Another Lighting Question

Michael.Brock

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I had a technical 175 gallon reef tank a decade or so ago. I downsized to a freshwater planted tank in a 40g breeder and am now wanting to convert that to a macro-algae live rock setup without the focus on keeping the high light requiring corals.

I have two Beamworks DA 6500k on the tank I am going to use for this. I would also like to keep a bubble tip anemone. Is it worth supplementing the two 6500k lights with a more actinic/10k led strip? Something like

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0899BVX9Q

Overkill? Or should I just take it a step at a time and see how it works out with the two 6500k lights? As usual, I'm probably overthinking things and getting ahead of myself. The tank still has freshwater in it.
 
As usually happens, once I ask the question I start making progress on my own to answer it 😀

The two Beamworks 6500k each have 84 6500k lights + 16 actinic lights, .5w each for a total of 50W. So two of those gives me 100w of lighting.

The Nicrew light gives me another 36w (and claiming 87 par at 12" in air) of more blue-skewed light (a mix of 72 10k/30 445nm/ 30 460nm / 18 rgb leds).

So a total of 136W of light.

And it occurs to me now that this thread probably would have been better placed in the New Reefer or lighting forums. I apologize for the placement. I don't see an option now to move it.
 

WHAT PART OF LIVING WITH A REEF TOOK YOU BY SURPRISE?

  • How much space the supplies and equipment take up

    Votes: 10 41.7%
  • Salt creep, spills, and cleanup outside the tank

    Votes: 3 12.5%
  • Planning trips or finding someone to care for the reef

    Votes: 7 29.2%
  • How attached I’d get to individual animals

    Votes: 2 8.3%
  • Making decisions when there’s no clear right answer

    Votes: 5 20.8%
  • How much the reef affects everyday household life

    Votes: 6 25.0%
  • Nothing in particular, I felt well prepared

    Votes: 1 4.2%
  • Other (Post in the comments)

    Votes: 1 4.2%
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