Lighting suggestions

[mike31154]

Have you considered tossing the PCs entirely and trying to modify the fixture with retro T5HO lamps? If that's possible, it might be worth giving it a try. Much more choice in bulb temperature/colour and with indivdual ballasts/reflectors the light output increase would be substantial. You might even be able to keep the MHs turned on for a shorter period and save a few kilowatts.

[Whatigot]

IMO, PC's are more than adequate for supplementary reef lighting.

[my2rotties]

I am a newbie with lighting and controllers. I was running tek lights prior and had fiji purple, atinics, and coral lights. I have a few softies and a monti cap for corals. I just started this new system so I just want to be able to try everything in the future. To be able to have options to try different corals would be what I am after in the long run.

The remaining compacts give wonderful light and I think they are better then the tek lights to be honest. My tank is 30" deep, and they seem to get right down to the bottom. The halides are amazing and I am glad I switched to them from the teklights. I can't believe the difference in my softies already. My frogspawn is now the size of a soccerball in just a few days of halides. I would love to try clams but I don't think my selection of fish at the monet will allow for those. Plus my system is not established enough to try just yet.

My Profilux can be programmed for sunrise and sunset. I just want to mimick what the profilux can do to replicate to ocean, storms, clouds and everything else lighting and weather related. I even have a lightening stick which is way cool to watch it mimick a storm. Of course its not hooked up here yet but it was impressive to see at the seller's place.

It scares me to think of taking the lights apart to refit them with a different kind of bulb, but its a possibility later on. Right now I would like to use what I have since there is already a big difference in my softies.

Thanks for the help.