55gal Lights... tell me what you think

[Pierce09]

I'm starting a 55 gal FO w/ LR, and DSB (lol). I would like to keep inverts, and hardy corals. Would 1 MH and 2 smaller PC's work well. What wattage should I get for each? I figured the PC's would just be actinic lights and the MH would the the overall tank light source. Also what colol should the MH be?

 

[Anonymous]

If it's a FO you don't need to spend money on lights. Simple flourescents will do.

 

[Pierce09]

I would like to keep inverts, and hardy corals.

I'ts starting out a FO but I would like to make the preperations for a Coral tank now....

 

[beerbaron]

if you are doing the retrofit, just get the pc's for now because the mh will waste alot of energy and $.

 

[31-2c]

if you are planning on going to MH, 1 will not work. YOu need 1 for every 2 feet of tank. My 55 has 2 175w MH's over it. Of course, I regret ever putting them on there! But thats a different story

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't say 1 MH won't work, I have 1 175W 10K and 4 55W PC (2 Actinic and 2 10K) and all my SPS, clams, and BTA are doing great. I do however make sure the light loving animals are directly under the MH and the softies and LPS which don't require as much are positioned on one the sides. Would 2 be better, sure. But then again, it depends on what corals you want to keep and where you place them in the tank.

 

[fishfarmer]

Ditto what SKBok said. I have this lighting system on my 55 gal which has a 4" DSB. One 175 watt MH 5500K and two 28 watt PC 6500K and 7700K. The halide is offset on one side and the PC's on the other side. I probably could squeeze another NO tube in there for color if nothing else.

This lighting package was on my 38 gal which is basically a short 55. Three feet verses four feet. I did not have a DSB in the 38 tank. Rock in both tanks are aquascaped so high light corals will be under the halide and low light shrooms can wander where they see fit. My halide on the 38 was about 4" from the water( 2" from cover glass). I had a mix of softies(xenias, anthlia, shrooms, polyps, leathers) as well as porites, trumpet coral, closed brain coral. I grew about $300 store credit of xenia, anthelia, mushrooms in two years.

I was planning to do the same in the 55 gal but a heat wave took most everything out.

If you are going for the mix of MH and PC, you have many different options as to color temp. I would go with either a 5500k or 6500k for the halide(cheaper and better PAR and look bright IMO) and use the PC for actinic supplemention.

 

[Pierce09]

what color and wattage would you use?