Recently upgraded to a 40 breeder. I was wondering if anyone could provide me some insight as to if 2 AI Prime 16's alone would be capable of handling a spa dominant system. If this is not the case, feel free to educate me on which corals will work the best in my system. I purchased a birds nest frag to see if it would survive and it seems to be doing well, however to the best of my knowledge this coral does not demand too much light.
lighting for 40 breeder
- Thread starter teddymoos
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RobB'z Reef
2500 Club Member
I thought BRS just did a video review on this and they gave their thoughts on exactly that. A 40B was used in their tests and recommendations.
MaxxuM
Active Member
IME three foot tanks are a pain to light. They're in this awkward middle area. According to BRS you'd need 3 if you want 'wall to wall' high demand SPS, otherwise 2 will do the job. Two lights in the 90w range are better suited for that size tank according to BRS if you want to be completely covered. It has to do with spread of the light, not necessarily the intensity. I'd say you'd be fine with 2 if you keep high demand SPS near the top only.
MaxxuM
Active Member
Among other factors, yes. I think the sweet spot for that light was 13". I've been doing a ton of research on lighting as I've been a T5/MH/Kessil person for years. Of course, you need to acclimate your corals to your lighting, monitor for polyp extension, and see how people are programing their lights. 40B are shallow too. I'd stay away from the glass edges except for really low light species like mushrooms. Bird's Nest should be more than fine mid-top within a 45 degree downward angle from each light. High demand SPS directly under the lights. Don't forget flow and acclimation! Those are very important.
