lighting OK?

[SeaSydney]

Thanks hammer. So if I used 2x250watt 10k ushio with 2x110vho 03,s then I could keep anything I wanted? I guess this should give me a color too -not too blue but more white with that nice blue tint?
Thank again

 

[Hammer]

The 10K bulbs with the actinics will give you a lot of blue, but still pretty good PAR.
I went with the Iwasaki because they are almost without equal as for intensity. So instead of using 400 watt 10k bulbs, I use 250 watt 6.5k bulbs with 2x110 watt 03 actinic. And I have enough intensity for anything I want.
Somethings will always grow better under different lighting, there are too many variables.
If you want deep water corals, you might be better off with 400 watt 20k bulbs.
If you want shallow water stuff, the 6.5k Iwasaki is the best bang for the buck, and will give great results. And just add actinic to give it the look you want (2 x 110 watt 03 actinic is BARELY enough in my book with these lights). The Iwasaki bulbs already give a large spike in the 420nm light range, so any actinic lighting you add, is more for you then the corals.

 

[SeaSydney]

Tank Specs:
75gal tank - 20" deep
120lbs LR - 3"DSB

Would like to keep sps, clams(all types) and the higher light requiring softies and lps.

Proposed lighting:
2x175watt mh & 2x110watt vho attinics

Question: will this ne enough lighting to succesfully keep these corals providing they are given good water quality? I dont want to propagate , but to have a good steady growth.
Other suggestion will be appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Hammer]

I would personally say that it is not enough. I would go at least 2x250 watt MH lights. I have 2x250 MH Iwasaki lights over an 80 gallon, but have a deeper sand bed. I have clean light all the way to the sand, but for a more specific tank like you want, even 400 watt lights could be used with a lot of fans or a chiller. The 400 watt MH will limit other softies you have unless you are creative in your rockwork to create good shadowing to provide shelter from the intense light.
I have good shadows with my 250 watt setup, and feel that nothing is out of the question as far as light goes. Just had to move rocks around until I had a decent assortment of lighting probabilities.
175 watt lights could be used, but anything that needs the light would have to be kept directly under the lights, and the top of the water column. If that is fine with you, then these could still work out.