watts vs. growth speed.

[timsVw]

If you increase you bulb wattage will you really notice faster growth and more color or is there a point and time where the more wattage will not mater. Right now I have a 175 14k bulb over my tank. Now if I put a 250 or 400 watt over my tank will my corals really do that much better?

-Tim

[Diesel3443]

The Par is going to help but I run 150w de with good growth and color. Water quality is more important in overall health of the coral. If you are looking to get some more growth you could switch to 10k to see if that helps, before upgrading to a higher watt bulb.

[timsVw]

I have a pendent and the inside is white but it has no actual reflector. Would it help to add one or is the white good enough? Also if I were to add a reflector what should I use, cause the inside is round.

-Tim

[nyfireman3097]

white will work but aluminum works better and just like deisel said the PAR comin out of the 250w 400w bulbs will grow faster due to the higher par thats another thing with picking out bulbs you wanna get a bulb with high PAR
NICK

[timsVw]

ok so I have a 30 gal cube most of my corals are about 8 to 10 inches below the water. Can I get great growth with switching to 10k and adding a reflector, or should I go to a higher wattage for best growth? And if I do go higher wattage should I go to 400 or 250? Would 400 be too much on my small tank?

-Tim

[nyfireman3097]

what bulb do u have now ?
Nick

[timsVw]

I have a 175 watt 14k hamilton.

-Tim

[timsVw]

Nick I notice you have 400 watt bulbs. Do you run a chiller?

-Tim

[nyfireman3097]

yes i bought one the first few days wasnt bad on my temp then all of a sudden my temp was HIGH so i bought a new chiller on ebay cheap very cheap and it works awesome
Nick

[John Brancheau]

Tim,

I am one of those guys who believes that lighting is just a part of the overall situation, while you can increase your lighting to help, it is realy more about water quality and clarity that has the most impact on s.p.s., as I have told many locals here in my state, all the light in the world will not help the corals if the water is not good, and quite honestly, in my opinion, I think lighting is far overrated, I started my 180 with four 175 watt Se's running Hamilton 14k's, and had great color and growth,so much so, that I had to increase the lighting just to stop the huge amounts of shading caused by too much coral growth ..

just my opion of course, but I do think good husbandry should your first priority......

[timsVw]

Thats what I wanted to hear now I don't have to spend any money. Since you sound like a water quality guy, maybe you could answer one of my other questions. I just went bare bottom, and I still have some waste on my rocks and the bottom of my tank. Should I be changing a gallon or two of water a day to suck it out? I only have a 30 gallon tank, so if I am changing 2 gallons a day will that be a problem?

-Tim

[nyfireman3097]

i use a filter sock on a siphon that goes back into the sump to clean the bottom you will always have it thats the one thing i hate about BB
Nick

[nyfireman3097]

See i dont know i have had plenty of times when my parameters were messed up and yet my sps's flurished w/ color and growth i think the lighting has alot more then you think so
Nick

[Diesel3443]

The only thing with lighting is sometimes it can make up for the other parts of the equation, water quality, water movement. But Nick, I assure you, once you get deep into phase 3 water quality becomes way more important. To much of a devieation of your parameters and tissue loss will become prevelent.

[nyfireman3097]

knock on wood none of that yet (tissue loss) i cant wait to be in phase 3
Nick