24" deep tank owners?, what's your lighting?

[zuzecawi]

I'm trying to finalize decision on a lighting upgrade from 3 175w 10K's w/2 6' VHO actinics.
What are the setups out there? My tank is mainly montipora of different types with a few acro frags (blue tort, orchid staghorn) and some pocillopora damicornis and stylophora. I have a second tank with one 250w 20K and I like the light on that, but I'm not too sure I wouldn't be better off with 400w.
So what's the input folks? Pics would be nice. I'm not new to the hobby but I've been slowly moving from soft to mainly sps, I'd like to do it right.

[PITSTOP]

I am in the process of switching myself - after much research, I purchased the following for my 120 (4x2x2):

2 x 400w PFO HQI Ballast
2 x 24" PFO Parallel Reflector w/Mogul socket (combined to 48")
2 x 400w Reeflux 10,000K SE
2 x 110 VHO Super Actinic on Icecap 430

[onehundred20]

2x400 watt SE XM20k
2x96w actinics(would prefer vho)

[musty baby]

2x400 se 10k
2x110 vho actinics

Have all the hardware for my next tank, a 210 (7ftx2ftx2ft)
4x250 xm 15k
2x400 xm 10k
2 4ft and 2 3ft actinics

[AcroSteve]

I had 400's on mine, but dropped back to 250's. Less heat and excellent results.

[hobogato]

mine is lit with 250 watters and PC actinic.

it is 8' long, so 3 SE 250 watt 14ks, 2 DE 250 watt 12ks, and 8 65 watt PC true actinics.

[raddogz]

I use 250w no supplementation.

I am using reeflux 12k lighting on electronic ballasts

[Gundo5000]

3 250 se over my 135g

[ycnibrc]

If you go with a regular reflector then 400w. If you go with the lumenarc then 250w.

[60Cubed]

2 400w 10k reeflux
8 2ft vho's 6 blue 2 white

[hobogato]

Originally posted by ycnibrc
If you go with a regular reflector then 400w. If you go with the lumenarc then 250w.

should have mentioned that - i use my homade version of the luminarc mini on the SEs, and i replaced the reflectors in the DE pendants with that same solartube material. the tank is about 2X as bright as it was with the normal spider reflectors and the regular reflectors in the pendants.

[UFreefer]

2x250w mh w/luminarcs
4x110w vho all actinic

I dont think 400s would be necessary with luminarcs, it's more light then I need, sps grows like crazy even on the bottom

[supervdl]

2X 110 vho actinics, 3X 400 W metal halides. When I upgraded from 250 W halides, my corals showed a hugh increase in growth rate.

[Michael7979]

2x400w Helios 20k w/ vho supplements here.

[Goodwood]

400s rock but 250s work well.

[raynist]

In my 120:

2 Lumenarc Mini's
2 175w Iwasaki 15k
2 175w Icecap E-ballasts
2 Actinic Plus T-5's with Icecap Reflectors

I get a par reading of 250 - 290 at the bottom of the tank on the glass.

[Adrian]

2 400 watt 65K Iwasakis in spider reflectors and two 110 watt actinic VHOs...

[blindskater02]

2 250watt 14k pheonix bulbs in Luman Max 3 Pendants
2 36watt HO giesman T5 atinics

over my 65 gallon =)

[gnikoli]

I started with 3 X 175's over a 170-gal, 24" deep. That was a mistake. Switched to 3 X 250's single ended with T5 actinics and have been very happy. A single 400W on a track would be interesting, but 3 X 400W would be overkill for me. All of my SPS are in the top half of the display.

[PaintGuru]

400W XM 20K PFO Magnetic w/ Luminarc

[ReefWreak]

So many ways to skin a cat.... or light an SPS tank...

I'm running:
2x250w 10k on e-ballasts, spider reflectors
4x110w VHO superactinics on a IC660

Plenty of light for everything you've mentioned on keeping.
If you plan on using 20k bulbs again, then go with 400s, but if you can handle the whiter look of 10k or 12k, then go with either XM 10ks for maximum growth, or 12k reeflux for great color and still better growth than the 20k.

[zuzecawi]

Originally posted by hobogato
should have mentioned that - i use my homade version of the luminarc mini on the SEs, and i replaced the reflectors in the DE pendants with that same solartube material. the tank is about 2X as bright as it was with the normal spider reflectors and the regular reflectors in the pendants.

Where do you get this stuff, how much of a PIA was it to make your own, and what was your cost?

And all of you with the luminarcs, what makes the difference? Is it really unfeasible to run a 24" deep sps tank with 250's WITHOUT luminarcs?

Anybody experiment with dimming their halides for storm simulation and the like? Or time your lights for a peak intensity in midday?

Thanks guys, your answers are helping sketch out a bigger picture than I could see on my own.

[JB NY]

(3) 250 watt XM10K MH.
(3) 140 watt VHO Actinic.

IMO it is more than enough light, coloration and color are the best combo IME.

[cward]

Hey Joe, nice to see you posting.

24" deep tank owners?, what's your lighting?

I'm sure everyone is keeping their lights at different heights above the water, so where 250's work for Joe, they might not work for me.

I have 1-1000w Radium in a LA-III and 4-110w actinic VHO's.

[tony13]

3- 250w DE xm's on icecap e ballasts
4- 6' vho's on icecap e ballasts