What Corals?

[anthony.grimes]

What corals could you have in a 180 with 2 @ 250watt mh (20,000k)? obviously they would be low light corals but I am looking for something hardy and easy to keep. Could you do a clam if placed high in the tank? thanks

 

[chase33]

You could almost do whatever you want with those lights you just need to place the corals carefully. For a tank that long you really need one more fixture but with the two you can place those corals that require high lighting directly under the lights.

 

[anthony.grimes]

Thats what I was thinking, and maybe put some low light corals in the middle where the light is not as intense. Any word on a clam? thanks

 

[Ziggy953]

Clams do like strong lighting, they may need to be placed higher in your tank. What are the deminsions of your tank?

 

[anthony.grimes]

It is a standard 180 (72x24x24) I was thinking that they should be ok if placed high in the tank directly under a light.

 

[Devilishturtles]

I agree. A clam and pretty much any other sps would be fine if kept under the lights. Other corals would be doable as well.

You might want to look into a strip compact flourescent light or perhaps T5 to provide a little more light to the entire length of your tank? Just a suggestion.

 

[Ziggy953]

That is why I was asking the about the deminsions. Typically a MH bulb will cover 24" of area so it wouldn't hurt to add another one down the road, or do as Lindsay suggested and add a T5 or CP stip.

 

[anthony.grimes]

I was going to get another mh but I have an acrylic tank and there is large brace that goes across the middle (about 18" wide) so a light in the middle would have to diffuse through the acrylic, plus I am worried about it harming the acrylic and heating the entire tank even more. With the light fixtures that I have placed about 6-7 inches above the tank the light seems to spread evenly fairly well. If a were to add T5s what bulbs would you recommend?

 

[Ziggy953]

Couple of things. Your MHs should be at least 10" off the water. Being too close is a recipe for disaster! How do you have the bulbs oriented over the tank? What kind of reflectors are you using? Can you post a pic?

I would get a combination of either 10K and Actinic or go with 50/50 bulbs.

 

[melosu58]

As Lindsay said if you put them up high and under the halides you should be Ok.

 

[MT79]

You may want to look into VHO set ups as well as T-5. VHO lamps are longer and may provide more coverage for less $, I'm not sure. As far as color goes, w/ 20k MH lamps you should already be on the blue side. You could go w/ actinic fluorescents for some more "pop" from your corals and some fish, but the tank may be too blue. You can also do a dawn/dusk simulation w/ actinics. Something in the 10k range would add some more white to your current lighting, and 50/50's more whitish blue. It depends on whether you like a yellow, crisp white, or bluish look to your tank. Personally I would probably look at something in the 10-12 k range w/ 20 k MH. HTH

 

[Innovator]

I am not sure of how your rockwork is situated or if you are willing to change, but you could construct a patch reef on one end where light penetration (both halides) would be at a maximum and have it descend/extend towards the other end with minimal light penetration so that it resembles deeper water (T5).

 

[anthony.grimes]

I am planning on reaquascaping my tank anyways so I can plan accordingly. Thanks for you help guys, lots of good info.

 

[chase33]

Nice suggestion Innovator.

 

[lando]

For a 72in tank I suggest going with three MH lamps as well. If the brace in the middle of the tank is clear acrylic you should be okay. I would not worry too much about the heat issue. As, mentioned, your lamps should be placed high enough above the tank as to not heat things up too much. Running a small desk fan over the surface of the water will certainly help. As far as color goes, I am a fan of 10K or 14K MH bulbs with actinic suppliments (CF, VHO, etc.).

 

[revhtree]

I agree! You need 3 lights, but if you just do 2, you could place sps or clams right under the direct rays of the MH's and put the softies on the outsides.