converting 260w pc for MH or HQI

[MorayMadness]

hey all i currently have a 55g reef tank 48" X 13" X 18 1/2" i have 70lbs lr livesand bed. and 4x 65watt pc lighting 2 10k 2 actinic.

looking to upgrade to mh or hqi. i want to start getting anemones, tried before with my pc light didnt work out . i hve mushrooms and polyps doing good. before i replace my pc bulbs i was wondering what if i go mh or hqi should i get for my tank and whats the wpg? also thinking of doing some sps corals or something along that line comming up,.

thanks

[MarineFlake]

Ok..I give, what anemone are you looking to keep?

[MorayMadness]

maybe a bta . hosted a bta with clown before, 2 carpets at one time. and 2 ltas all hosted and would like to do the rose bta again. but for it to survive

[loganj]

Survival rates for anemones in aquariums, even with the right lighting, aren't good. They're hard to keep alive. There are some corals that your clowns will host in. My percs are all hugged up to a large mushroom and seem quite happy with it.

[MorayMadness]

ok so again . . what mh wattage should i get if i want to get sps corals? or even to further the growth of coraline and mushrooms and polyps?>

[austinsdad]

Check out T5s too. Lot's of folks love'm it seems. I dunno, maybe shoot for 6 to 8 wpg. Isn't a 55g kinda deep too? If so, I'd GUESS the higher the better. Watch the impact it may have on water temp also. Fans may be needed.

[roka64]

I believe you want to shoot for at least 6WPG. Someone please feel free to correct me.

[loganj]

I'm not a fan of the WPG rule because some lighting is more intense than others. I seem to remember Timbo having good results using a 2x250 MH system over a 55. Yes that's a lot of light. If you go down to say...Fiji and check out the noontime sun, that's what SPS corals thrive under. Sure you could go with 175w MH, but why? You can get 250's for close to the same price. There isn't a lot of room on top of a 55 so I'd probably look into MH bulbs in the 14k range so you won't need actinics. If you were going to use fluorescent lighting, I'd go with T-5s and I'd use as many of them as I could fit over the tank. If you can run the tank open top and use pendants, that will alleviate some of the heat issues.

[MorayMadness]

very helpfull thank you !

[MorayMadness]

sorry for double posting , but does anyone know of any good deals on a 2 x 250 mh system in the 14k range as well. ? would be very helpfull thanks!

[MT79]

I would recommend 175's or 250's. FWIW I use 2x250's on my 55 gal. One thing I would warn you of is the heat. I have a 15 gal sump attached to my tank, and in the summer the water temps can get hot fast(even w/ AC in the house). 175's would cut the heat some and probably work close too, if not just as well on this size tank.

any good deals on a 2 x 250 mh system in the 14k range as well.

I got CoralVue 250w MH retro kit w/ electronic ballasts for under $190 each including lamps.