Recommended lighting for a Zoo and Ricordia Dominated tank?

[DallasNYC]

Looking for recommendations for lighting. I will be setting up a 75 gallon tank (48"x18"x20" deep) and would like for it to be mostly for zoos and ricodias. I current own a 175w MH set up and and IceCap 660 set up. So the easiest would be to add another 175wMH for a total of 2 and compliment them with VHO actinics.

Would two 175w MH + two VHO actinics be a good setup? What color temperature would be good for the metal halides? In the past I felt the 10Ks were a bit on the yellow side for me.

Would two 250w be better or too bright?

I was also considering changing over to 6 T5 bulbs. But from posts I read, it seems that may be too bright? Or are people over exaggerating?

The goal would be able to use the whole depth of the tank, not just the bottom or top half.

Any direction is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Dallas

[kodyboy]

If it were me I would get an aquactinics 5xT5 54 watt setup. Excellent reflectors, cooling and nicely made. A nice, not too costly set-up. Aquariumspecialty handles them.
If you want to keep your original lights, 2 175s and 2 VHOs should be fine. 2 10k bulbs + actinics should look nice.

[glenns]

IZZY'SREEF,

This was my setup.

Front

Aqua Blue - ATI
Aqua Blue - ATI
6500K - GE
Blue + - ATI

Back

[DallasNYC]

Thanks guys

Glenns, You had mentioned before in the other thread that you have recntly gone to 6 bulbs so please let me know how that's working out. What temperutre bulbs are the two new ones. What ballast are you running? Standard or IceCap Overdriven?

So would you say the reports of mushrooms witherng under T5s is exagerated? Is it just a matter of propper aclimation?

Thanks Again
Dallas

[reefworldaq]

4 x 54w T5HO will be enough, or 2 x 150w MH or 6 x 55w PC.

[glenns]

DallasNYC,

Here is the current setup:

Using the Triad ballasts from Reefgeek.

Front

Actinic + - Giesemann
Super Actinic - UV
6500K - GE
Aqua Blue - Giesemann
Aqua Blue - Giesemann
Actinic + - Giesemann

Back

Zoos and Mushrooms and Frogspawn all doing well so far. All are fully open. - FYI I have a glass top, so their is some par loss.

My green Ricordia mushrooms are at the bottom of the tank. The Zoo's are from the top of the rock down to the sand.

Glenn

[DallasNYC]

Thanks guys.

"FYI I have a glass top, so their is some par loss" Yes I was just thinking the same thing. If the lights are a bit too strong, I would think they could be raised a bit off the water as well? I realize I would be losing some of the lighting potential of the set up. But still more economical to run than metal halides.

[chevegan]

125watt incandescent lol. Shrooms and zoos grow in my sump! lol under a 15watt non HO t5. But what they said above is always nice since you can bet that you will start adding everything else to the tanks as time goes on.