400 watt MH = no softies, shrooms?

[mia1974]

I am just curious as to the effects of going from 250 watts to 400 watt MH over my 180 g tank. Do I have to make a choice whether I just want only sps and clams vs. a mixed tank (sps, clams, softies, lps)? Do the softies and shrooms shrivel up under 400 watts of light? (I notice that I already do not have as much expansion in my softies as LFS does under their 175 watt lighting)
I want to eventually have a variety of sps, but I also want to have some softies and keep some shrooms.
Does anyone have success with a mixed tank? Or should I just upgrade my 250 watt (3 * 10K) to electronic ballasts and leave it at that?
Thank-you for any input you may have...you guys are great

 

[npaden]

In my experience most soft corals and shrooms do fine under 400W MH. If they don't seem to be doing great maybe put them a little lower in the tank or off to the sides.
FWIW, Nathan

 

[smokinreefer]

well if you are cheap like me

and only put 2 400W MH on a 6' tank then you will have plenty of lower light areas for softies!

 

[Nathan1]

I have some soft corals (xenia, tree coral, leather, green star polyps) under dual 400W 10K Ushio. They do fine and grow rapidly.

However, the acclimation process takes a few weeks. They will cower with immediate bright light, but will adjust soon.

Don't severely limit your light duration. I'd suggest going down to about 8 hours/ day for a few days and then up it until your standard 12 or 14 hours.

-Nathan

 

[jimmy n]

I have to agree with Nathan. While initially the softies may appear shocked by the light and shrivel up, they will adjust over the course of several months.

I thought I wouldn't have to worry about mushroom proliferation in my tank under 4 400 watt MH's, but they have since adjusted and are spreading quickly. I even took out the rocks they were originally growing on, but they have spread beyond that.

JME

jim