Lighting your reef... Best bang for your buck.

[mr_X]

Hey Mr. X, I'm gonna be firing up my 40b soon. Do you think one of the Tao's will be good for me? Or will I need two?

One should be fine. No optics though, and place it up a little higher than normal. No need to worry about the sps getting enough light. You could hang one of these 2 feet above your 40 b and still grow sps wherever you wanted.

 

[Hondatek]

A quick question on these lights . I'm using one panel 7 inches over a 40b with no optics . Blue at 50% and white at 30%. I am really clueless on whether or not to turn them up a little. Imo things are growing fine( to a first time coral keeper) but I did add some sps and have always wondered if it is enough light. Anyone have an opinion on that ?

 

[Godfrey]

A quick question on these lights . I'm using one panel 7 inches over a 40b with no optics . Blue at 50% and white at 30%. I am really clueless on whether or not to turn them up a little. Imo things are growing fine( to a first time coral keeper) but I did add some sps and have always wondered if it is enough light. Anyone have an opinion on that ?

What kind of corals are in your tank? Maybe some pics also

 

[Hondatek]

Ok I do not have a great full tank shot but here is one from a 2 weeks ago. And one pic that shows the sps placement and the center of the tank
sps
pink birdnest, ponape birdsnest, 2 millepora, 2 pocillopora ,and a branching monti
LPS
duncan,frogspawn,hammer,torch,acan, trumpet, blasto, wellso, tracyphyllia, favia
Soft coral
gsp , rics , various mushrooms and gsp

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[Godfrey]

My opinion I would bring it up a little more. Slowly maybe another 10-15% and see how everything reacts

 

[54seaweed]

My opinion I would bring it up a little more. Slowly maybe another 10-15% and see how everything reacts

I think you could pump it up a little too...
just do it slow and see how things react
I like watching how certain things react to more light than others

 

[mr_X]

You are going to burn that pectinia. I would put that much lower than you have it. All LPS very low if possible.
Right now I have a unit over my frag area that is 90% blue and the whites are all the way down as far as they can go. This is 21" above the water, and approximately 25" from various montipora, and LPS, and the montis are growing nicely.
The answer to your question is- if your sps is growing and colorful, it's the right amount of light.
If it's faded out and losing color, it's too strong. Brown- too little.

 

[Hondatek]

Ok I think I may just leave it how it is then. The pectina has been in the tank and that spot for months and I can't move it. I had to epoxy it down because the angler likes to sit on it. I have never had any bleaching or browning on the sps nor have I lost any coral . So if its not broke don't fix it I guess . Thanks for the help.

 

[Pisces3473]

Possibly a display refugium?

I'd thought about a sump or a refugium but this set up is in my office and I don't want to do an overflow or drill my tank. I'm thinkin maybe I'll do an anemone tank. Perhaps a couple Percula Clowns, start'em all out real young so they can all grow together. I'd cut the rock back to a couple of big pieces that equal 10lbs.

 

[Pisces3473]

Heigth of light?

One should be fine. No optics though, and place it up a little higher than normal. No need to worry about the sps getting enough light. You could hang one of these 2 feet above your 40 b and still grow sps wherever you wanted.

I've currently got the light about 11 inches above the surface on my 10g. How high should I hang it above the 40? Just wondering what's a normal or standard height?

 

[Marco V]

I ended up with a " full spectrum " unit . Right now I have 2 10" above the tank and I have my blues at 50% and whites at full and the tank still looks too blue.

 

[Pisces3473]

I guess mounting the lights a bit higher in conjunction with the dimmer will help with coverage and brightness.

 

[54seaweed]

I have mine 10 inch above the tank
and if I ran my whites wide open My coral would cook (their bright ) and strong
I run my whites at about 40% blues about 60% and my tanks not blue looks perfect

 

[Pisces3473]

I have mine 10 inch above the tank
and if I ran my whites wide open My coral would cook (their bright ) and strong
I run my whites at about 40% blues about 60% and my tanks not blue looks perfect

I'm thinking about using a diffuser for a lid as well (great idea BTW), but I'm thinking about painting it black and then clearing it. Did you cut 4 squares and glue to get even sides?

 

[54seaweed]

that top is all 1 piece except where I cut out for a lid
and the back of the tank is rhino lined black
everything I did is in my build link below in my signature

 

[Pisces3473]

that top is all 1 piece except where I cut out for a lid
and the back of the tank is rhino lined black
everything I did is in my build link below in my signature

I already rhino lined the back, and yeah it works great! I'm curious why you used the glass?

 

[54seaweed]

originally I did glass to cover the opening with a hing
than I change direction and re did it with the plastic it just looked better

I also changed the lenses in my led to 90* but I got the ones that are too thick and they dont seat right but they do work great though light don't spill out of the tank like before I added 90* lenses now all the light is directed to every part of my tank
sorry my mind is in other places last week or so

 

[pitmanr2003]

Could I get away with one for 46 gallon bow front.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Could I get away with one for 46 gallon bow front.

I have a reef breeders 120 value fixture over a 46 bow front more than enough. 10" over water line covers all the tank. So yes one would be fine.

 

[Robbiesamp]

I have a reef breeders 120 value fixture over a 46 bow front more than enough. 10" over water line covers all the tank. So yes one would be fine.

Will you post a pic of your tank please!! I am very interested to see what it looks like!