lighting question

[jpond83]

is 130w pc's considered high lighting on a 28g bowfront? what about on a 20g?

[camaroracer214]

pc's in general are not considered high lighting. the term high lighting is normally used for metal halide or t5ho setups.

what do you plan on keeping? with pc's, you can successfully keep lps, softies, and zoas. i've even some some clams (mostly t. derasa) successfully kept under pc's, but i don't recommend having clams under pc's at all. sps is pretty much out of the question except for some montis.

[gjuarez]

PCs are not a lot of light. I used to keep a 250w MH on my 29g tank. As far as critters are concerned, you can keep softies and even most LPS. I wouldnt push it with SPS though, definately no acros. Might be pushing it with Montis even, they live but more often than not they wont thrive

[camaroracer214]

i've seen monti's thrive under pc's. they were up high and grew more slowly, but they looked good and were healthy.

i'm not trying to promote the use of pc's over montis or any other sps, but it can be done. i highly recommend t5ho or metal halides over any other type of lighting.

[gjuarez]

I have also seen Montis do pretty good under PC, but like you said they were up high on the tank. Parameters on the tank were spot on and very consistent, which i believe was the main factor in this persons success.

I strongly recommend T5s, they are not much more expensive than PCs. The difference makes it worth every penny of the additional cost. I am very pleased with the amount of light put on

[jpond83]

i dont realy like sps, i have lots of zoanthids under 130 pc's in my 28g bowfront and they seem to do good. i was wondering about a clam but i guess its not a good idea

[gjuarez]

You can get a clam, just maybe not a crocea or a maxima. I kept a crocea very happy for over a year, but i knew that i couldnt get away with a maxima.

I used to say the same thing about sps, then i fell in love with them. Now I have fallen in love with Zoanthids and Acans. Even though you dont like sps, lights still play a big role on the growth rate of corals. The pros of PC is that you dont have to worry too much about heat. Bulbs are rather inexpensive to replace. One of the best setups i have had has been with PCs.

[jpond83]

yea i noticed the water stays real cool, could i keep a maxima with 260w of pc's? i noticed my zoos have taken off in only a week of having the light.

[gjuarez]

I wouldnt keep a maxima with PC, of all critters that is the one critter that I wouldnt risk with PCs. Oce again, I kept a Crocea but I was pushing it, i had up really high and i would feed it as well. In my opinion, a Maxima is a no no.

[jpond83]

what kind of clam can i have with 130w pc's?

[gjuarez]

You might be able to get away with a crocea up high. You can keep derasas, gigas, and squamosas. Derasas should do very well