What is enough??

[dMiles]

I have a 120 gal(48"×24×24) reef that is progressing toward an acropora dominant tank. My current lighting 2 Hydra 32s. I'm about to place an order for 2 39" blades, so my question is should I also order another hydra 32 along with the Blades or would 2hydras and 2 Blades be enough?

 

[Spare time]

Rent a par meter once you get the blades and see how its looking with your settings

 

[Goaway]

Yup. Agreed with the par meter.

 

[zwalter38]

I have a 120 gal(48"×24×24) reef that is progressing toward an acropora dominant tank. My current lighting 2 Hydra 32s. I'm about to place an order for 2 39" blades, so my question is should I also order another hydra 32 along with the Blades or would 2hydras and 2 Blades be enough?

A par meter will definitely make this easier. But for some reference I had two hydra 32’s on my 135 (72x24x18) for a little over a year. All my corals did fine just super slow growth. I just added two more hydras and am acclimating the corals to the additional light.

 

[dMiles]

My Blades came today along with a 3rd Hydra. I have ITC Parwise meter on the way, so by Sunday I'll have the lights installed and able to check Par. Thanks for the input.

 

[Anna K]

On the side that you go too much light, you can always save the additional light in case something happens, get a new tank, or sell it on the marketplace. How many acros are you going for? :D I know you said dominant, but is that the full tank or like 90-95%??

 

[BryanM]

My Blades came today along with a 3rd Hydra. I have ITC Parwise meter on the way, so by Sunday I'll have the lights installed and able to check Par. Thanks for the input.

Good luck, this is the right plan of attack. The only other way to get around using a par meter is finding another tank and light setup just like yours that has done the work with the par meter.

 

[dMiles]

On the side that you go too much light, you can always save the additional light in case something happens, get a new tank, or sell it on the marketplace. How many acros are you going for? :D I know you said dominant, but is that the full tank or like 90-95%??

90-95%.I have a few chalices, a few pectinia and a couple of clams. Everything else is Acropora/Anacropora/Stylophora.

 

[dMiles]

Good luck, this is the right plan of attack. The only other way to get around using a par meter is finding another tank and light setup just like yours that has done the work with the par meter.

Yeah that would put me in the ballpark.

 

[Lolleo]

My Blades came today along with a 3rd Hydra. I have ITC Parwise meter on the way, so by Sunday I'll have the lights installed and able to check Par. Thanks for the input.

What kind of par did you get and do you know what kind of par you had before installing the blades and just having the hydras? I am currently looking at doing 4 Hydra 32s for a tank with dimensions of :
47.24 inches long
27.56 inches wide
23.62 inches tall

Plan to be an SPS dominant system.

I am also debating maybe doing a hybrid system of t5 and my two xr15 g6 but the xr15 just have terrible par output or at least they did for my red sea reefer 300.

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

What kind of par did you get and do you know what kind of par you had before installing the blades and just having the hydras? I am currently looking at doing 4 Hydra 32s for a tank with dimensions of :
47.24 inches long
27.56 inches wide
23.62 inches tall

Plan to be an SPS dominant system.

I am also debating maybe doing a hybrid system of t5 and my two xr15 g6 but the xr15 just have terrible par output or at least they did for my red sea reefer 300.

I am a t5 lover for sps, I recommend t5 to anyone looking to hang with sticks all day. I run all t5 but have heard most that run t5/led combo absolutely love it!

Also something to consider when the frags grow into colonies you will need different lighting requirements from the shadowing that could create dead spots. Which t5 is great about distributing or blending light, my vote is hybrid!

 

[dMiles]

500+ at the waterline,350-400 at the rocks, +/-200 at the sandbed. The 3rd light + the Blade made a huge difference.

 

[dMiles]

 

[Science/G]

Talk about working out perfectly. Those par numbers should give you exactly what you need

 

[dMiles]

Talk about working out perfectly. Those par numbers should give you exactly what you need

Everything thing has started to color up nicely. Now to get the parameters stable and let the tank k mature.

 

[tgee]

500+ at the waterline,350-400 at the rocks, +/-200 at the sandbed. The 3rd light + the Blade made a huge difference.

Nice setup. Which Blades did you get?

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

This is going to be a nice tank! Good luck sir

 

[dMiles]

Nice setup. Which Blades did you get?

36" grow.

 

[dMiles]

This is going to be a nice tank! Good luck sir

Thank you sir. Now to have patience and keep my hands out of it.