Im looking at the "current USA orbit marine"

[kodi3100]

Makes sense at 22".

Either a second IC strip (preferred) or upgrading to a Pro (or adding a Pro) would be recommended IMO.

You may have seen this before, but if not....
http://current-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Orbit-Marine-PRO-PAR.pdf

Thanks , yeah I thought about adding a second strip but have been tossing back and forth with just getting a kessil because although the tank looks good I'm not getting a lot of growth even my rbt that is at the top of th tank getting plenty of light has not grown at all even with pretty frequent target feeding
No I didn't see that thanks for that link

 

[mcarroll]

my rbt that is at the top of th tank getting plenty of light has not grown at all even with pretty frequent target feeding

Anemones are known to be voracious P consumers.

Does yours have clowns hosting in it?

What was your last PO4 test like, and was that result high, low or typical?

 

[kodi3100]

Latest was .25 which is typical for my tank highest it's been was .50 but that was after a week of auto feeding while I was on vacation no sadly my clowns have chosen to host the glass thermometer in the corner it does have a porcelain crab hosting it tho I bought them as a pair from the lfs

 

[Datnerd14]

Is there any other lights you would recommend for good growth and colors

 

[WhiskeyCoffee]

Is there any other lights you would recommend for good growth and colors

165 watt black box eBay specials.

 

[mcarroll]

Latest was .25 which is typical for my tank highest it's been was .50 but that was after a week of auto feeding while I was on vacation no sadly my clowns have chosen to host the glass thermometer in the corner it does have a porcelain crab hosting it tho I bought them as a pair from the lfs

Put the auto-feeder back on and leave it on.

Anemones are BIG critters....you're barely feeding him (you'll never make a good clownfish!!) and there's little in the way of dissolved nutrients for him.

Check this out:

• Phosphate Excretion by Anemonefish and Uptake by Giant Sea Anemones: Demand Outstrips Supply

(I should add to be careful what you wish for....well-fed RBTA's can get >18" in diameter in a home tank!!!!)

Is there any other lights you would recommend for good growth and colors

There's nothing wrong with the lights you're looking at*.....or most other lights, for that matter. You should get what you like!

If you like the Orbit, then I'd say get it....with the notes we mentioned already. (You may need 1+.)

But your budget is the real hangup. You're going to have to buy used to get a price like that – a single Orbit IC costs >$200 brand new and an Orbit Pro is even more.

I bought almost all of my original reefing gear used, so IMO don't even hesitate.....start looking for used units now.

* Folks tend to overestimate the effect lights can have while discounting (or even not knowing about) the many other factors that play into color and growth. Corals are extremely efficient with light and most do not require very much as long as flow, nutrients and system stability are all good. Most folks' growth and color problems seem to relate to nutrient starvation, BTW....dissolved nutrient levels being forced too low...but light often gets blamed.

 

[kodi3100]

Put the auto-feeder back on and leave it on.

Anemones are BIG critters....you're barely feeding him (you'll never make a good clownfish!!) and there's little in the way of dissolved nutrients for him.

Check this out:

• Phosphate Excretion by Anemonefish and Uptake by Giant Sea Anemones: Demand Outstrips Supply

(I should add to be careful what you wish for....well-fed RBTA's can get >18" in diameter in a home tank!!!!)



There's nothing wrong with the lights you're looking at*.....or most other lights, for that matter. You should get what you like!

If you like the Orbit, then I'd say get it....with the notes we mentioned already. (You may need 1+.)

But your budget is the real hangup. You're going to have to buy used to get a price like that – a single Orbit IC costs >$200 brand new and an Orbit Pro is even more.

I bought almost all of my original reefing gear used, so IMO don't even hesitate.....start looking for used units now.

* Folks tend to overestimate the effect lights can have while discounting (or even not knowing about) the many other factors that play into color and growth. Corals are extremely efficient with light and most do not require very much as long as flow, nutrients and system stability are all good. Most folks' growth and color problems seem to relate to nutrient starvation, BTW....dissolved nutrient levels being forced too low...but light often gets blamed.

So in essence my tank is too clean lol ( my wife would tend to agree with you there )
What would you recommend as a good p04 range to aim for

 

[mcarroll]

If you're doing anything special for nutrient reduction like phosphate removers, carbon-source dosing, bio-filter plates, etc.....first and foremost stop all that! Water changes and protein skimming is what I'd focus on.

PO4 ≥ 0.05 ppm is probably a good minimum....but a healthy range might be considered something like 0.05-0.20 ppm.

The most critical part is not letting your nutrients spike HIGH or LOW. Make any and all changes you make to the tank SMALL to make sure this happens. No large feeding changes, no large groups of fish or corals added at once, et al. All things considered.

So when you start dosing PO4 that also means you need to start keeping a close eye on NO3 to make sure that doesn't spike low either.

Feeding more is the longer term solution, BTW....maybe consider an auto-feeder that can drop some flakes or pellets while you're not home? Fish would love that! Again, make sure that it doesn't add a big load to your total feeding regime all at once. SMALL changes.