250 over 30 gl cube ALL sps?

[bawla47]

decided id like to do a fishless(maybe a few chromis tops)

30 gal cube tank.

its 18" tall. going to be Bare bottom also.

I currently have a 150 14k sunpod over this tank.

would this lighting be sufficient? or would i get much better growth with the 250?

Thanks in advance!

[vidrine7322]

i think you should be fine with growth and color, just make sure you have alot of turbulent flow in there. Maybe 2 tunze nano 6025's . All but the bottom 3 inches of the tank should be fine for sps though.

[BLKTANG]

u will get much better growth out of a 10k.

[dots]

I knew someone who had the same set up, and was frying the SPS with the 250s........I would up to 250's if you want 14K or higher bulbs esp 20K.......otherwise the 150's would probably be enough.....going BB the water clarity is off the hook and the 150s will cut though no problem.

[NewSchool04]

I have the same tank, with a 250 pendant and Reeflux DE 12K bulb. Great growth and color.

[Serioussnaps]

My vote is for the 250, but only if you run a 20K bulb. Warning:i am a 20k/blue colored tank...makes the colors pop, i would venture that you would get close to the same growth with the 250 20K but better color, i dont like the look of yellow water, thats just me though

I WOULD NOT get the 250 if you wanted to keep running a 10K bulb, stay with what you got if that is what you were going to do

i like the tunze nano idea as well

[titan04]

I have a 30Gal cube with a 250W DE running 14k pheonix about 14inches above the water with 2xT5 24watters (Blue + and super actinic) and 2x 28watt pc actinic

I get great growth and color but I have to start each coral at the bottom or they will bleach from the strength... after that the color comes out very nicely... I have no problem with Zoanthids high in the tank either... paly's have to be low though.

I have a closed loop with a Tunze nano as well and no problem with a DSB at 1500gph in the 30cube :-D

I have thought about going with a 150/175 watt at sometime down the road when someone wants a trade if I have any problems with the amount of light but so far so good.

[NewSchool04]

14"? I'm surprised the corals are getting any light. I have mine at 7".

[titan04]

Oh they get plenty of light... that has never been the issue... it is keeping the zoanthids from melting :)

14in may be a little of an overstatement but it is on top of the canopy hidden by the crown molding... works quite nicely and produces a lot of heat that is vacummed out by a few fans...

[titan04]

Actually 14in was dead on with the quick measurement because I was curious :)

[NewSchool04]

Here is a couple of pics of the 250 pendant over the cube. Definitely not overkill for light!
Click the pic for a larger view:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/NewSchool04/th_CIMG3427.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/NewSchool04/CIMG3427.jpg)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/NewSchool04/th_CIMG3422.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/NewSchool04/CIMG3422.jpg)

[titan04]

Wow... Looks nice but mine looks much brighter... must be the canopy and the whole inside painted gloss white with poly coated on after that... all reflected back in...

[Nanook]

I am getting pretty good growth on about 20 acros in my 29g tank with a 400w 10K Ushio powered by HQI ballast. I have mine about 12" over the water. It does not seem like overkill to my corals.

[SDguy]

I had a 250W DE 14K phoenix on icecap in PFO pendant over a 24" tall 30g hex...acros OK at top...LPS, even shrooms ok at bottom. I don't think higher K would be too much.