How to get zoa colors to "pop" under HQI?

[ChrisP]

I have a 24 gallon Aquapod with a 150W Viper light. I've tried a Hamilton 20K, JBJ 14K, and "Ebay" 14K but the colors on my zoas just don't pop. I tried supplementing with 2, 8-bulb blue LED strips, glued to the inside upper edge with little difference. Does anyone have any ideas about how to supplement the HQI lighting with some type of PC actinics? The dimensions of the (open) tank top are: 19 1/2 (across) by 16" deep?
Thanks!
Chris

[charlie]

Why don't you try looking at the T5 actinic plus, or a VHO actinic? Just a thought.

[ChrisP]

The problem is finding a 20" fixture that can sit on my aquarium top and be thin enough not to block the light from the Viper HQI.

[charlie]

Why don't you give a couple of our sponsors a search and see what you can come up with?

[Ninong]

Charlie,

This is exactly what he has right now -- a 24-gal AquaPod with the top removed and a Viper 150w HQI DE fixture.

It would really cost too much relative to the total cost of the current setup to try to switch now to a more expensive lighting arrangement. It would probably make more sense to simply upgrade to a larger tank so that there would be more lighting options. Tanks that are 36" long (especially the 40-gal breeder) are ideal because there are so many different lighting choices available. And you don't even need metal halide for a 40-gal breeder. You could cover the top of that sucker with T5 HO lamps and have a tremendous amount of light, more than enough to keep anything at all considering the great dimensions (36"Lx18"Wx16"H) of the tank itself.

Once you get into the specialty type nano-tanks, such as the 24-gal AquaPod or even the Oceanic 30-gal cube, you are limited by the dimensions across the top of the tank and your lighting options are much fewer. There are a lot of lighting fixtures for 24" tanks and 36" tanks but not all that many for 20" tanks or 30" tanks or any of the other off sizes.

Chris has a choice of going with his current fixture and using either a Ushio/BLV 10,000K HQI DE lamp for maximum intensity or a Ushio/BLV 20,000K HQI DE lamp for a bluer appearance but with less than half the PAR of the 10,000K. The 20,000K will be fine for a lot of different things but I wouldn't attempt SPS or clams with it.

[Ninong]

Chris,

Just for kicks I decided to see if Sanjay had tested the Radium 150w 20,000K HQI DE lamp and he has: here.

Wow! PPFD = 47 for the Radium 20,000K. That's a lot better than the other 20,000K and 14,000K lamps.

That might be something to consider.

[charlie]

Charlie,

This is exactly what he has right now -- a 24-gal AquaPod with the top removed and a Viper 150w HQI DE fixture.

It would really cost too much relative to the total cost of the current setup to try to switch now to a more expensive lighting arrangement. It would probably make more sense to simply upgrade to a larger tank so that there would be more lighting options. Tanks that are 36" long (especially the 40-gal breeder) are ideal because there are so many different lighting choices available. And you don't even need metal halide for a 40-gal breeder. You could cover the top of that sucker with T5 HO lamps and have a tremendous amount of light, more than enough to keep anything at all considering the great dimensions (36"Lx18"Wx16"H) of the tank itself.

Once you get into the specialty type nano-tanks, such as the 24-gal AquaPod or even the Oceanic 30-gal cube, you are limited by the dimensions across the top of the tank and your lighting options are much fewer. There are a lot of lighting fixtures for 24" tanks and 36" tanks but not all that many for 20" tanks or 30" tanks or any of the other off sizes.

Chris has a choice of going with his current fixture and using either a Ushio/BLV 10,000K HQI DE lamp for maximum intensity or a Ushio/BLV 20,000K HQI DE lamp for a bluer appearance but with less than half the PAR of the 10,000K. The 20,000K will be fine for a lot of different things but I wouldn't attempt SPS or clams with it.

Gotta agree with you Ninong, it is unfortunate that they make these tanks so that only a certain fixture will fit, it is their way or the highway!!!!
I would think that certain types of Montipora, ie., digitata might work, maybe even some types of pocillopora would fit, but you are right, most acros wouldn't be good!!!