Power Compacts

[Eel Keeper]

Can PCs grow Acros? If not what all can it grow? If so how many watts do you need of power compact light? I'd love to hear everyone's opinions. I've herd that for the most part you can't grow them, but everyhing else you can. I hope that is true as I love LPS. I'd also like to know if you can grow things like monti's and capri's. I have 325W worth of PCs in a 90 gallon, and I'd simply hate to put something in there that is certain to die. It's a standard size 90. Oh and Clams? MH only right? I've herd talk of people aclimating them to Metal Halides. Does that mean that they were raize in the wild, or did these people keep them under something else?

Edited December 16, 2010 by Eel Keeper

[DaJMasta]

Nope. 325W seems like a lot, but over a 90G it's not much. 125W over a 29G cube is considered mediumish light.

So no to acros.

Maybe to montipora capricornis (one type of thing as far as I know) or digiata, but I wouldn't expect full color or fast growth, even towards the top of the tank.

Some LPS and softies would work, but probably not much on the sand bed.

I've heard some clams can be kept under PCs, as with some anemones like BTAs - still it is less than ideal and not all species will survive under those conditions.

As for the acclimation, sometimes they are wild caught and sometimes farmed, it's not a matter of acclimating to the type of light so much as it is the amount of it. In the wild the clams don't move (same goes with corals), so while they can usually tolerate very intense light (the sun if they're at a shallow depth), they need to be moved into it slowly to avoid bleaching and expelling all their zooxanthellae.

[+dapettit]

I have same wattage of PC's on my 58. I have grown caps and have an RBTA that split or almost a year. Of copurse the RBTA and cap are high up in the tank. I also have a far about of zoa's, tube anenome, xenia, a bleeding hear scoly, frog spawn and several other lps in this tank. Of course over a 90 gallon the lighting will fall of considerable.

Just my opinion,

Dave-

[+mcallahan]

You could get it done if you place the acros right at the top of your tank. Don Duncan does this will his frag tank with good success. Keep in mind his PC's are inches from the water level tho and it is a frag tank so it is really shallow.

In a 90G with PCs, I'd say you won't get much par below the bottom 60% of the tank.

[Eel Keeper]

I have same wattage of PC's on my 58. I have grown caps and have an RBTA that split or almost a year. Of copurse the RBTA and cap are high up in the tank. I also have a far about of zoa's, tube anenome, xenia, a bleeding hear scoly, frog spawn and several other lps in this tank. Of course over a 90 gallon the lighting will fall of considerable.

Just my opinion,

Dave-

How many watts do you have on your tank?

[Eel Keeper]

You could get it done if you place the acros right at the top of your tank. Don Duncan does this will his frag tank with good success. Keep in mind his PC's are inches from the water level tho and it is a frag tank so it is really shallow.

In a 90G with PCs, I'd say you won't get much par below the bottom 60% of the tank.

My PC's are inches from the water, so I'll try stacking my reef alot higher. You guys are so much help. Please keep it coming. I'm really trying to stay away from all the heating issues from MH though if I have to I will add something small like a 150, but have no exp. with them.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Eel Keeper

[JamesL]

My PC's are inches from the water, so I'll try stacking my reef alot higher. You guys are so much help. Please keep it coming. I'm really trying to stay away from all the heating issues from MH though if I have to I will add something small like a 150, but have no exp. with them.

I run dual 150W MH over my 75 and do not have any heat issues. But I do not have a canopy, it is an open light fixture on the tank.

I easily keep softies, and have kept LPS in the past. Not really sure if it is strong enough for SPS, but I am not wanting to keep those (except for the frag I got from Mark ).

[Derekreefer]

I had PCs before upgrading to T5. With pcs you.ll want to change bulbs every 4-6 months. I kept montis and lps under pcs no prob.

[Eel Keeper]

My PC's are inches from the water, so I'll try stacking my reef alot higher. You guys are so much help. Please keep it coming. I'm really trying to stay away from all the heating issues from MH though if I have to I will add something small like a 150, but have no exp. with them.

I run dual 150W MH over my 75 and do not have any heat issues. But I do not have a canopy, it is an open light fixture on the tank.

I easily keep softies, and have kept LPS in the past. Not really sure if it is strong enough for SPS, but I am not wanting to keep those (except for the frag I got from Mark ).

Is that all the light you have on you tank? 300W ? I have an open top Canopy to hide the lights, but still allow easy access for work to be done in the tank.

When I got the canopy it was too big for the tank. I though I could make just four cuts and get it to fit, but all the plastic that was inside on all the sides had to be cut to fit and ended up being around twenty somthing.

[Eel Keeper]

I had PCs before upgrading to T5. With pcs you.ll want to change bulbs every 4-6 months. I kept montis and lps under pcs no prob.

Thats what I want to hear. I'd like to try some montis and things like hammer corrals. Do I have enough watts? I write the date installed on my PCs so I can get new ones every 6 months.

[JamesL]

Is that all the light you have on you tank? 300W ?

Yes, right now it is. Like I said, SPS are not my thing. The light does great for zoas and the photosynth gorgonians I have.

But I am adding some actinics for dawn/dusk and color pop. But since they are LEDs, not really going to add much to the "wattage". More for visual effects.

[Eel Keeper]

Is that all the light you have on you tank? 300W ?

Yes, right now it is. Like I said, SPS are not my thing. The light does great for zoas and the photosynth gorgonians I have.

But I am adding some actinics for dawn/dusk and color pop. But since they are LEDs, not really going to add much to the "wattage". More for visual effects.

Yea SPS arn't really my thing, but I have seen some stunning ones out there. There is one that is purple with green. Wow! I'd still like to have about 2 or 3 eventualy at the top of my reef.df I'd love to see your gorgos. Yea I have a 4x65W retrofit with 2 actinics, 1 10k, and 1 50-50. Then on another coralife I have a fifth 65W 50-50. Not pretty, but thats why its covered. lol. I just moved from a 50gal to the 90. Anyway I love putting the lights on at different times durring the day.