Question on lighting

kone77 · 12/26/2009, 03:13 PM

Ok i have a 55gal. Oceanic bow front tank i have an outer orbits/current lighting system it hangs about 12inches above my tank it has two 250watt medal halides 20k and four 39 watt t5ho actintics is this to much light even know it hangs above my tank????????SORRY PICS ARE FROM MY PHONE

gatsby174 · 12/26/2009, 03:17 PM

I would say it is perfect...just make sure you start corals on the bottom and work them up into place (high light sps are different and most times can be placed in their final position). Good luck!

MrRyanT · 12/26/2009, 05:36 PM

^I mostly agree, but will of course vary depending on what type of corals you plan to keep. If you keep lower light demanding corals towards the bottom then I believe you'll be fine.

kone77 · 12/26/2009, 05:41 PM

I like zoanthids what else would be good for me with the lighting that i have??

Amici316 · 12/26/2009, 05:43 PM

If you can keep your temp stable, keep up with the top off and dont have any low light corals then it should work well. You might find some corals start to eventually wither away due to too much light though.

Better make sure you pick high light zoas and palys then. No tubbs blues for you! I would stick to clams and SPS with that much light. A good majority of LPS will be lower light and might melt.

garzaci · 12/26/2009, 05:45 PM

I hope you like more than zoanthids. You have enough light to grow whatever high light requiring sps and lps. Make sure to properly acclimate for your light.

kone77 · 12/26/2009, 06:54 PM

Would acrpora be good with this much light?

Seamus1 · 12/26/2009, 07:35 PM

yeah, acros would love the light

kone77 · 12/27/2009, 01:13 PM

ok a friend of mine gave me a brand new milwaukee smart luxmeter there's know instructions it has 3 options to choose from first is 0-1999 *1lux second is 2000-19999 *10lux third is 20000-50000 *100 lux with one should is use to get a reading on my lighting on 55 gal tank to see if i have to much light????

Amici316 · 12/27/2009, 01:31 PM

You really need a PAR meter not a lux meter. It can be converted but the numbers are still a little hairy. You cannot have to much light for the most part, you can have the inability to acclimate corals to your tank properly. I know people who run 1000w halide over a 12 inch deep frag tank and stuff RIGHT under the light does great. When you add new corals, I would consider either raising them when you add corals, putting some sort of mesh or cloth to lower the light transmission or even cutting the light cycle WAY down (like 2 hours a day, then 4 hours 3 days later etc.) to prevent them from just melting.

kone77 · 12/27/2009, 01:33 PM

ok thanks

12/26/2009, 03:17 PM	#2
gatsby174 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Middleport, NY Posts: 124	I would say it is perfect...just make sure you start corals on the bottom and work them up into place (high light sps are different and most times can be placed in their final position). Good luck! __________________ 75g/30g sump 75lbs live rock Sunpower 6x54 T5 Apex controller mixed reef Current Tank Info: 75g

12/26/2009, 05:36 PM	#3
MrRyanT MrRyanT Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 1,731	^I mostly agree, but will of course vary depending on what type of corals you plan to keep. If you keep lower light demanding corals towards the bottom then I believe you'll be fine. __________________ We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle Current Tank Info: 30 gal display

12/26/2009, 05:45 PM	#6
garzaci Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Richlands, NC Posts: 241	I hope you like more than zoanthids. You have enough light to grow whatever high light requiring sps and lps. Make sure to properly acclimate for your light. __________________ Carlos No tank at all. Sold everything when I got stationed in Okinawa. Planning for when I return though. Current Tank Info: 20 gal reef tank

12/26/2009, 05:41 PM	#4
kone77 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: harrisburg pa Posts: 94	I like zoanthids what else would be good for me with the lighting that i have??

12/26/2009, 05:43 PM	#5
Amici316 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 85	If you can keep your temp stable, keep up with the top off and dont have any low light corals then it should work well. You might find some corals start to eventually wither away due to too much light though. Better make sure you pick high light zoas and palys then. No tubbs blues for you! I would stick to clams and SPS with that much light. A good majority of LPS will be lower light and might melt.

12/26/2009, 06:54 PM	#7
kone77 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: harrisburg pa Posts: 94	Would acrpora be good with this much light?

12/26/2009, 07:35 PM	#8
Seamus1 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Miami Posts: 172	yeah, acros would love the light

12/27/2009, 01:13 PM	#9
kone77 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: harrisburg pa Posts: 94	ok a friend of mine gave me a brand new milwaukee smart luxmeter there's know instructions it has 3 options to choose from first is 0-1999 1lux second is 2000-19999 10lux third is 20000-50000 *100 lux with one should is use to get a reading on my lighting on 55 gal tank to see if i have to much light????

12/27/2009, 01:31 PM	#10
Amici316 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 85	You really need a PAR meter not a lux meter. It can be converted but the numbers are still a little hairy. You cannot have to much light for the most part, you can have the inability to acclimate corals to your tank properly. I know people who run 1000w halide over a 12 inch deep frag tank and stuff RIGHT under the light does great. When you add new corals, I would consider either raising them when you add corals, putting some sort of mesh or cloth to lower the light transmission or even cutting the light cycle WAY down (like 2 hours a day, then 4 hours 3 days later etc.) to prevent them from just melting.

12/27/2009, 01:33 PM	#11
kone77 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: harrisburg pa Posts: 94	ok thanks