new MH

[mookie]

just received my first MH light. JBJ viper 150w 14k DE clamp on. i also have a jbj 96x2 PC light on my 50g tank. the PC light has a 10k bulb and an actinic bulb....now the question.

i like the way the tank looks when i turn of the 10k bulb in the pc and just have the MH light and the actinic light, do i gain more from having the 10k bulb on there or would i be able to keep the same corals with the 150w MH and two 96w actinics?

i want to keep softies lps and would sps be possible?

also would i get better growth from my corals if i had two 10k bulbs and the MH at once, throwing looks out the window and just thinking of coral growth and color

 

[Absinthe]

For coral growth 10K will likely do more for you than the 14K would. I agree...I like the color of 14K along with actinics as well.

Why not add a second 14K MH and just use the actinics for supplementation!

I think the PC 10K will likely be necessary, or some other light, for SPS in a 50g. The vipers are small and the 150w might not be enough for a large tank.

 

[mookie]

well another MH fixture would be out of my budget. but another 10k PC bulb would be affordable. so with 2 10k pc bulbs and the 150w MH i should be good for most softies lps, and maybe some sps? and get good growth.


or should i put one 10k and one actinic in the PC fixture(along with the 150w MH) and just attempt lps and softies? and would i get good growth out of this bulb combination?

one last arrangement would be to get a 10k bulb for the MH and just use the PC fixture for actinic's? again would the intensity of the 10k MH be enough not to need help from a 10k bulb in the PC?

 

[Absinthe]

IMO the 10K MH plus the actinic PCs would be the way to go for both growth and appearance.

You could do SPS with the one 150w MH as long as you are cognicant of placement of the corals...stay closer to the light and off the bottom.