LPS Lighting

CapitalO · 11/08/2006, 08:16 AM

I have a 29g LPS tank (containing mostly trachs, euphyllia, acans etc) and I currently have a 2x65w coralife fixture (10,000k and actinic O3). I noticed that my corals lose some of their color, becoming slighlty more washed out over a period of a few months in my tank (all my corals have come from a tank lit by halides). I dont really want to invest in an expensive mh hood that produces more light than my corals prefer.. so after a few weeks of research, Ive decided to build my own hood using a 70w mh (13k aqualine bulb) retrofit and the guts of my existing fixture for supplemental lighting (actinics). My other conisiderations were using all T5's (Olliereefers tank is awesome), or using a 150w mh instead of the 70w.. there isnt a great deal of difference in cost for the retrofits, but in my experience my LPS tend to expand more and seem happier under less intense light. Any thoughts?

11/08/2006, 08:16 AM	#1
CapitalO Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 312	LPS Lighting I have a 29g LPS tank (containing mostly trachs, euphyllia, acans etc) and I currently have a 2x65w coralife fixture (10,000k and actinic O3). I noticed that my corals lose some of their color, becoming slighlty more washed out over a period of a few months in my tank (all my corals have come from a tank lit by halides). I dont really want to invest in an expensive mh hood that produces more light than my corals prefer.. so after a few weeks of research, Ive decided to build my own hood using a 70w mh (13k aqualine bulb) retrofit and the guts of my existing fixture for supplemental lighting (actinics). My other conisiderations were using all T5's (Olliereefers tank is awesome), or using a 150w mh instead of the 70w.. there isnt a great deal of difference in cost for the retrofits, but in my experience my LPS tend to expand more and seem happier under less intense light. Any thoughts?