How much light is needed to grow corals

DGlove904 · 06-26-2008, 11:01 AM

I am going to set up my 125 soon , and was wondering how much light do I need to grow coarls. I think im going to try growing "SPS"

mattpenn · 06-26-2008, 11:30 AM

3x250w metal halides would be nice i have been wondering what happend to your build thread no updates lately

Pimpin Chirp · 06-26-2008, 01:16 PM

I would say get some MH's too...but has anyone had any success growing SPS corals (montipora, or birdsnest) under a Power Compact light? what if you keep them at the top of the tank closer to the light?

Loverotties · 06-26-2008, 01:33 PM

Mh is the shurest way to go, then T-5 and then a big maybe compact.

Bennihanna · 06-26-2008, 02:05 PM

T-5's or MH scap the PC's.

DGlove904 · 06-26-2008, 02:57 PM

I was wondering because I just got 418w power compact's, and wanted to know what else would I need.

teach · 06-26-2008, 04:08 PM

I grew montipora and birdsnest etc. under power compacts at school. They did ok. When I switched to t-5's it was a world of difference. I love the t5's!

luvmylo · 06-26-2008, 04:37 PM

I have monti's growing on the bottom of my 55 with pc's but I have 4 x 96 watts on there and change bulbs every 4-6 months. I would say do a 3 x 250 mh

DGlove904 · 06-26-2008, 04:44 PM

ok thanks guys.

Jadinop · 06-26-2008, 07:50 PM

Lighting is an extremely important factor but I think people tend to overdue it sometimes. I would consider using 3 150w MH's with some supplemental PC's or T5's on your 125. Here are some pics of my 75 before I took it down (75 and 125 have roughly the same basic dimensions except for length). I used a Coralife Aqualight Pro fixture with 2 Current 14k 150w bulbs and 2 Current 96w dual actinics. Tank was set up for just over a year and most of the sps started as small frags.

While I agree that you can use PC's or T5's to keep sps alive, I don't believe you will get the color or growth that MH produces.

DGlove904 · 06-28-2008, 11:44 AM

So what can I start to grow with my lights as of now, then in the future upgrade to some mh's or t5's

Caball362 · 06-28-2008, 03:06 PM

I would say Save your self some $ and find some t-5 or MH acause the Pcs Need to e replaced every 6 months
T-5s every year and a half
MH you might be able to get a year .

DGlove904 · 07-29-2008, 03:13 PM

DGlove904 · 07-29-2008, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jadinop

Lighting is an extremely important factor but I think people tend to overdue it sometimes. I would consider using 3 150w MH's with some supplemental PC's or T5's on your 125. Here are some pics of my 75 before I took it down (75 and 125 have roughly the same basic dimensions except for length). I used a Coralife Aqualight Pro fixture with 2 Current 14k 150w bulbs and 2 Current 96w dual actinics. Tank was set up for just over a year and most of the sps started as small frags.

While I agree that you can use PC's or T5's to keep sps alive, I don't believe you will get the color or growth that MH produces.

I agree me , reef junky, and his wife just talked about using 3 150's today thanks for the info.

mpdharley · 07-30-2008, 12:39 PM

I don't know about lighting being overdone, but having gone through many "lighting upgrades", which aren't cheap, I can tell you this. You really need to think about what you want in your tank and where you want it.

For example, a150watt MH system may work for if you only want to keep the SPS corals at the top of the tank. If you want to keep them anywhere in the tank then, depending on the depth of your tank, you may need to go up to 250watts.

If you also want to keep some LPS corals then you also need to consider their light requirements. A 250watt MH bulb may be too much for an LPS that you have near the top of your tank.

As for T5s, I have never used them for SPS so I cannot tell you how well they will or won't work, where you need to place SPS corals, etc. If you are only going to have LPS and soft corals then T5 is your best option.

Now, what about those upgrades. If you can find an inexpensive (read used) T5/T12 (commonly called VHO) setup then go with it for now. If you are looking at an expensive fixture or other T5/T12 system then I would think hard about it and more than likely go with a MH system now and save some money.

But, don't get too settled just yet! With MH bulbs, the refelctor you choose is also important! I would also recommend matching the bulb to the ballast. Some bulbs perform better on different ballasts. For example, the Coralvue reflux bulbs are made to work with their own electronic ballast. While they will work with other ballasts you will get the best use out of the Coralvue ballast.

Mike