Prime Growing sps???

[Francoreef]

HEllo R2R

Im going to need your guys help on this one.

A little overview


I am starting a build thread as soon as my Tank arrives i have ordered the 50 gallon starfire cube from SCA, I hope starfire glass is as good as people say it is as (i have never seen it in person).

As of now i have a 10 gallon nano with lps, one graphed wwc monti and a zoa rock and will be moving everything to the bigger tank. this tank is rather new but its just to small.

so here comes the lighting question?

The new tank will be 24 x 24 x 20 AND I PLAN TO have a SPS dominant tank. I will be upgrading the skimmer that comes with the tank and the sump as well.

Will i be OK buying another prime and having 2 primes on this tank or should i go with the hydra 26 and later on buy another 26 based on demand(maybe a few months later)?


ANY OTHER LIGHTING IDEAS T5's are not an option because i don't want to run a chiller.
im shooting for the middle price in lights not trying to go radion wayy to expensive

here are some pics that are inspiring my new build!!! im looking to do something like that with lps on the sand bed

 

[jsker]

I would suggest going with one Hydra 26 hd. The spread is 24 x 24 at 12 inches off the water. You will have some shadowing and that is were I have my chalices, icon, and shrooms.

 

[Havoks]

I think you would be better off with two hydras 26, i run two primes but its a 20gal fusion coverage is good but my footprint is 24x15x13. I only have 1 sps frag atm, its a mixed reef and this frag is the test to see if it can support sps,

second week, think is doing good.

 

[hart24601]

For solid sps I would get a 2 24" reefbreeders v2 to totally cover the surface with leds. 2 16" would be good too if not having colonies on edges.

I just replaced 2 radion G3 over a 24" cube with 2 reefbreeders v2 and am quite pleased.

 

[Francoreef]

Thankyoi guys for the reply

For solid sps I would get a 2 24" reefbreeders v2 to totally cover the surface with leds. 2 16" would be good too if not having colonies on edges.

I just replaced 2 radion G3 over a 24" cube with 2 reefbreeders v2 and am quite pleased.

How much do these lights cost

I think you would be better off with two hydras 26, i run two primes but its a 20gal fusion coverage is good but my footprint is 24x15x13. I only have 1 sps frag atm, its a mixed reef and this frag is the test to see if it can support sps,

second week, think is doing good.

It's looking like you can pull it off

I would suggest going with one Hydra 26 hd. The spread is 24 x 24 at 12 inches off the water. You will have some shadowing and that is were I have my chalices, icon, and shrooms.

I might start off like this then get another and maybe run a drag rack in the sump with my prime

 

[Havoks]

Yeah, you can always add another later on, i started with one for a few weeks and then added the second one, didnt even have to acclimate, just set it up as a child fixture off the other, corals reacted really good.

 

[jsker]

FYI, The Hydra's are bright. I turned mine down because I was running the whites above 30% and I was burning the tips. I still run my blues over 100% though.

 

[Havoks]

My whites are at 45% same with red and green, the rest at 100%, 14k

 

[Francoreef]

I don't really love a blue tank I run my whites at 38 blues violets at 100 reds at 70 and greens at 20

 

[Francoreef]

Thanks a ton for all your replies very helpful it looks like I'm going to have to order the hydra 26 ( when I get my next paycheck lol)
Would you guys recommend me moving everything to the bigger tank and just add water ( in essence a really big eater change or cycle it then add what I have)

 

[Travis Stewart]

I have had good luck with two primes on a 34

 

[Francoreef]

I have had good luck with two primes on a 34

How deep is your tank ??

 

[Havoks]

When I changed tanks, I replaced my sand bed with new dry sand and changed about 3 gallons of water out of the 13 my tank holds. Two weeks later, I checked parameters yesterday and everything is still the same as if it was the old tank.

 

[Francoreef]

When I changed tanks, I replaced my sand bed with new dry sand and changed about 3 gallons of water out of the 13 my tank holds. Two weeks later, I checked parameters yesterday and everything is still the same as if it was the old tank.

That's more or less what I was thinking I hope it goes as smoothly for me as it did for you,,,,, please keep me posted

 

[Havoks]

No problem, happy to help a fellow reefer.

 

[Travis Stewart]

How deep is your tank ??

My tank is 24" deep

 

[hart24601]

Thankyoi guys for the reply

How much do these lights cost

It's looking like you can pull it off


I might start off like this then get another and maybe run a drag rack in the sump with my prime

16" refurb was $275, the 24" was $350 so to totally cover the surface of the cube was bit over $600 bucks (with a corner overflow no need for light over the overflow which is why I got 1 16"). I am pretty pleased with them, because of the vertical rock work I have pucks from the radions gave very uneven coverage and colors didn't blend well.

 

[Centerline]

You could always just pop a MH/T5 combo pendant on it and be done with it. Awesome growth and coloration. $169 on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MH-24-Metal...953282?hash=item19f49a9302:g:k04AAOxyHE5Rse4O

 

[Havoks]

Looks like a good setup with that fixture too.

 

[Hockeypunk1]

You could always just pop a MH/T5 combo pendant on it and be done with it. Awesome growth and coloration. $169 on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MH-24-Metal...953282?hash=item19f49a9302:g:k04AAOxyHE5Rse4O

I went from 1 hydra 52 hd over my 55 corner tank to that fixture and it's incredible. I changed to ati blue plus and a phoenix 14k. I needed at least 1 more hydra to get the coverage I really needed. My corals never did well. I am really happy with that mh/t5.