Optimal Amount of Lighting for 24 Inches of Depth

herring_fish · 05/14/2009, 09:16 AM

What is the optimal amount of lighting for a 130 gallon tank, with small polyp stony corals along with a wide variety of other marine inhabitants?

Right now, I have a 250 watt Metal Halide (MH) and an electronic ballast that can power four VHOs or two VHOs and one 36â€ T5 HO compact florescent. I have bulbs for both but when I installed a 20K T5 that was very white looking, I didnâ€™t like to fact that it was washing out the white shimmer that came from the pin point light of the MH. My Monti seemed to like it though.

I have my stony corals on one side of the tank that is 24â€ deep by 18â€ front to back and 6 feet long. The other side of the tank doesnâ€™t need as much light.

Soâ€¦optimally, if I were to sell or trade up for the perfect lighting system, what would I want?

1. Is one 250 Watt MH the best for 24 inches of depth? Would 400 Watts be better, too much or just a waste of money in my case? Should I have two MHs on half the tank?

2. Would four VHO actinics be best? Would you take the e-ballast out all together or configure the lights that it drives differently?

3. Do I need something more or something different?

troynel · 05/14/2009, 11:21 AM

i run a 250w and 4 t5s over my 3x3x2 tank. SPS seem fine so far. Even have some caps towards the bottom.

herring_fish · 05/15/2009, 04:57 PM

What about actinics? Does the light from actinic lights help the corals grow or do they just make them look good? Are 4 VHOs better than 2?

05/14/2009, 09:16 AM	#1
herring_fish Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Winston-Salem NC Posts: 553	Optimal Amount of Lighting for 24 Inches of Depth What is the optimal amount of lighting for a 130 gallon tank, with small polyp stony corals along with a wide variety of other marine inhabitants? Right now, I have a 250 watt Metal Halide (MH) and an electronic ballast that can power four VHOs or two VHOs and one 36â€ T5 HO compact florescent. I have bulbs for both but when I installed a 20K T5 that was very white looking, I didnâ€™t like to fact that it was washing out the white shimmer that came from the pin point light of the MH. My Monti seemed to like it though. I have my stony corals on one side of the tank that is 24â€ deep by 18â€ front to back and 6 feet long. The other side of the tank doesnâ€™t need as much light. Soâ€¦optimally, if I were to sell or trade up for the perfect lighting system, what would I want? 1. Is one 250 Watt MH the best for 24 inches of depth? Would 400 Watts be better, too much or just a waste of money in my case? Should I have two MHs on half the tank? 2. Would four VHO actinics be best? Would you take the e-ballast out all together or configure the lights that it drives differently? 3. Do I need something more or something different? Last edited by herring_fish; 05/14/2009 at 09:22 AM.

05/15/2009, 04:57 PM	#3
herring_fish Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Winston-Salem NC Posts: 553	What about actinics? What about actinics? Does the light from actinic lights help the corals grow or do they just make them look good? Are 4 VHOs better than 2?

05/14/2009, 11:21 AM	#2
troynel Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: philadelphia Posts: 346	i run a 250w and 4 t5s over my 3x3x2 tank. SPS seem fine so far. Even have some caps towards the bottom.