lighting cubemasters

[fjf888]

I bought a cubemasters 12g on the cheap, it was 24W of t-5 lighting
2x8 10,000k
1x8 actinic

After having it up and running for about 9 months now with fish and inverts, I would like to add more corals. I currently have a zooanthid colony and some mushrooms. The mushrooms do well, but the zooanthids just exist, they do not spread or multiply.

Questions

1. Does my lighting stink? My guess is that I really can't go much beyond zooanthids and mushrooms in this current setup.

2. Are there good retrofit kits that can fix this?

Thanks

Fred

[Reefscape]

Afraid to say, your lighting does lack what corals need, up and above what you currently have..

Cant really comment on retro-fitting your hood, i would say you cant at face value, but, that would be just a guess from knowing other variants of the cube.

Niko

[JohnLin]

Most zoas should grow and multiply at a slow pace under those lightings.
Sounds like you're due for new bulbs, those bulbs loses half of the lumens after 6 months or so.

[fjf888]

T-5's? I thought T-5's lasted unlike common floursecent bulbs that need changing every so often.

[JohnLin]

T5's are SAID to be good for about a year to a year and a half.
From people I've talked to, they said they can notice the difference in matter of 6 months.
T5's still uses basic flourcent technology, which is gas conduction.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/fluorescent-lamp3.htm