lighting help

[pwall97]

ok i have 200 gallon tank 20 inchs deep..i have 2 light systm both of then have 4 bulbs each 50/50 bulbs.65 watt pcso thats 8 bulbs..what can i keep in my tank???with all 8 eight bulbs i got 520 watts...how long should i keep the light on and how long should i keep my lihts off at night??..also i have a retro kit with 2 metal halide 250 watts and 2 power compact 65 watts shouldi use thous als??or should i sell all of these and buy t5 system..or can i do reef withthelight i have now thansk fo your help..

 

[Anonymous]

ok i have 200 gallon tank 20 inchs deep..i have 2 light systm both of then have 4 bulbs each 50/50 bulbs.65 watt pcso thats 8 bulbs..what can i keep in my tank???with all 8 eight bulbs i got 520 watts...how long should i keep the light on and how long should i keep my lihts off at night??..also i have a retro kit with 2 metal halide 250 watts and 2 power compact 65 watts shouldi use thous als??or should i sell all of these and buy t5 system..or can i do reef withthelight i have now thansk fo your help..

The lighting you have is good for a fish only tank...but if you'd like to keep corals retro-fit those metal halides along with the pc's. You'll be able to keep large polyp corals. Personally, I'd stay away from the T5's but that's just me.

 

[Ben1]

Theres nothing wrong with T5's especially in a 20" deep tank. If you do go T5 get as many bulbs as you can over the tank and make sure wether you retrofit or get a fixture it has quality single lens reflectors. I have used T5's on many tanks and grown everything from simple Zoas to SPS all which did well. The best part is you can really play with different bulbs and give your tank the perfect color, for what you like. Nothing wrong with MH's if you can deal with the heat, which is not always an issue for everyone. For me it was always a problem in the summer and I had to run a large chiller, which was always running when the lights were on.

 

[pwall97]

thanks think am buying a t5 8 bulb fixture