70W MH question

[raleej337]

Will a 70W MH be enough for a 28 gal tank (24 x 14 x 16). Corals are mostly zoas, shrooms, torch, frogspawn, toadstool, yellow leather, candy cane and a BTA.

 

Thanks!

[raleej337]

BUMP

[Bluesop7]

If your only going to be using the 70 W bulb and no other lighting you should probably go up to a 150 W setup (I assume your talking about double ended bulbs here). If you want to stay with the 70 W though, that list of corals should do well. However, I would out the zoas and the candy cane coral towards the center of the tank or if they are going to be on the sides of the tank, put them higher up. With regard to the BTA, that will almost certainly not be enough light for it. BTA's can and will roam around and unless it decides to sit high up in the tank very near the bulb the 70 W wont cut it. I think you would be much more pleased with a 150W bulb as it will give you more flexibility in the corals you can get as well as make your existing list look better.

[raleej337]

If instead of going MH I use a 24" - 4 x 24w T5HO (2 x 10000K Daylight & 2 x Actinic Blue) will this be comparable to 150W MH?

[eklikewhoa]

No

[epicfish]

Go for a 150W MH at least.

 

If you plan to keep that tank for a while, go for the www.aquatraders.com 24" setup and swap out the stock ballast for a CoralVue ballast. They'll give you some money off if you tell them you don't want the stock ballast. That'd be your best option IMO. Pricey, but worth it in the long run if you know you want to keep that tank for a while.

[HecticDialectics]

If instead of going MH I use a 24" - 4 x 24w T5HO (2 x 10000K Daylight & 2 x Actinic Blue) will this be comparable to 150W MH?

 

 

Actually yes, it will be, especially as long as it's a decent 4x24 T5HO setup (some good individual reflectors...)

[raleej337]

Go for a 150W MH at least.

 

If you plan to keep that tank for a while, go for the www.aquatraders.com 24" setup and swap out the stock ballast for a CoralVue ballast. They'll give you some money off if you tell them you don't want the stock ballast. That'd be your best option IMO. Pricey, but worth it in the long run if you know you want to keep that tank for a while.

 

I think I'll go with MH, still waiting for the price from aquatraders. Thanks for this info.

 

And thank you for those who share their thoughts about my delima.

[LoBo]

you also gotta consider brightness too, but 150 MH is mostly for hard corals like SPS, brains, clams , for softies like mostly yours, 28 watts alone will do it.