Lighting?

[lewiss]

Hey,

I have 2 T5 bulbs currently in my reef tank, however I'm struggling with keeping corals unless they're right at the top of the tank. My tank is very deep rather than wide, which will obviously not help!

I struggle mostly, with mushroom coral. I have a frag of hammerhead which is doing well, a green torch which is doing well (both at the top) a finger (middle of the tank) doing amazingly well. And a mushroom half way down.. Not well. Star polyps botto
(were doing well... Now suddenly may have died!)

Anyway I want to get an anemone at some point and would really like my corals to thrive near the bottom of the tank. Can anyone help me out with a couple of questions?

How easy is it to set up new lighting?

What kind of lighting would I need ontop of my current?

Do I need more lighting?

And can you recommend any easy lighting systems to add. Tank is open top..

Cheers,

lewis

 

[ben1987]

best to start with your dimensions mate.

mushrooms should do well under low light, what are your water stats?

 

[Pearsondesign]

there are lots of different types of lighting available.

Halide, LED, strip and others.

if you have a very deep tank then halides or LEDs will be good

 

[lewiss]

Dimensions are 61x61x46. (cm)

my water levels are good really
ph - 8.2
am - <25
no2-0
no3-0
salt - .024
kh - 15
ca - 450
mushrooms will never open. I lost one, and the second hasn't opened for ages.

Lewis

 

[seffieuk]

What is your phosphate reading Lewis?

Seffie x

 

[lewiss]

Phos - 1

 

[ben1987]

ammonia should be a100% certain zero.
LEDS arent good on a deep tank. if its 60cm deep then thats not really a deep tank. id try and get maybe 5 T5's over it. what is important though, is that each bulb has its own reflector, rather than 4 bulbs in one.