Lighting

Main

Tank

Filtration

Misc. equipment

The lighting of my tank consists of 3 x 250 watts Ushio 10,000K MH bulbs supplemented by 03 actinics. Two of the metal halides are runned by the new Ice Cap HQI electronic ballast, and the other one runs with a LN electronic ballast. Both types of ballasts are very lightweight, run very cool and makes no noise at all. The 03 actinics are VHO run with a IceCap ballast.

Livestock

I use 10,000k bulbs because I like the white crisp color that Ushios provide, I supplement with actinics but that is not absolutely necessary,  although they bring out the fluorescent colors from the corals very nice. I use 250 watters because I didn´t wanted to burn my LPS´s, even do this will be a SPS dominated tank, I also like the LPS and under 400 watters they doesn´t expand nor grow as well than with 250´s.

Electronic ballasts

All the lighting including the light of the refugium are controlled by digital timers, the on/off cycles are as follows: VHO actinics        : 8:30-10:00 Middle MH           : 11:00-9:00 Left and right MH : 11:30-8:30 Refugium             : 4:00pm-9:00am The refugium is in inverse mode to avoid PH changes

I have 1 spider reflector and 2 PFO´s reeflector, both are excellent and in my experience, the spider will cover a bigger area but less intense and viceversa with the PFO´s. I´ve tried many kinds of lighting options, but MH seems to be the ideal one, I like the intensity and color rendition they produce, also they last longer than pc´s or fluorescent bulbs and I also like the effect they produce on the bottom of the tank, and it also benefits corals. So if you are ever undecided in which kind of lighting to buy, go MH and I can guarantee that you won´t regret it.