Metal halide 30 gallon

[Scubapro13]

Think this is too much light on a 30 gallon 16 inches deep. I am getting into more sps coral. Picked up a couple cheap drags of pink birds nest, green slimmer, and orange monti cap. Have some nicer zoas, a anemone, and a clam on the bottom

I am running a lumenbright reflector with 20 K radium bulb and a ice cap ballast. Bulb is 24 inches off water 2 non hd ai primes that are mostly used for dusk to dawn effects. I am up to a hour on the halide hope to get up to 4 to 6 hours.

Top of tank 600 par
Top of rocks 500
Bottom middle 300
Bottom back corners is like 200
Seneye

Is this a good setup/ good idea. I want to just grow coral without to much worry. I liked leds but to much play for me. Messed with it to much. Seen lots of good tanks with halides. Thanks for any input

 

[fish farmer]

I ran a 175 watt mogul base metal halide on my first reef....a 38 gallon. My xenia loved it as well as my other softies, lps and a porities frag. I had mine enclosed in a hood with cover glass and it was like 3 inches from the water surface.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Those are pretty reasonable and traditional SPS dominant par numbers. Yes.
Clam in the sand time there!
Some of your lower Light stuff may not like it.
My 30 cube is similar.

Some of my shrooms found thier way to shade , and my frogspawn had to go to the other tank.
But my clams zoas nems and acros love it.

 

[reefwiser]

You don’t say the wattage of the bulb.
150? That is what I use on my 40 gallon they use to make 75’s. [emoji22]

 

[Scubapro13]

My bad it is a 250 watt bulb

 

[Jeepguy242]

the light looks high enough and you should get good air flow to keep it cool, but you won't need a lamp at night in that room

 

[Scubapro13]

Yea its pretty brights. I know I won't have to worry about enough light, I just hope its not to much for my little tank. I am slowly increasing the light like 5 to 15 minutes a day

 

[reefwiser]

Wow that is a lot of light for a 30 gallon. Would have to see the Par readings on the tank. An is that to AI primes on the tank too. They are doing nothing when the MH is on it will over power their meager
power output.

 

[Scubapro13]

Par readings are in the first post but the primes are more for morning night and some light during my acclimation period. So far everything is doing great. Zoas are opened more and color of clam is a lot deeper and healthier. Men hasn't moved at all like it was before and really opens up. Frogspawn has also opened up lot more. So far so good I am taking it super slow and hoping for the best. I know its a lot of light that's why the light is so high and two primes is a little much but that's what was on the tank before so I decided to use them. I hope to upgrade to like a 60 to 75 gallon here in the next few months and will be able to use the same setup on that

 

[reefwiser]

I use a Reefbrite MH with reefbrite strips. Not as rough looking as the big reflector that was designed to be inside a canopy

 

[DonTavo27]

All you really need is the AI primes in my opinion.

 

[reefwiser]

All you really need is the AI primes in my opinion.

 

[Scubapro13]

I use a Reefbrite MH with reefbrite strips. Not as rough looking as the big reflector that was designed to be inside a canopy

I was going to get that fixture but ended up picking this up used for 100$ for the fixture ballast and a barely used radium bulb. Didn't want to drop 600 if I wasn't to sure about halide so far I'm loving them though. Hoping to see some great growth

 

[Scubapro13]

All you really need is the AI primes in my opinion.

I'm sure they are great lights just could never get them dialed in to get things growing. Just was to much to mess with i just wanted plug and play. I work a lot and just want to enjoy the tank