Lighting for Soft Corals

MJV0103 · 05/05/2015, 04:35 PM

I currently only have a FOWLF system. I'd like to start with some soft corals. I have a 50g tank with 2 24" 10k T5 lights on the tank. they generally run from about 4pm to 9pm, daylight hits the tank during the day.

Do you think this lighting would be enough for soft corals?

brianr24 · 05/05/2015, 05:37 PM

Yes.u have to run them 8 to 12 hrs though. Are they all 10k or do u have actions also.? Either way no problem with softies.maybe someone with more exp. will give more details.

brianr24 · 05/05/2015, 05:41 PM

After 're-reading maybe your asking if sunlight would supplement lights.if thats the case?sorry IDK.

Mcgeezer · 05/05/2015, 05:50 PM

7-8 hours minimum, and you will need to at least replace one 10k bulb with one actinic bulb. Blue light/actinics promote photosynthesis.

You didn't specify what kind of soft corals you would have. For mushrooms, GSP, Xenia and basic corals it's perfectly fine.

MJV0103 · 05/05/2015, 06:07 PM

running the lights longer is no problem, timer will handle that, i was just planning on going with a mushroom and some zoas/polyps to start

brianr24 · 05/05/2015, 06:24 PM

Ya. Just do like mgeezer said.change out bulbs so u have one 10k and one actinic in each fixture.

cloak · 05/06/2015, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJV0103

I currently only have a FOWLF system. I'd like to start with some soft corals. I have a 50g tank with 2 24" 10k T5 lights on the tank. they generally run from about 4pm to 9pm, daylight hits the tank during the day.

Do you think this lighting would be enough for soft corals?

Two 24" T5 bulbs over the tank or two 24" T5 fixtures over the tank? (4 bulbs in total) Either way I just don't think this will be enough light to keep your corals happy & healthy long term. Even if you switch the 10K's for an actinic bulb you'll be sacrificing par and making it even harder on the corals. A standard 50 gallon tank is just too deep and you don't have the spread IMO. (even with the two fixtures)

Now a 4 bulb 48" fixture might be a different story though...

Bpb · 05/06/2015, 11:13 AM

10k bulbs have the blue/actinic spectrum in them, dont be mistaken, there's just so much red, green, and yellow ALSO there to make the light appear white. You can get away with growing corals using only 10k lights. People have done that with metal halides for years without supplements.

brianr24 · 05/06/2015, 11:16 AM

Wow. I'm not in the business long enough to disagree.I am surprised to hear it might not be enough light.especially for softies.what you think maybe two four bulb fixtures? That seems to make sense.

Bpb · 05/06/2015, 11:22 AM

A good rule of thumb (much better than the old watts per gallon rule), is this:

One T5HO bulb, for every 3" of tank depth front to back. Bulb ideally being the same length as the tank...So, if you have a standard 55 gallon tank, 12" front to back depth, 48" wide tank. That means 4x54 watt t5ho bulb fixture

75 gallon tank 48" long, 18" deep front to back: 6x54 watt t5ho fixture...

So on and so forth

Bpb · 05/06/2015, 11:23 AM

Naturally with some of the much higher power T5HO fixtures with really tight parabolic reflectors like the ATI Sunpower and Powermodule units, you can probably do fewer or shorter bulbs and suspend the fixture 12" over the tank...But thats and exception that some people don't even abide

Scubareefman · 05/06/2015, 11:30 AM

I think its not enough light. 2x24 inch lights will not support most polyps, you will get trumpeting and elongated extinction instead of a healthy polyp garden. They will most likely loose vibrancy and become dull over time as well. There are non-photosynthetic corals that could flourish but require daily feeding.
Even with 4x 24's its still not enough IMO.

05/05/2015, 04:35 PM	#1
MJV0103 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: DC Metro Area Posts: 228	Lighting for Soft Corals I currently only have a FOWLF system. I'd like to start with some soft corals. I have a 50g tank with 2 24" 10k T5 lights on the tank. they generally run from about 4pm to 9pm, daylight hits the tank during the day. Do you think this lighting would be enough for soft corals?

05/05/2015, 05:37 PM	#2
brianr24 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: P.A. Posts: 256	Yes.u have to run them 8 to 12 hrs though. Are they all 10k or do u have actions also.? Either way no problem with softies.maybe someone with more exp. will give more details.

05/05/2015, 05:41 PM	#3
brianr24 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: P.A. Posts: 256	After 're-reading maybe your asking if sunlight would supplement lights.if thats the case?sorry IDK.

05/05/2015, 05:50 PM	#4
Mcgeezer Reef gardener Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: DeLand, Florida Posts: 1,205	7-8 hours minimum, and you will need to at least replace one 10k bulb with one actinic bulb. Blue light/actinics promote photosynthesis. You didn't specify what kind of soft corals you would have. For mushrooms, GSP, Xenia and basic corals it's perfectly fine.

05/05/2015, 06:07 PM	#5
MJV0103 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: DC Metro Area Posts: 228	running the lights longer is no problem, timer will handle that, i was just planning on going with a mushroom and some zoas/polyps to start

05/05/2015, 06:24 PM	#6
brianr24 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: P.A. Posts: 256	Ya. Just do like mgeezer said.change out bulbs so u have one 10k and one actinic in each fixture.

05/06/2015, 11:13 AM	#8
Bpb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 3,148	10k bulbs have the blue/actinic spectrum in them, dont be mistaken, there's just so much red, green, and yellow ALSO there to make the light appear white. You can get away with growing corals using only 10k lights. People have done that with metal halides for years without supplements.

05/06/2015, 11:16 AM	#9
brianr24 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: P.A. Posts: 256	Wow. I'm not in the business long enough to disagree.I am surprised to hear it might not be enough light.especially for softies.what you think maybe two four bulb fixtures? That seems to make sense.

05/06/2015, 11:22 AM	#10
Bpb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 3,148	A good rule of thumb (much better than the old watts per gallon rule), is this: One T5HO bulb, for every 3" of tank depth front to back. Bulb ideally being the same length as the tank...So, if you have a standard 55 gallon tank, 12" front to back depth, 48" wide tank. That means 4x54 watt t5ho bulb fixture 75 gallon tank 48" long, 18" deep front to back: 6x54 watt t5ho fixture... So on and so forth

05/06/2015, 11:23 AM	#11
Bpb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 3,148	Naturally with some of the much higher power T5HO fixtures with really tight parabolic reflectors like the ATI Sunpower and Powermodule units, you can probably do fewer or shorter bulbs and suspend the fixture 12" over the tank...But thats and exception that some people don't even abide

05/06/2015, 11:30 AM	#12
Scubareefman Registered Member. Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 1,016	I think its not enough light. 2x24 inch lights will not support most polyps, you will get trumpeting and elongated extinction instead of a healthy polyp garden. They will most likely loose vibrancy and become dull over time as well. There are non-photosynthetic corals that could flourish but require daily feeding. Even with 4x 24's its still not enough IMO.