150 DE with sps????

[reefer31]

Hello everyone, im pretty sure what you all are going to say but here I go :P. First off the specs of the future tank, its a 90 aga 48/18/24 inches. Now, because of electrical issues I probably will not be able to go with 2-250 DE MH. But instead i could go with 2-150 DE 10 k with supplements hanging pretty close to the water like around 4-6 inches off the water(kinda iffy to me atm). As the forum title states, my tank will be sps dominated. Will I have problems with clams/sps near the bottom? It seems to me that everyone goes way overboard with lighting that its hard to tell what will be good lol. I have also been looking into t5 fixtures like the ati powermod 6 bulb or the aquaticnic constellation 7bulb to compensate for the issue with my breaker. And before anyone can post about telling me to just get another breaker, its a condo so I cant . Any info on the t5 or the MH combo that I have stated would be greatly appreciated because this issue has been bugging me for some time now. Thanks and sorry for the long post

[reefer31]

anyone??

[kzoo]

I run 2 150mh and 4 bulb t5s on my 65 it is same measurments exept it's 36in long. Haven't tryed acros or clams near the sand but every thing grows well.

[Nanook]

Wow, that tank looks very sweet! What is that coral to the right of the clownfish?

[ahullsb]

Nanook I think you are referring to the Favia. It's the same coral as in my avatar. Reefer31, I have 2 150's with 4 t5 actinics over my 55 and I get great growth, all the way to the bottom. I have a few sps pieces that are sitting near the sandbed and they are growing as well. I haven't taken a picture for a few months, but here is a before and after shot in about a 6 month period.




actinics only
Here is a before and after about 12 months apart under the 150 watt halides. I used 10k's for months but switched to 14's and am still observing good growth. I think your setup will be fine!

Well I can't find a individual current one. But this was 2 months ago. The green birdsnest in the bottom left corner is about the size of the tort when I bought it.

[ahullsb]

Oops...I wrote tort when this is a staghorn. Always review your posts before posting...

[mile sq. reefer]

What 10ks were you using and do you have a pic with them on by themselves? Not to hijack the thread, sorry.

[vangogh121]

use 10 k bulbs to keep the par up and you'll be fine, I would be concerned about the 4 to 6 inches... a little to close for my liking.

[ahullsb]

I'll see if I can find a pic. I'm not sure what brand they were, they aren't labeled...maybe someone else can chime in. They are the bulbs that came with the current usa outer orbit fixture. I use Ushio 14k's now. Still a fairly white/yellow bulb in my opinion. I am considering going even bluer now that I have the growth I want.

Here is a pic with the 10k's and 4 t5 actinics. I never took a pic with just the halides...it would look terrible I imagine.

And a old whole tank shot...don't mind the soft coral forest. I took care of it.

[ahullsb]

Originally posted by vangogh121
use 10 k bulbs to keep the par up and you'll be fine, I would be concerned about the 4 to 6 inches... a little to close for my liking.

I agree with that. As you can see in the full tank shots, my lights aren't even in the pic because they are a good 6-8 inches from the surface. I think that bulbs between 10k-14k would be a good choice if you want good growth. Check the Lighting section for stats on different bulbs

[mile sq. reefer]

I use Pheonix 14ks now and really like them. The old stock bulbs are called sunpak. AB 10k's have a nice actinic spike and good full spectrum. They are close to 13k when not shielded and are around 10500k when shielded with a PAR of 54. From what I have heard from those running them in a Current fixture, 150w models, is that the light is a crisp white.
FTS 2x150w Pheonix HQI no supp's.
[IMG][/IMG]

[reefer31]

Thanks guys for the info! Im probably going to go with the 2 150' and put them around 7inches off the water, ill make sure there is a fan blowing into the canopy also :P thanks again

[reefer31]

thats a big ol stag in that tank!!

Originally posted by ahullsb
Nanook I think you are referring to the Favia. It's the same coral as in my avatar. Reefer31, I have 2 150's with 4 t5 actinics over my 55 and I get great growth, all the way to the bottom. I have a few sps pieces that are sitting near the sandbed and they are growing as well. I haven't taken a picture for a few months, but here is a before and after shot in about a 6 month period.




actinics only
Here is a before and after about 12 months apart under the 150 watt halides. I used 10k's for months but switched to 14's and am still observing good growth. I think your setup will be fine!

Well I can't find a individual current one. But this was 2 months ago. The green birdsnest in the bottom left corner is about the size of the tort when I bought it.