Coral tank lighting

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clint

Registered Member
Feb 13, 2010
3
0
0
Montana
What is the best lighting for a coral tank? Every place you look you find a different story on what is the best way to go. Im asking everyone to give me there advice. I am wanting to start showing LPS, SPS, and soft corals in the same tank, I want to combine all my corals into one tank. I havent any SPS yet but have been searching info on them.
I have completely changed all filter system RO systems skimers but really confussed on the lighting system. I have a 100 gal tank 18 inches tall 72 inches long 18 inches wide. Do I need 4 watts a gallon, 8 watts a gallon not really sure. I am going with HQI lighting but how much? I know SPS need more intense lighting, but I dont want to burn my other corals out.
Any advice from people who have coral tanks with all types of corals.?
 
fsn77

fsn77

AC Moderators
Staff member
Feb 22, 2006
3,076
2
38
SC
Watts per gallon doesn't even work as a guide anymore... The different types of lighting (power compact, T5 HO, VHO, normal T12, T8, Metal Halide, etc.) do not all produce the same amount of light for the amount of energy consumed. And, watts is just that, a measure of consumption, not light output. Even within lighting types, bulb choice alone can greatly vary how much useable light is produced.

SPS is a very general category... There are SPS corals that require far more light than some of their SPS categorized cousins. If you'd like to keep some of the specific SPS corals that require the higher amounts of light, you will likely be best off on a tank of that size with metal halide lighting or a combination of metal halide and T5 HO / VHO / LEDs (all depending on the size of your wallet). Since the tank is only 18" tall, I don't see why you'd really need to go any stronger than 250w MHs.

With proper acclimation, many corals thought of as lower light corals can handle what a fair number in the hobby consider higher than their typical light levels. Besides, it's very easy to create shady spots to place lower light corals.
 
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