250w vs 400w???

[fiorano]

so ive decided to do away with the majority of my softies and switch to a predominately sps and lps reef. i currently have 3 250w pemdants over my 125 gallon tank and was wondering if i would have to upgrade to 400's to get that extreme vibrant color it seems i will always be chasing after lol. and what are the pros and cons etc. any help will be greatly appreciated.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by fiorano

so ive decided to do away with the majority of my softies and switch to a predominately sps and lps reef. i currently have 3 250w pemdants over my 125 gallon tank and was wondering if i would have to upgrade to 400's to get that extreme vibrant color it seems i will always be chasing after lol. and what are the pros and cons etc. any help will be greatly appreciated.

I have dual 400's over my 72"x19"x19" tank. Actually the water level is only about 17" though. I love them. Its nice to be able to put sps and clams anywhere in the tank and not have to worry about light. Everything has done great so far too although its only been a few months. Heat has not been an issue with just one decent sized fan. Cost is a bit more but I think its only been about $6 a month more than the 250's I used to run. I did have to move some softies to shaded areas but everything else seems to love the light.

I have mine about 9" off the water which is higher than I normally keep lights. I may try 6" eventually once I have stocked the tank with all the frags I am going to and they have acclimated to the lights.

[Aquattro]

If it were me, and I had 250 already, I'd probably keep them. I have 400s but not sure I really need that much.

[fiorano]

thx guys like i said i already have the 250's but i have 2 identical ones running off the same ballast and then one in the middle i bought later on and it seems to be brighter than the other 2. could that mean i need a new ballast for the dimmer ones? they all have identical bulbs bought at the same time so its not the bulbs i dont think.

[MikeP]

Originally Posted by fiorano

thx guys like i said i already have the 250's but i have 2 identical ones running off the same ballast and then one in the middle i bought later on and it seems to be brighter than the other 2. could that mean i need a new ballast for the dimmer ones? they all have identical bulbs bought at the same time so its not the bulbs i dont think.

Sorry for the hijack but the answer to your question might answer what I was about to post. Are all magnetic ballasts created equal? And can their performance diminish over time? I have 3 magnetics now but was considering buying a dual ballast to replace the DIY ones I have (bought them used from another canreefer last year), if all magnetics perform the same I might not bother but I'm also looking at electronic ballasts.

Tx

[soups]

I have a 150g 5'x2'x2' with 3/250w DE. All my sps are doing nicly, If you can get your hands on some nice bulbs. You will see better color, So if you ask me, 3/ 250w on a 24" tank will do fine.

One other note; there are some sps need less light when other.

[fiorano]

awesome that sounds good. and right now i think i have giessman 13 500 k bulbs but im not to sure how i feel about them then. what would be a better bulb to use for coral growth and color? hahaha and don't worry about hijacking anything you learn will probably help me out to haha

[soups]

If your looking for one of the best, try (Phoenix)14k

[untamed]

I run 250W MHs and the Geismann 13000K and have no complaints about my SPS growth or colour. I'll probably repurchase this bulb next year. Unless your tank is crazy-tall, the 250's should be just fine....especially since you already own them.

I also run 54W actinic T5.

[Reefer Rob]

I have 3- 400W halides over my 180, and I find it to be a bit too much. I really have to watch my coral placement. Anything in the top 10" or 12" directly under the bulbs has to really like light! I think 250s with say 4 T5s would be better.