What lights are you running for your anemone specific reefs? Could use help planning a 250 gallon mag specific reef.

[Hemmdog]

Here is a picture of the tank I hope to acquire for this Magnifica dominant reef. The current owner has it set up as a shark/ray tank with center overflow. He's building himself a bigger one and will pass this beauty on to me!
I plan to remove the center overflow and install an external overflow on one of the sides to fully open up floor space for the aqua scaping I plan to do and for better flow. I'm strongly considering a closed loop/OceansMotions combo through the bottom of this tank to avoid any powerheads inside the tank.

What a gorgeous tank, wow!

 

[Seancj]

Thank you! Is the high color a must for anemones? I currently am only running at 20% color.

Magnifica specifically like whiter light. In most locales, they are very close to the surface, perched very high up the rockscape, often partially out of the water during low tide in some locales. I try to emulate that.
Simply stated, corals, and anemones, will benefit more from full spectrum lighting. The more color spectrum we throw at them, the more abundant and color enhancing zooxanthellae they produce, hence better overall color saturation. The downside to this fuller spectrum/whiter spectrum lighting to some is that it washes out the fluorescence of the corals during this photoperiod. This is true. But I think Magnifica look their best under natural sunlight spectrum and I reserve the fluorescent 'pop' for night time viewing.
My Magnifica love the bright white spectrum during the day's peak photoperiod. I've also noticed that my rainbow BTA's are extending much larger and are brighter in coloration as well.
I think that each hobbyist needs to light their reefs with the color spectrum that they enjoy as long as its also providing what the livestock requires. Corals and anemones will grow well under just about any spectrum, (so many other factors involved) but if the hobbyist doesn't like how the tank looks, then........

 

[dwest]

I would consider a 6ft aquatic life T5 hybrid. You can reuse your kessils. Maybe add the two 500’s also over the bommies as the system ages. I currently use a hybrid system over my 180. I have 6 kessil 360we’s in the aquatic life hybrid setup. But that’s a long story.

I don’t have experience with magnificas but my LTA’s and BTA’s did very well.

It sounds like you know what you are doing and are gonna have a great tank either way. Good luck.

 

[Seancj]

I would consider a 6ft aquatic life T5 hybrid. You can reuse your kessils. Maybe add the two 500’s also over the bommies as the system ages. I currently use a hybrid system over my 180. I have 6 kessil 360we’s in the aquatic life hybrid setup. But that’s a long story.

I don’t have experience with magnificas but my LTA’s and BTA’s did very well.

It sounds like you know what you are doing and are gonna have a great tank either way. Good luck.

Thanks Dwest! I am currently running a DIY Aquatic Life/hybrid lighting system, 4 Kessils, 2 ATI blue plus T5's, and 2 Violet/Blue LED strip bars. I love the light it provides and the nems are doing well. However, as I said in the beginning, it's not a clean looking install over the tank with no canopy. So many wires!!!
I am hoping to provide lighting over this tank without a canopy, similar to how the current owner has his lights, or at least a very small footprint floating canopy. I really like the pop from the current LED strips so I'm thinking they will likely be part of the equation.

 

[dwest]

Thanks Dwest! I am currently running a DIY Aquatic Life/hybrid lighting system, 4 Kessils, 2 ATI blue plus T5's, and 2 Violet/Blue LED strip bars. I love the light it provides and the nems are doing well. However, as I said in the beginning, it's not a clean looking install over the tank with no canopy. So many wires!!!
I am hoping to provide lighting over this tank without a canopy, similar to how the current owner has his lights, or at least a very small footprint floating canopy. I really like the pop from the current LED strips so I'm thinking they will likely be part of the equation.

Yes, I’m with you on the wires. So I went with a canopy. I like the canopy, except when I do stuff in the tank!

 

[Dorinda]

I have 2 Visparspectras over a 75 gallon tank.

 

[Seancj]

Beautiful reef! Those are some massive SPS colonies!
Canopies definitely turn 'tanks' into enjoyable 'displays'! But, like you said, they suck when it comes to maintenance AND prevent spontaneous top-down viewing. I enjoy top-down, tide pool, viewing of my anemones equally as much as I do viewing them from the front. If I build a canopy to hide the lighting, it will be floating well above the tank, another reason I am considering the punch the X500's provide.

 

[GARRIGA]

Thanks for the reply Garriga! A red carpet specific tank would look great! I've always loved this photo:

I may find space for one of these on the sand bed in the next tank down the road, but I've always been hesitant about Haddoni due to them being prolific fish catchers! I've read many a post where hobbyists have lost nice fish to them. They have an unforgiving stickiness!

