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Mike
Lv 5
Mike asked in PetsFish · 1 decade ago

reef tank, effects of upgrading from 100w t5 to 300w MH?

What negative effects could I have from upgrading my 36 gallon tank from 100w of t5 to 300 watts of MH 14000K? getting two 150w clamp on JBJ vipers.

The tank is fairly deep and the rock don't come up to close to the top. The tank is mostly LPS, xenia, green star polyp, and ricordia florida. I have a Long tentacle Anemone which is the main reason for upgrading.

Since I have a duncan coral and ricordia florida at the top of my rock work, do these need to be moved to the bottom to prevent burning? same with my pulsing xenia. Since they are 150w bulbs and not 400w bulbs, Would it be ok to leave everything at the top of the tank where it is since it's just a medium intensity MH?

This gives me 8.3 watts per gallon of great light so I can keep SPS, Clam, and make the anemone happy. My only concern is the effect on other coral since I'm not sure if these corals can recieve to much light.

---Livestock list.

Frogspawn,

Hammer

Duncan,

Pulsing xenia.

Ricordia Florida

Plated Hydnophoria. (has been loosing it's neon green and turning brown. Don't know why)

GSP

Long tentacle Anemone

3 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    You will definitely want to move some of those corals to the bottom. Ricordea, Star polyps, and even Xenia do better in low-moderate lighting and will likely go into photoshock and die if you switch the lights suddenly to bright. I would also recommend cutting back your photoperiod when you first install the bulbs, and slowly lengthen it again over a week or two. Your hyndophora is likely turning brown because it is not receiving enough light, but it will still go into photoshock--along with the others--if the lighting is switched suddenly. Make the change as gradual as you possibly can.

  • 5 years ago

    Lots of humans say that steel halides are the pleasant lighting fixtures to be had as they're more often than not the nearest factor to the exact solar. Metal halides provide off a favored shimmer outcome as good. Under a steel halide, you'll be able to preserve plenty of types of corals/clams, relying at the wattage. T5 lighting fixtures is practically the following pleasant factor. If you are retaining a reef tank then I feel a T5 lighting fixtures might suffice, considering that steel halides may also be pricey. Metal halides can purpose a lift in temperature as they may be able to be relatively warmer than the T5's. I feel it is all a question of private alternative, whether or not you opt for that shimmery appear of the steel halides as opposed to the average appear of the T5 lighting fixtures.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    i changed to haylide lighting and mine where fine but just becareful if you have a happy tank i wouldnt change it unless you have to as your corals have set to your lighting

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