250W or 400W Iwasakis?

[Metaphase]

I will have a 72 gal 24" deep tank with a 4-6" DSB, and I hope to keep the largest range of corals possible. I will have 2 36" actinic VHO's to supplement the Iwasakis. I've heard bad stuff about the 400W killing coraline. Should I go 250W or 400W?

[aneima6]

250watt, i will have a 65gal(24" deep) and it will have one 250watt iwasaki with either a magnetek or advance mv ballasts plus some other vho or pc. good luck

[Panda]

I don't think it can be said that the 400w 'saki kills coralline. What you've probably read is that some darker coralline colors bleach or die when exposed to the intensity of a 400w 6500K bulb. It's not the bulb that kills it, it's just the nature of the algae.

From personal experience, I have 2 - 250 watt 'saki's over my tank (will be adding a third this weekend) and I really like how the tank looks. Currently I'm supplementing with 220watts of actinic and that will be upgraded to 440watts when the 3rd halide goes in.

I've never seen a 400w 'saki lit up but from the people that I've talked to and the posts I've read, they are yellow and you might want to have more actinics to offset that color, but it's a matter of personal preference.

As for the question of what you will be able to keep. I think with a 250w you could keep pretty much anything you wanted if you placed it right in the tank. you'll have about 18"-20" to get through and a 250watter should handle that just fine.


Dave

[drtango]

I have 2x250 Iwasaki with spiderlite reflectors and VHO supplement over a 92 corner bowfront. I have uncontrollable SPS growth, need to prune some of these corals every 2 weeks. Plenty of light for anything, clams are thriving on the bottom, mushrooms go into hiding.

JT

[ADS]

I run both 250W & 400W 6500K on different tanks. I did have some bright colored corals lose their intensity under the 250's. They regained their color under 400's. If you have SPS I would use the 400's. They do produce alot more heat than 250's.

[BOBG]

When you guys add the supplemental VHO's how are the MH bulbs positioned, perpindicular or parallel to the front glass. Right now mine are mounted perpindicular and I want to add VHO's. With them mounted perp to the front, there isn't enough room to add the VHO's with the spider reflectors.

[Panda]

I have my halides mounted parallel to the long side if the tank. I will be dropping the flourescents to roughly 6 inches above the water surface because there's not enough room for 4 bulbs plus a halide in the middle.


Dave

[geofloors]

I would go with the 250s unless you want to sell your corals regularly. I have excellent growth under the 250s on my 75g but I have amazing growth from the 400 on my 30g. I use 1 vho actinic per halide with the 250's and the 400 and get the white color.

George