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#1
03/18/2005, 06:47 PM
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lighting for a 180 gallon bowfront
Hi,
I currently have a 180 gallon bowfront with assorted soft, sps & lps corals. Eventually all I wish to have are sps & lps corals. Right now I have 1 - 20,000K 400 watt in the center, 1 - 10,000K 175 watt at each end, one VHO super actinic across the front and one across the back. My corals grow, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. But I have not witnessed the same coral growth in my tank as I have in a friends 90 running 4 NO actinics and one 175watt - 10,000K bulb(s). His corals grow huge and grow fast. My water parameters are essentially the same and we use the same additives and the same type of salt. Is there something I change with my lighting that would be better suited for the corals. ie: all 20,000K MH basically no white lite? Thanks, Aaron |
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#2
03/18/2005, 08:13 PM
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How tall is your tank? With a 400 watt lamp you are fine in the center but even with 10K lamps you might be shy on light at the ends.
Do you have the same types of corals as your friend? Tank temp? Lighting period?
__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#3
03/19/2005, 01:42 PM
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It is 24" high. But even the corals under the 400, the same corals in his tank grow faster and larger. At one time both of us had 90 gallon tanks with the exact same lighting, and his corals grew faster and larger. To me it seems that my corals when I had the 90 and now in the 180 they're a little more colorful than his. Some corals in both tanks are frags from the same mother colony. It makes no sense.. I have about 5.5 watts of light per gallon, which should be more than enough. Should I be using more blue lights, ie: 2 VHO actinics, 2 175watt 20,000k and one 400 watt 20,000k?
Thanks, Aaron |
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#4
03/19/2005, 02:45 PM
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20K 175's won't have as much PAR output as 10K's. I assume your friend is using the 20K lamp in the 400 as well? Maybe dropping it down to a lower K rated lamp it will help..
__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#5
03/19/2005, 07:04 PM
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There is more to it than just light....he may have more water movement, less nutrients....etc
Some soft corals will keep SPS from growing due to chemical warfare..does he have the same corals as you or only SPS's. All tanks are different....The same coral will do good in one environment and not make it in another. |
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