is metal hallide necessary for coral & anenome reef?

[brett7768]

can i get away with using a PC w/ 2 96w bulbs? or do i have to get a metal halide set-up? my tank is 2' tall and i want to stock it with corals and other photosynthetic stuff. thanx 4 your help.

 

[theatrus]

Depends on the corals. 2x96W on a deeper tank may not penetrate to the bottom very well. Perhaps a focused T5 fixture would be better, or a 250W MH

 

[macman7010]

It really depends on your tank depth. Many people who have tanks that are not very deep do fine with just PC lighting - and these people can keep clams, corals, anemones, all the light sensitive inverts that halide owners can.

If you have a deep tank though Metal Halide lighting will penetrate much better. Personally I believe if you have both the wattage per gallon and spectrum it doesnt matter what type of light you are using to create it. For a coral and anemone tank I would have at least 5 watts per gallon of water. For a 2 foot tall tank though you may be pushing it with 2 96 watt PC bulbs. In fact depending on how many gallons your tank is I wouldnt try that.

 

[anennnoname]

theatrus, do you have any problems with heat from the lights? I'm looking at getting the orbit extreme 4-130watts...(i found a really good deal on one), but i'm worried that there will be too much wattage for my 55 gallon which will create an excessive heat problem.

 

[theatrus]

My lights are 12" from the top. I rise 2deg F during lights on during the day. I do have a chiller, but it only fires up in the summer when house temperatures can hit the mid 80s.

 

[anennnoname]

would i get comparable heat from the pc's?

 

[theatrus]

You can still heat the tank with PC lights, but not as much.

 

[anennnoname]

cool, hopefully i'll be alright. i guess i'll try setting up the lights and running them for a few days before actually starting the tank up, and see what the temp does... appreciate the help.