propagation tank ideas
 

You know those energy savings screw base PC bulbs that some people stick over their nanos? What kinda of corals have people successfuly kept under them, and how was the growth?

I'm thinking in water about 8 or 10" deep. I think most softies would be ok, most LPS, and I've even heard crazy stories of people keeping SPS under them in shallow water...

mmmm... those aren't really meant for aquariums. th light from those things are much too yellow. Maybe if you blued up with a few actinics? i dunno. Im sure they would be okay for FO, but corals, im not so sure.

don't care about color, only growth. heard it's PAR, not colour that causes growth. ie: Iwasakis doing better than most other MH bulbs.

And i've seen most of my own coral get their colour back pretty quickly when put under a proper light. Thinking of growing them out in in a bunch of cheap tanks, then "colouring in" certain ones in a really blue tank when needed.

Thinking of the cheapest way possible to run a "farm" heh...

kwirky's right. PAR determines growth for photosynthetic corals. Albert taught me that there's a specific spectrum that corals absorb in order to survive and thrive.

:D

Yes PAR is important but if the colour temp is less than 6000K you will likly only grow algea

J

Use Daylight bulbs (Phillips from HD or GE from Wal-Mart). They're 6500k.

And if you can find one with a CRI above 90,your corals will keep good color

What's CRI?
Shaun

I've used those, but they are a bit yellow, however the growth is pretty darn good.

If you want a balance, look at the more expensive 50/50 coralife bulbs, they're 20w each (10w 10k and 10w actinic) and they look smashing, gorgeous color over my nano, and I get great growth from my softies, no real lps/sps outside of a small galazia and a few huge chunks of pipe organsm so I can't really comment other than to say I've got a tank with lots of growth and very solid color for over 7 months now.

coralife 20w 50/50 screw ins...

Used to have a pair over my 2.5g - was good up to montipora's...