Quote:
Originally posted by Reef_Raf:
Look at Shane's tank; it has beautiful corals and he hasn't bought the bigger badder light hype.
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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Um, isn't Shane running 3, 400 watt MH? :D I would say thats big and bad :D
I get a lotof the same ideas out of it also but I don't think that it is in the wayof people worring to much about PAR and such but rather people going with the "bigger is always better" attatude. I am a firm beleaver that if a 2 oz hammer will do the job there is no need for a 10lb sledge hammer. but... and a big BUT, if you look at Erik's tanks he is blasting them with 400 watt iwasakis.. so that goes againse everything he posted there.. THIS is the part I am confused about.. if he preaches one thing and does another which do you believe?
I see beautifull tanks with 250 watt DE HQI's (big and bad a$$ power) then at the same time I see the same types of corals under 175 wat MH that look just as pretty. sothis showes quite plainly that lighting isn't the only factor.. and almost sugests that it isn't the most important factor but of course this is my opinion only and I am sure others will disagree.
I have come to the conclusion that this is what makes lighting suck a hard desision ... no one realy knows what is better.. for example..lets say some one is running oh... 400 watt MH and there tank is wonderfull.. they give frags to some one else who has a simular set up but they are running 250 watt radiums. in the new tank the frags develop a different colout than the frags from the same coral that he gave to another guy with 150 watt bulbs.. but the are all coloured and none are brown.. I read a lot of posts like this. on the other hand I have also seen cases whare identical lighting produces different colours in different tanks.
I think the only way you can look at lighting is with a "what ever works good in YOUR tank" kinda attatude.. sure the lumen and PAR meters are usefull tools for aproxamating but that is it. the main reason I bought mine was to help me determin when I should change bulbs, and of course as a toy :D :D
but I think I beter stop befor I start to babble
Steve