Whatcha think?

[Josh125]

Suggestions Please

Hello,

I am going to downgrade my lighting I believe over my 29 gallon. I now have a 250 HQI setup, but was thinking about going with a 150HQI for various reasons.

Would this 150 setup be ok for a mixed reef tank? I was thinking about maybe a few M.caps and maybe a clam and the rest softies?

Any thoughts? Could you recommend a good 150 setup to go with?

Thanks!

[Lunchbucket]

why down grade??

Lunchbucket

[Josh125]

Hey Lunch,

I have been getting that a lot, well I am working nearly 50 hours a week and going back to grad school. So I really don't have the time or the money to continue with the upgrades I need to do sps right. So I looking for a less maintence intense tank, like a softie dominant tank with a few caps here and there.

I have been looking at the 50K saki, all I have found is it in mogul form. Has anyone actually seen it in person?

Thanks

[Lunchbucket]

DON"T DO IT!! grad school isn't fun :(

Lunchbucket

[Josh125]

LOL,

I am only going one night a week and my company is paying for it, so it's just to sweet of a deal to pass up.

So do you think a 150 would be a nice compromise? Do you think I could keep a wide variety of corals with that?

Thanks!

[Lunchbucket]

heck one class per week and i got it paid for...yeah i would do it...but time is the big issue

a 150 would be fine you could keep anything you wanted. acros should do fine too but NOT mixed w/ softies

Lunchbucket

[Josh125]

I know time is going to be an issue, just seeing how it goes....why not :)

I wasn't thinking of acros, maybe a few montipora but that's about it. I don't know, I am still on the fence about downgrading.

[pAtTy]

I think sps would do fine under 5 watts per gal.

[kozmo02]

it depends what kind of SPS you get, start with some montipora digitata and some montipora capricornis and work your way up, dont get anything to difficult or anything too intensely colored, if i was you, i would avoid wild colonies all together and spend the money and order tank raised frags, way hardier and way more adaptable to lighting conditions in the aquarium, and tend to adjust and thrive, compared to wild colonies that can brown out or RTN on you.

HTH

[kennerd]

Personally, I think you should be more concerned with the light spread from a single halide on a 29 gal.

Now, a question: is this a retro or pendant? If you've got a pendant, just raise it up further: you'll get more spread, lower intensity and less heat problems.

Now, if it's a retro, just pack it up and send it my way ;)