opinions on light

the bug has struck for sps.
but here is where the problems starts i love my lps corals
i am wondering if 3 vho bulbs would do the trick
1 atinic and 2 10,000 bulbs
i have a 40 gallon ( a taller 29 gallon)
thoughts and opinion. a bit scared to take the metal halide jump
thanks
 
3 vho that size would most likely be a bit shy on the intensitu for acroporas. You would most likely get by with LPS and some montipora, and Anacropora.
 
Yes, you should try a montipora first, one type of montipora is digita which might work out in your tank. Also remember to put all of your SPS at the very top of the rockwork.

Good Luck
 
I have a slightly different view. Your lighting may be enough to keep several sps alive even some acropora. The problem would be that it would never be the same color that you are seeing in pictures from some of the guys tanks. And in fact if you took a colorfull frag of an acro out of my tank with my lights or someone elses with a lot of light and put it into yours, it probably would die from the extreme change in loss of par. If you were lucky it would turn brown or green and then at some point down the road if it was otherwise healthy and growing it might color up into something. If you could get the water conditions very good, you might get them acclimated to your lights and they might be very healthy, but IMO you would never see the colors that you see in tanks with metal halides. Not with the amount of light you have presently. You could certainly start with some montiporas and see how they go.
 
taking all views into account
if i make the jump to the metal halide go to 175 or 250
keeping in mind that i really do want to keep keep my lps corals.
al want spectrum is going to give me the greatest grow out the kelvins that are out there???
 
I've got 175's over my tank, and have regretted not getting 250's for the last few years... IMHO for MOST applications, I'd choose 250 over 175 just about every time...

And having MH does not preclude keeping LPS or softies by any means! You might wanna move where these corals are in the tank, but in general most of them can do quite well under metal halide...
 
He is right about not worrying too much about the lps. I have a Euphyllia paradivisa(branching fragspawn) and a small Euphyllia parancora(branching hammer coral) under 400 watt metal halides and they love the light.
 
what will make the corals grow the best 10 k 12 k or 14 k
i do like the acroporas and i have always be fascinated with the green slimer so i would like something that will take care of anything and make it grow like crazy
 
Out of those three bulbs the 10k would generally make the corals grow best, and 20k would generally be best for coloring corals up.

Good Luck
 
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