Lighting Help

[Chago09]

Originally Posted by staceyd72

Hi,

I would keep the T5 and retro a LED for shimmer. You will not have an issue growing SPS with T5's. Water quality(stability) and flow IMO is much more important.

Save your money for the new SPS

Oh, and to canreef.com

really eh, see I have debated this too. So you really think if I upgraded my calcium,magnesium and alk equipment to make sure my husbandry is perfect. That I would have the same fast growth with only a 6 bulb T5HO? Maybe I could add 2 more bulbs or something?

[staceyd72]

I’m not sure how you maintain your Alk/Ca/Mg, but having a technique in place to keep them in check is important. What are you using for flow, or what is your tank turnover? SPS corals seem to thrive in chaotic, random flow. Nutrients also play an important role; watch your import and export.

Your light fixture is very capable of growing SPS, adding a bulb or two to your fixture is always an option, especially if you’re into DIY.

Start with some of the easier SPS, as you gain experience move up to more challenging species. Some easier ones include, birdsnest, montiporas, and some stags/Formosa‘s .
Take it slow and pay attention to the corals, their behaviour will tell you when something is wrong.

Cheers