lighting

[neil_04]

hey everyone i wanted to ask some lighting questons befor i get started on my hood, right now i have a 24 inch 20 watt coralife 100% actinic in an aqueon hood, can i run bulbs like these to grow soft-medium coral?
if so what other bulbs do i need (like a 5050 or 10k)? i was thinking 4 if its ok.
im really good at woodworking and i cant bring myself to purchase one of these t5 crazy over the top hoods just need some recomendations
thanks neil

 

[melosu58]

I have mostly soft and LPS corals in my tank and use VHO lighting. I use 2 super actinic and 2 50/50 bulbs. I use a retro fit system and you can see it right here

As you see I dont use a canopy. I capture alot of my lighting using URI bulbs that have internal reflectors and then the dome reflector to capture any stray lighting. Runs much cooler than a canopy. We have a pretty good discussion on lighting at this thread if you have not seen it yet.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f11/varying-bulb-types-in-a-reef-aquarium-117367.html