Regarding PAR, I'm not concerned with PAR actually. Any of today's name brand LED fixtures will provide plenty of PAR for these anemones in an 18" tall tank, especially as the light demanding Magnifica will be sitting quite high in the tank.
I have considered the A360X's and the Radions and they are still contenders.
However, my experience with the A360WE's is that they only provide sufficient coverage of around 12", hence the reason I have 4 over my current 48" tank. The 360X's have the same coverage. I've seen reviews of the A500X's and the coverage area is closer to 24" and I can hang them higher up to get the look I want outside of the tank for my top-down viewing. Less lights hanging over the tank and mounted higher up, both positives for me.
I did a brief trial with 2 G5 XR15 blues over my current tank and I really preferred the look from my Kessil's. Not enough shimmer from the G5's for me. I am a shimmer addict!

That picture what inspired me as well and why perhaps a tank devoid of rocks would also work. As for fish. Yeah. Would be species only with a harem of clowns

Kessils for shimmer. Best at it and get the value in handing lights high. Coral farm style.

 

[GARRIGA]

This might help

 

[Seancj]

Current tank during peak full spectrum lighting:

Under violet, blue, and UV leds:

Video under the blues:

 

[Seancj]

Video under daylight spectrum.

 

[MartinM]

I have a 200x80x60cm tank set up in a similar fashion (3 rock islands, one for mags and one for clams) using 2x 400w HQI’s with T5s.

 

[Seancj]

I have a 200x80x60cm tank set up in a similar fashion (3 rock islands, one for mags and one for clams) using 2x 400w HQI’s with T5s.

Thanks for the reply Martin! Could you post a pic or two please?

 

[MartinM]

The Geisemann fixtures have reflectors that are too small honestly, but no one else is making halides that look good enough. If you have a canopy, I’d go with reefbrite reflectors instead. By going with two rather than three I’m able to get higher par where I want it and lower par areas where I want them. Bulbs are 14k 400w Ushios on icecap ballasts, HQI setting. Mags are under about 400 par on average.

Please pardon the hideous (temporary) fan. I’m working to find and install a permanent (and better looking) fan solution.

FYI a small fan will do the same amount of work as a medium size chiller and use a lot less power. You’ll definitely need one or the other or both when using halides.

If you want to go the LED route, I love the stratons as far as LEDs go. I’m using that fixture on another system and it’s great. I don’t have experience using 100% T5 but of course they work also.

Truthfully I’d like to have all carpets, but large tanks are rare here and I doubt I can find a good home for the mags.

 

[Seancj]

The Geisemann fixtures have reflectors that are too small honestly, but no one else is making halides that look good enough. If you have a canopy, I’d go with reefbrite reflectors instead. By going with two rather than three I’m able to get higher par where I want it and lower par areas where I want them. Bulbs are 14k 400w Ushios on icecap ballasts, HQI setting. Mags are under about 400 par on average.

Please pardon the hideous (temporary) fan. I’m working to find and install a permanent (and better looking) fan solution.

FYI a small fan will do the same amount of work as a medium size chiller and use a lot less power. You’ll definitely need one or the other or both when using halides.

If you want to go the LED route, I love the stratons as far as LEDs go. I’m using that fixture on another system and it’s great. I don’t have experience using 100% T5 but of course they work also.

Truthfully I’d like to have all carpets, but large tanks are rare here and I doubt I can find a good home for the mags.

That's a great looking tank! I have been a fan of Geisemann's since the early 2000's, just couldn't afford them. Very sleek and modern looking, even today.
I'd be happy to purchase your Magnificas should you decide to move them out and ship them. You do have a lot of nice open sand bed for more carpets! Too bad your red carpet moved to that back corner.

 

[MartinM]

Thanks! Haddoni’s do love corners haha, but it’s so big it’s easy to see.

I think the Spectra fixtures from Giesemann are cheaper than top brand LEDs now, check out their site.

I think shipping internationally is outside of my skill set! Keep us updated on what light you end up going with.

 

[OrionN]

......
I plan to remove the center overflow and install an external overflow on one of the sides to fully open up floor space for the aqua scaping I plan to do and for better flow. I'm strongly considering a closed loop/OceansMotions combo through the bottom of this tank to avoid any powerheads inside the tank.

From some who used close loops way back when (1999) we don't have propeller type PH, Close loop offer no advantage over low power PH like what we have today. For powerful close loops, the intake of the loop is very dangerous to animals and anemones. It will chew up anemone much more efficient than the puree of PH, unless you defuse intake with huge defuser to decrease the danger to the animals.

 

[Seancj]

Thanks for the input on closed loops, Orion! My closed loop intakes will be well protected to prevent any chance of an anemone being sucked in. I've already considered that concern early on in the planning process. There will be two layers of protection from the intake.
Also, it's not that I'm overly worried about powerhead/wavemakers in the tank and their inherent risk towards our anemones, it the aesthetics. I really don't want anything stuck on the sides of the tank distracting the view of the reef.

 

[Sdot]

For my 300 Gallon system, I went with a combo of Orphek icons (retrofit from Alantik V4) with 2 kessil a500X and 1 a360X. Orpkeks are the sky and the kessils are the sun..

 

[Seancj]

Thanks for the reply and images Sdot! Your tank is beautiful! The lighting is top notch and looks great! I think your lighting is probably the perfect choice and mix of the best of both worlds.