Light confusion

Michael Felton · 03/08/2009, 03:47 PM

Hi, I am very new to this hobby and have been learning from this website.
I have a 90 gallon, rectangular tank 24 inches deep. I bought what the aquarium shop told me to get which is the Coral Life 48' Prolight with 2 150 watt MH's, 2 96 watt 03 actinic and 4 470NM blue moon LED's. I was wondering if this is good for a general mixed reef aquarium. I keep reading that a 24inch deep tank should have 250 MH's. What I have in there so far is:
1 stony brain coral
1 leather coral
1 hammer coral
1 Pocillopora
1 Zoanthus
1 small Duncan

The only science behind the decision to get these is that my wife thought they were pretty!! I have just placed them in the tank at various heights based on what I have read. However, now I am getting hooked on this and I want to fine tune. Everything seems to be doing ok so far.

I am running my MH's 6 hours a day and the actinics 8 hours a day with the LED's on 24-7

Any input, advice , suggestions would be greatly appreciated
thanks
Mike

ssamick · 03/08/2009, 04:22 PM

I would say with what you have coral wise you should be fine. Just try to keep the light loving corals towards the top.

divewsharks · 03/08/2009, 04:31 PM

by having 250w's on your tank, you could put light demanding corals just about anywhere; by having 150w's, you'll need to keep them to the top. Where did you put the pocillipora? That one should be nearer to the top top (mid-tank and north). all the rest you can pretty much put anywhere.

03/08/2009, 03:47 PM	#1
Michael Felton Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 6	Light confusion Hi, I am very new to this hobby and have been learning from this website. I have a 90 gallon, rectangular tank 24 inches deep. I bought what the aquarium shop told me to get which is the Coral Life 48' Prolight with 2 150 watt MH's, 2 96 watt 03 actinic and 4 470NM blue moon LED's. I was wondering if this is good for a general mixed reef aquarium. I keep reading that a 24inch deep tank should have 250 MH's. What I have in there so far is: 1 stony brain coral 1 leather coral 1 hammer coral 1 Pocillopora 1 Zoanthus 1 small Duncan The only science behind the decision to get these is that my wife thought they were pretty!! I have just placed them in the tank at various heights based on what I have read. However, now I am getting hooked on this and I want to fine tune. Everything seems to be doing ok so far. I am running my MH's 6 hours a day and the actinics 8 hours a day with the LED's on 24-7 Any input, advice , suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks Mike

03/08/2009, 04:22 PM	#2
ssamick Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Fort Wayne, IN. Posts: 295	I would say with what you have coral wise you should be fine. Just try to keep the light loving corals towards the top.

03/08/2009, 04:31 PM	#3
divewsharks Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,905	by having 250w's on your tank, you could put light demanding corals just about anywhere; by having 150w's, you'll need to keep them to the top. Where did you put the pocillipora? That one should be nearer to the top top (mid-tank and north). all the rest you can pretty much put anywhere.