Lighting

lmcgrew79 · #1 07/29/2006, 12:39 PM

I was wondering if there is any difference in puting the lights directly on the tank or should they be mounted with the brackets to let them stand above the tank. Seems there would be less light to me the farther away?

LtPiper · #2 07/29/2006, 12:43 PM

Sitting directly on the tank you have to worry about salt creep more IMO. My 10 that has the light directly on the tank have to be cleaned off more then the ones on my 39 that are setting on the legs.

lmcgrew79 · #3 07/29/2006, 12:47 PM

i have power compacts by the way current usa orbits 4x65, that is one concern the salt creep, i would like to move them up but wondering if it would affect what i keep in my tank, with the lighting being further away.

LtPiper · #4 07/29/2006, 06:11 PM

Well a 4 x 65 on a 75 your probably only going to be able to keep softies on or off the legs. You might be able to keep an LPS but it would have to be right on top of the rock.

firefish2020 · #5 07/29/2006, 07:12 PM

Legs will work fine. The only SPS I would ever try in that setup would be digitata and pocilliopora, but don't expect brilliant coloration. Softies on the other hand and some lower light LPS will be great additions. Flow is as important as lighting for good growth though so remember that

lmcgrew79 · #6 07/29/2006, 07:49 PM

Flow as in from sump to tank or flow like powerheads. Ive got 2 maxi jet 1200's ph's and 1 mag drive 500 in the tank, and a mag drive 700 from sump to tank. I dont have direct flow over corals, i have them kind of hidden in the rock work, i dont like powerheads to be visible in the tank. I definetly need to update my lighting soon. As for now i have mainly fish some ricordia, a hammer coral, frogspawn, and some xenia. the frogspawn and hammer are doing great but are like you said on top the tank.

firefish2020 · #7 07/29/2006, 10:44 PM

Thats not bad flow at all, I would probably add more but I like lots of flow. After many experiments with light and placement I learned flow was just as important as the lighting for SPS coral. As long as you have around 10-14 X the tank volume per hour flow in your system you should be fine for most coral IMO. I want much more than that though and I want a random surge from time to time. For your system I would suggest maybe putting your Mag 5 on a timer so it comes on say every other day or so, this blows out any settled detritus and forces it into filtration, rather than just blowing it around in suspension. Replace the 2 Mj1200s with a bigger powerhead (Tunze, or Seio, etc) and there you go.