240 watts of compact flouresent

[pokmijn]

like the title says will that be enough to support sps corals. it will go onto a 55 gal tank only and its about 1 1/2 foot tall only

 

[pat8you]

Any reason you are going compact flouresent over T-5 or halides? Havn't kept enough SPS to say if they would do well under those lights or not though.

 

[pokmijn]

Any reason you are going compact flouresent over T-5 or halides? Havn't kept enough SPS to say if they would do well under those lights or not though.

no reason just because im getting it for free halides is in the future money tight right now. found some sps for great prices and cant pass up on the offer. so was just if it was enough before i start buying.

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

in short answer no. if you had 240 of mh yes but the fluorescents dont penetrate the water well enough to support sps.

 

[pokmijn]

in short answer no. if you had 240 of mh yes but the fluorescents dont penetrate the water well enough to support sps.

ok thank a bunch i guess i have no choice but to pass on the sps corals then.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Depends on the SPS. Some types of SPS high up in the tank will survive OK. I'm not saying they'll thrive like they would under more intense lights, but you can keep them. I have a stylophora and a seriatopora under 196W of PC lighting, and they're holding their own - but they're within 4-6 inches of the water line also. But the two corals I listed are a couple of the more forgiving SPS when it comes to lighting - your mileage may vary!

 

[melosu58]

I only have VHO lighting and I keep a few moderate light SPS corals. Here is a pic of mine. They are the pavona coral, Red cap and millipora. They probably might make under that type lighting from mid to high placement in your tank. They are not as pretty as the high light SPS corals.

 

[Tank2379]

4 watts per gallon your well above what you need...

 

[pokmijn]

4 watts per gallon your well above what you need...

many people says that wpg is good but not to be use as a guideline so i tend to stay away from wpg

but my friend gave me two pieces of his corals i dont know what kind is it neither does he, all i know is it a sps coral and its been doing well in my system.

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

post some pics so we can help ID them.

 

[pokmijn]

post some pics so we can help ID them.

i cant get any pix of mine but i found i similar one online this is just one of them and instead of purple mine is neon green

http://www.sgreefclub.com/srctotm/danano 30g_sps11 totm.JPG

actually both the one i have looks a like but instead one is just all brown and the other has green.

 

[pokmijn]

you know what my bro is gonna buy me mh light what wattages do you guys recommend me to get it will go on a 55 gal tank and i will have to get two bulb so what wattage for each bulb i would like to have enough to support anything im my tank.

 

[Fierro Nights]

there is an fish store near my house and they sell dead acro, bright white, looks pretty, and i was wondering, if placed near a live acro, would the live acro grow into the new empty skeleton?

 

[melosu58]

many people says that wpg is good but not to be use as a guideline so i tend to stay away from wpg

I agree with not being a specific guideline but as a general or broad guidline it will be OK.

 

[Ziggy953]

PC lighting is not the best for SPS corals. The light just inst intense enough, it doesn't penetrate deep enough for the corals. With that said, you can keep SPS alive in a tank with PC lighting. The corals may not show their true colors with that lighting and they may not grow as quickly as they would under better conditions.

I started my system out with PC lighting and had SPS do just fine. After I upgraded to MH/VHO lighting I got to see what my SPS really looked like as they grew.

 

[pokmijn]

what is color temp for does that play a role for keeping a nice reef system if yes around what area would be good.

 

[Ziggy953]

10,000K on your white bulbs promotes coral growth. Higher color temps are going to be bluer.

 

[pokmijn]

10,000K on your white bulbs promotes coral growth. Higher color temps are going to be bluer.

so the lesser the color temp the slower the coral will grow and the less bluer the water will be. But corals would do fine with lower color temp but just grow slower is this right.

and for the blue color could i just add like a blue light or something like that.

 

[Ziggy953]

so the lesser the color temp the slower the coral will grow and the less bluer the water will be. But corals would do fine with lower color temp but just grow slower is this right.

and for the blue color could i just add like a blue light or something like that.

I would not suggest going below 10,000K for your bulbs. 10,000K is going to give you excellent growth and a bright white look. To get the blue add actinic supplement either with VHO, T5HO or PC bulbs. Lower K ratings will penetrate deeper in the tank but are going to be more yellow looking and can lead to algae growth.

 

[pokmijn]

ok then so will two 250 mh bulbs be good for my 55 gal or is it too much it will go with two 65 watt actinic blue.