Can i Keep SPS under 96 watta?

[Bobby417919]

I have a 10-gallon FO tank, it has only been set up for about 4 months. The lighting is no good at all. I am going to get a 96-watt Quad retro from Coralife.

 

I what to know if that would be enough light for an Acropora Nana SPS.

 

Thanks Robert

[tripple6terror]

no,,,,,you need mh for good coloring

[EnderG60]

works fine for me

[AReeferIsExpensive]

ender, have you had LONG term success with sps under 96?

 

Bobby, a trusted guy at LFS told me that i can put the more "hardier" sps's towards the top of my tank and keep them under the 96watts of coralife. naturally, they arent going to be as colorful as they would undr MH, but theyll live~

[lgoins]

Many people have kept certain kinds of sps under pc's and have had very good success with coloring and growth. Due a search for gilman's minibow if you need proof. Lighting isn't the only thing, water quality and stability are also very important.

[pyrrhus]

hell, ive had a marine biologist tell me that a clam can be kept under that light, and im pretty sure that SPS isnt more demanding of light than a maxima clam. however you will get more coloration out of the MH than PC because they generate more UV light and cause the animal to produce pigments to shield itself fromthe UV.

[Sardaukar]

You may be able to "maintain" the sps but as far as good growth and coloration, doubtful.

[onthefly]

Like keeping clams, SPS require many different parameters to be quite stable and at certain levels. You probably could keep a colorful A. nana in a 10ga with 96w.....if the Ca, Alk, Mg, Ph, SG, and Temp were all kept ROCK SOLID! A 50ppm drift in Ca, or a 1dKh drop in Alk, or Ph that jumps from 8.1 to 8.4, or the biggie temp that goes from 80 to 84 daily......would all reak havoc.

 

I couldn't do it in my 5.5ga with 105W......yanked all that PC out and put a 70w MH in there....BAM! Better growth, better color, better polyp extension, etc.