*Moderate Lighting* is ________________

[linda lee]

Looking @ corals on the http://liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?siteid=26&pCatId=871">Live Aquaria weekly specials page</a> that indicate moderate lighting. Cannot find an article on their site which states exactly what *moderate lighting* might be.

I'd like to consider the [IMG]http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=461">Elegance Coral</a> and/or the [IMG]http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=467">Fox Coral</a> if my PC's (96x2 - 33 gal) can sustain them.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

First off, I would not recommend elegance coral. It is beautiful but has a very low chance of survival.

Your main question is the $100,000 question and there is no answer. You can put "moderate" into many terms but maybe the best is PAR. THe problem is unless yo0u have a PAR meter you do not know your PAR and even then you will not see many things related to PAR.

I would term Moderate light under PCs as anything at the top of the tank. Under T-5 or Halide it would be the middle of the tank. The fox should survive at the top of the tank if you use a 10K bulb. But that is just IMO.

 

[dakota9]

My opinion would be that PC's in your range would definately be considered moderate...

 

[FutureInterest]

I'd have to agree that nearly 200 watts of PCs in a 33 gal is a solid "moderate". It also depends though whether one of those lights is a pure actinic, in which case I'd say you're at the low/moderate range.

 

[dakota9]

I've read in many articles that instead of running the pure actinic bulb in your fixture, its a good idea to run a 50/50 bulb in its place. You still get the advantage of some actinic, and your fixtures out-put come closer to it's stated out-put

If I'd stayed with PCs, thats the root I'd have taken, and kind of wish I had

 

[linda lee]

from surfact to sand is only 15" and lights are 3" above that... these still need to be at the top even though it L.A. says *bottom*?

Darn...

As for Elegance, Loren pointed out that it's *aggressive* anyway, which I had overlooked. I already have one aggressive guy (frogspawn) which L.A. says needs *moderate to high* light and is thriving on the bottom front corner away from its tankmates. Wondering now if it will eventually die?

Sheeesh... tired of killing stuff. Maybe I just need a tank full of hermies and snails.

 

[linda lee]

Guess the Coralife light fixture needs to go (and, yes, one of the bulbs is actinic). Without spending $$$ for MH's (which I simply can't do right now ... I'm hoping Santa might help me out in December), what lights DO I need?

Anyone interested in http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5001">this fixture</a> as a trade for something more suited to my tank? When I bought this fixture from Mike, I was pretty much going to do fish. But, seems I'm a fish-killer, so I'd rather go more into corals.

~L

 

[xyzpdq0121]

I would go with a "cheap" T-5 retrofit fixture...

 

[linda lee]

Xyzpdq0121;64756 wrote: I would go with a "cheap" T-5 retrofit fixture...

Why *retrofit* ?? Wouldn't I then need to build a canopy? (Never got a good defnition of <u>retrofit</u>.)

 

[dakota9]

The fixture you have is suficient for most livestock. No sps or clams ofcoarse.

192 watts of PC is all I had on my tank for 2 years, and not as wild about MH as I thought I'd be......

Interested in buying new bulbs for your fixture? Maybe I'd trade you my new MH + some cash. Lets talk

 

[linda lee]

Dakota9;64781 wrote: Interested in buying new bulbs for your fixture? Maybe I'd trade you my new MH + some cash. Lets talk

Loren said your light is awesome. Composing a PM.