Possible Lighting for 55g

[raw04f]

I am considering 2 250watts light bulbs. Which one would be better for a 55g? A de HQI or se? Is this too much light for a 55g? I'm doing this in a mixed soft coral with few LPS and SPS corals

[raw04f]

?

[picassoman]

If you want to do alot of softies, T5's alone would be more than enough. I have 8x54 T5's on my 75g and the SPS are growing like crazy! not to mention it is cheaper in the long run and won't heat up your tank as much. Look into Nova Extreme fixtures. DFS uses them at their coral facility growing zoas, shrooms, softies, and LPS.

[raw04f]

What about 250 Watt HQI in a 55 gallon tank, is this too much?

[kodyboy]

I would go with an aquactinics 5xT5 unit for a 55 gallon, more than enough PAR to grow anything.
A pair of 250 watt DE bulbs would probably not be overkill, but it would cost as much or more than the above, do no better, and the heat issues could be a huge pain.

[J. Montgomery]

I use two 175W MH over a 55 gallon. It seems like plenty of light to me. Two 250W would also work (SE or DE), but you'll be battling heat issues. And its really hard to have too much light.