Do I Need More Light?

[PAIR OF CLOWNS]

We bought a 50gal 20l x 18w x 32h about 9 months ago and transfered our 29 and 10 gallon tanks that had been cycling for 18 months into it. Everything seemed happy with the new 150w metal halide lamp we got for it. But now our zoas are disappearing and our mushrooms streatch up as if to say " more light, more light" and the torch coral alternates which polyps it extends daily. Our sps,frogspawn and cup corals in the top 18'' are doing great. The mushrooms,torch coral and zoas are 23'' below the water and 30'' from the light. Is our tank too deep ? Does it need more light? If so how much is enough without bleaching my sps ? Help,please!!
-Coral

 

[SkiFletch]

Yup, depth kills 150 watt halides. They're great to 12", good to 18", and OK till somewhere around 22-24" at which point the light just gets washed out. You'll need more punch of a 250, very powerful LED's, or a higher rock-stack. Adding soemthing like PC's or T5's won't really cut it.

 

[PAIR OF CLOWNS]

Yup, depth kills 150 watt halides. They're great to 12", good to 18", and OK till somewhere around 22-24" at which point the light just gets washed out. You'll need more punch of a 250, very powerful LED's, or a higher rock-stack. Adding soemthing like PC's or T5's won't really cut it.

THANK YOU!!! Do you think adding another 150 will do and not harm the hydnophora,blue torch, or star polyp at the 10''to 14" depth? Do i need to add a 250 or can i just replace the 150 with a 250?

-Coral

 

[Crazy fishes]

I think for a 20" a single 250 W would be sufficient; it is the depth that is killing the light levels as Ski says. I think it is quoted that for the depth of 24" the light level has diminished by 96% that of the surface level, hence increasing the power of the lighting means that 4% becomes 8% which maybe enough to keep all happy.

Let us know how you get on

Regards

 

[SkiFletch]

A single 250 will give you more punch down through the water. Twin 150's won't really do it. It still won't be great with the 250 down around the sand at that depth though...

 

[PAIR OF CLOWNS]

AWESOME!! WILL DO. Do you have any suggestions on types or good deals ?? online if possible I live in one of

those tiny southern towns they make fun of and steriotype everyone as rednecks, we're not , most are. Needless to say

people come to our home and freak out that we have "nemo fish" and then ask "what kind of weird plants (corals)are

those". Then we blow their minds I jest my town is a beautiful place. However I hate driving an hour away to get any

fish or corals we are willing to put in our very established tank. My nashville pet store told me the 150w would do and didn't

have a 250w.
'
'-CORAL

 

[SkiFletch]

To buy new, I'd look into hellolights.com or championlighting.com and to buy used, I'd try and look up the West Tenessee Reef Club (or something similar), I'm pretty sure there's a pretty active club there...

 

[PAIR OF CLOWNS]

To buy new, I'd look into hellolights.com or championlighting.com and to buy used, I'd try and look up the West Tenessee Reef Club (or something similar), I'm pretty sure there's a pretty active club there...

Went to hellolights thank you . We are gonna custom build a hood with a 250w (hqi) 20,000k bulb, and two night lights for

less than they wanted for a single light prefab system and this will allow us to put down the glass lid that came with the tank.


you rock
-Coral

 

[SkiFletch]