lighting question

[raycopp]

What would be the best way to go? 200 gal. 84x18x30

thank you for your help

[Ninong]

A lot depends on what you want to keep but if you are planning on keeping SPS and Tridacnid clams in a 30" tall tank, I would go with metal halides -- either 400w or 250w, plus actinic supplementation of some sort.

Does the tank already have a canopy? Are you going to DIY the lighting? If so, you would want at least 3 metal halide lamps but 4 would be better. If you want to go crazy, you could even stick 5 metal halides over a 7' long tank. One advantage to going with 5 of them is that you could go with 3 of one Kelvin and 2 of another (e.g., 3 10,000K and 2 20,000K).

If you decide on a ready-made all-in-one fixture, go for a 6' long fixture with three or four metal halides plus actinic fluorescents, possibly T5 fluorescents. There are several possibilities out there. Check the sponsors and see what they offer under lighting.

[raycopp]

Thank you. i will check and see what i can get in a 6ft fixture.