Question about 175watt MH vs 192 pc's

[Salt man]

I have a 30 gal reef that I used 192 watt pc's with all softy, then I upgrader to 175 watt MH so I could keep a clam or nem. My problem is under the PC's my softys did great, but since I added the MH the shrooms, ric, and zoos all spread out as if it isn't enough light. WHy? I have moved them form the bottom, to the middle, and on top, right under the light and still the same. The only thing doing good is the nem I added he is on top right under the bulb and looks awsome, he has even colored up more since I bought him. BTW I'm running a 175 watt SE XM 10k bulb on a m57 ballast and it's in a parabolic reflector that I got from hellolights. So if you can please help, why are the corals looking like they need more light?

 

[surfn]

what kind of ballast are you running?

and what are the tank demensions?

if you stand way back from the tank...does it look like the center of the tank gets more light the sides?

IMO....things may be expanding due to "loving" the light that much more. then again, you may be getting more light just in the center of the tank.....than with PC's........but on the edges of the tank there isn't as much light as compared to the PC's.

 

[Salt man]

WHen I stand back it looks like the light is in the middle and on the left more than right. I'm running this on a m57 ballast. The tank is 36L 12w and 16t. Would the corals really expand because they like the light more? I thought they would only expand if there wasn't enough light.

 

[Salt man]

BTW I have most all the corals near the center of the tank and have tried moving them around and still nothing changed.

 

[surfn]

WHen I stand back it looks like the light is in the middle and on the left more than right. I'm running this on a m57 ballast. The tank is 36L 12w and 16t. Would the corals really expand because they like the light more? I thought they would only expand if there wasn't enough light.

well....kinda sorta goes both ways. its difficult to explain.....so i'm just going with what i've seen before in the past in my own experience.

some corals will expand b/c theres more available light to "suck up". some won't like it and may get smaller. but in the end the amount of light you have on that size tank isn't *that* much.

a year ago, i had a 250w MH on an HQI ballast on the same size tank (mostly sps). but zoas on the right side behind the mogul.


at this point, there isn't much else you can do but to keep going with what you got. let us know when you are ready to upgrade again and i can suggest some changes here and there.

 

[Hypertek99]

sounds like getting too much light. If they expand then they are getting enough light. If they are reaching for the light (not expanding) then they need more light. Do you have pics???

 

[Salt man]

Sounds good thanks for the info. I'll wait longer and see what happens. The corals have been under the pc's for about 1 year and the MH for about 1 month, so hopefully they're getting the light they need.

 

[surfn]

here is an example of what my zoas looked like when i first started the hobby with a 130w PC light on a 20g-high. then i put a 175w 15k on the tank.

just give them some time. although.....the 10k MH isn't that great IMO. i'd switch to something else if you get the chance.

 

[Salt man]

The zoas are reaching for the light and the shrooms and ric are spreading out. Before when they were under the pcs the zoas had a little bulb and when opened looked like they were on the rock, now when they're closed they have a stem and when they're open they are about a 1/2 inch off the rock. I have 3 shrooms and a ric. The green frilly was about a silverdollar, the ric and bigger red shroom were the size of a quater and the small I did'nt even know I had till I got the MH and it spread. Now the green frilly is about 4 inches across the ric and bigger red are about 3 across the the small red I didn't even know about is the size of a quarter. they all still have the same color but are spread so far that they're looking kinda clear.

 

[Salt man]

Yes thats what my zoas are doing they're tentacles are getting longer and they have even changed color some. Is that good.? What do you suggest over a 10k? I did buy a cheap 14K off of ebay and the coral were acting the same way so I thought it was junk and I know the xm 10k is supposed to be a really good bulb for growth so I bought it. I'm not crazy about the yellow color but I thought they would be better off. I might try switching back to the 14k. One more thing the shrooms are also fatter not just spread out thin but when I touched the green frilly it was kind of thick.

 

[Salt man]

I can get pics tomarrow when the light is back on. Now that I think of it the shrooms I dont think are reaching for the light but are expanded and flat on the rock and sand, however the zoas def are taller than normal.

 

[Salt man]

Surfn are those the same zoa in the top pics and the bottom. If so WOW what a difference in color change. I'll get some pics on here at about 1 or 2 if posable. Thanks again for all the help everyone.

 

[surfn]

Surfn are those the same zoa in the top pics and the bottom. If so WOW what a difference in color change. I'll get some pics on here at about 1 or 2 if posable. Thanks again for all the help everyone.

yes, same ones

 

[Salt man]

Ok here are the pics. Sorry they're not that good.

http://club-zoa.com/forums/<a href=

 

[Salt man]

I cant figure out how to post pics on here.

 

[Azurel]

As far as the mushrooms when they get enough light they will expand more to give themselves more surface area to absorb the increase in light for the zooxanthellae algae. The reaction you see in the shrooms is good and what you want. If they were shrunken then that would be a sign of to much light.....As far as the zoas they could just needs some time to get used to the increase in intensity in the light they are getting now.....The PC to MH is no comparison when it comes to intensity even if the MH is only 40w more then the PC you had on the tank due to the way the light is dispersed from the Fluorescent bulb.

 

[Salt man]

Good I hope it's the case I have had these guys for a year now and was getting scared I was geonna lose them.