7' 210G Predator Tank Lighting

LouisianaReef · Jan 9, 2023

I am currently in the process of switching out tanks. Going from a 125G to a 7'x2'x2' 210G. It is not really a reef tank per say, only a few softies and maybe a leather or two. Going to be keeping fish that like a eat corals so coral stocking is going to be minimal.

I have been running three AI Prime 16's and a Reef Brite strip over the 6' 125 and that has been working. Question is will it still work on the deeper and longer 210? I have a few lighting choices that I can run. Either 2 AI Primes with a Radion xr30w gen 1 in the middle, or I could try to pick up another prime and run four primes evenly spaced across it. Either way I intend to use the led strip as well. I have to either keep 1 prime or the radion free for use on my biocube reef. Which method of lighting would you go with?

JC1977 · Jan 9, 2023

I would wager that less is better if you’re going to have true predator fish which I’m assuming are eels puffers or triggers or some combo of those fish? And it’s for two reasons imo one: softies don’t normally need a ton of light and two: if you’re keeping predators who eat sloppy and eat a ton your nitrates are going to be higher so too much light will just lead to algae issues. I have three Kessil ap9x units over my 180 gallon FOWLR because it was a reef initially but now I only run them at maybe 20 percent for the reasons I listed above. Lights still show off fish colors nicely and it reduces the amount of algae I have to deal with. Anyways I think the prime set up from your 125 would be more than enough for just softies on the 210 as long as that is the only coral you’re trying to keep.

LouisianaReef · Jan 9, 2023

Yes eels, puffers and triggers are part of the plan. Just a few easy low maintenance corals throughout the tank. Low light and more importantly low cost coral due to the nature of the tank