SPS and flow...need help.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Mik_101

Well can I get most of the color out of them?

I found that when I first got into reefs using 2 x 175w over my 70g (18" deep) I could not get good color. Now, if everything else is perfect, they might be ok, but I've never seen a tank that was perfect (well, not many). The first thing you need to realize is that it can take 6 or more months just to build up stability in the tank so that SPS will grow, let alone color up properly.
When I switched to 2 x 400w, my colors got better, but it wasn't until I had a couple of years experience watching my acros turn brown before I could start getting nice colors. You need to make sure that nutrients are 0, pH, Ca and Alk are in range and stable. Flow is important for growth, not so much for color. If you put softies in the tank, it could impact the SPS growth and general happiness. The problem is there are so many things working against you, you really need to know your tank very well. This takes quite a while.