lol Color is probably really nice though.

[BrooksReef]

Well I can't seem to find the PAR rating.

1. I don't have anyone near me that has a meter to detect it. :|
2. I can't find anything online about it.


Anyone know?!