This narrative is hilarious to me. Come on guys and gals, lets get off the Biocube lights are sufficient" kick. They simply are not good lights. They are one of the most bottom of the barrel light setups a person could have in this hobby. I know, I had one for years. I would say that a goid rule of thumb is that a person in this hobby should be prepared and willing to spend more money on the lighting system than the tank itself. Unless you can get one used, that's what you will pay for decent lighting for your tanks inhabitants. There really is no discussion beyond this. Ditch the hood and get an AI prime for example. It would be perfect for your tank and you will never need to worry about it overheating when the fans go out. Which, undoubtedly, they will. I think the other person that stated there are high light level zoas and lower light level zoas is spot on, but I highly doubt that a stock biocube light setup could ever produce too much light. I have never heard any with a biocube make that complaint.
No one said it's great lighting. The fact remains that it CAN, WILL and HAS grown many zoanthids and other corals. No one is debating that lighting now is far superior to PC but I can still fire up our little biocube with factory PC lighting and grow rastas. Can we stop beating a dead horse here.
Yea. Sure. But not to the coral's best potential. Its like arguing that feeding a fish half if what it needs to survive is ok because it is still living. Honestly, it comes across as disingenuous.
I have no problems with other people's opinions. Just when they are about as good as 50/50 lights stock in a biocube. I think an opinion that an upgrade was probably in need and was a good one that I would stand by. You stick by what you said and don't apologize for it. When I answer to a thread a person posts. I am giving the guy solid advice. How corals work. How lights work. If he wants to take your advice. Let him. My advice comes from people with plenty of tanks, a LFS, the only place I would ever trust 100%, and I have been to LFS all over New England to Ohio. Probably 30 in total and I am not talking chain stores. Ya learn a lot when you ask a lot, read way to much, also from mistakes, and from common sense, because there is about 10% good information given. To about 90% that is bad given. I don't have the support stickers below my name or someone that helps run the forum, but I do have 2 tanks that I care for very much every day without the bells and whistles like said biocube lights. So stick by your opinion. If his corals die, because of insufficient lighting. Then you may apologize. Nothing I said would give reason to apologize about to the other person, because there is no guess work. It will 100% be better for the coral's health. Fact. Whether or not it can grow under a 50/50 stock light on a biocube. He said he was going to upgrade to the LEDs. So drop it. Glad he took good advice from someone here who mentioned it(me). Even though I don't like LEDs and would say go T5, because no matter how expensive a light fixture is for a T5. You can always put the best T5s in any fixture. Whether it be a $120 SolarMax HO or some Giesemann that costs $5k. You put in either ATI or Giesemann bulbs. Only thing that differs is the reflectors or fan. who cares if the ballast goes when you can buy 20 years supply of T5 bulbs and 10 Solar Max HO T5 fixtures to equal $5k.
