Would I be limited?

Well I am looking for a light system for my new tank and wanted to know if I would be limited on types of corals or inverts if I where to have 3 x 150w MH and 4 t5's along with the lunar LED's on a tank 23" deep?

I see many people running 250w MH lights on tanks and wanted to know if I would be limited by not stepping up to them? I would assume the depth of the tank would have something to do with this correct?

Anyway like I said it would be the following.......

(4) 36" T5 HO 39W 420/460 Lamps
(3) G12 150W HID 14,000K Lamp
(6) 1W Lunar LED`s


This would be on e 125g tank also. All these options confuse me like no other!! I do not know it all by any means but IMO I think these would be sufficient for 85-90% of anything I want to put in the tank and anything that requires stronger lighting would just be placed closer to the top correct??

Ofcorse I can always change the bulb options and if you care to share your opinion on what you prefer I am all ears!

This will be a mixed reef tank with fis

 

I would go with the 250W MH right off the bat. It isn't that much more for the lighting system (considering the base price for the 150W systems). I have an Outer Orbit system with 2 150W MH 4 actinics and 6 LED lunar. I am considering at this point upgrading the ballasts to 250W and getting 250W MH bulbs. Also with the deeper tank you will want the stronger lighting so it will reach everything deeper down.


Check out this link it has all the info. on lighting and although it is a long article by the time you read it a few times and understand it you'll be an expert on the subject.

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html

 

VERY DETAILED READ!!!

Thanks man I am sure I will be using this as a reference for a long time to come! LOL


K+

 

With your planned light setup, you could probably keep many different types of corals. However, I'm sure there will be some acropora that won't do well under that type of lighting. I also don't know much about HID lighting and would be interested to see a comparison of the PAR values vs. MH.

 

Well from my basic knowledge of lighting and even from the link posted above with tons of info most would need to read over and over to understand (including myself!) its not watts that your looking for.

What I read in the link and what conclusion I came to from the informations I read is.....

Tanks is 24" deep which isnt exactly considered a "deep" tank or right on the verge of it. The Kelvin rating of the bulbs could be changed to reach deeper if needed. 150w MH vs 250w MH really is up in the air and not sure that a 250 is really needed. Granted the money not much different at this point but I feel a 250w system may limit me just as much as a 150w system due to intensity.

I think the 150w would be considered as followed bellow


150w
top ................Intense
middle ............ Moderate
bottom ........... Low


250w
top ................very Intense
middle ............ intense
bottom ........... Medium

Now this is just my thoughts and I do not know much but gathered from my readings and interpretation this is what I have come up with. Granted these would be both running the same K rating bulb. I think with the 250w I could get away with a lower K rating bulb but not positive nor do I think I would want much lower then a 14k.

 

Reefkeeping Magazine - Tank of the Month

Just wanna point out ^^ guy or gal is using only T5's in this mixed reef tank and by no means am I a professional but look like something good is going on there.