How much lighting is to much

I have 13.8 watts per gallon and I am curious if I have to much lighting! I have a standard 55 gallon take 48 inches in length, I am not so sure about depth I think it is 24 inches. Do I have to much lighting? I have not yet put the fixture on yet.

 

What kind of lighting so you have. PCs T5s VHOs metal halides?

How high are they mounted above the tank?

What kind of corals are you going to keep?

 

I don't think you can ever have too much light in my opinion.. I have 150w's of MH over my 5.5 gal... LOL...

 

I wasnt planning on hanging then

 

and they are mh with pc's

 

Do you have like 2 X 250 Metal Halides and some PC's? Better get ready for a possible chiller unless you regulate your MH's to go on for 3 - 5 hours a day. You may also want to try getting 1 or 2 4" to 5" fans to cool the water when the Halides come on. I have a 65 gal 36"x18" and I installed a 4" fan in the canopy and it comes on when my 175W MH light does. Too much light also adds algae I believe. I would check with a knowledgeable hobbiest about the lights hopefully your setting them up on timers, right...?

 

Ok, A few things are going to have to come into play and also be considerate of to ensure your success under this lighting scheme. Yes, it can work with most species of corals, and I HATE the watts per gallon rule as much as the up to tank size associated with a skimmer.
Every symbiotic coral species requires different light intensities in the form of (PAR) photosynthetic available radiation and (PUR) photosynthetic available radiation.
Once these requirements have been met, a saturated state of oxygen will have been relized by the coral and its host zooxanthellae.
Above these limits and a supersaturation of oxygen will proceed to happen which will bring about the process known as bleaching by the coral as zooxanthellae is released by the coral.
Their are many variables that factor into the amount of light that is available and usable by a coral: Turbidity, amount of dissolved organics, carbon sources, position and placement of coral in a tank, water parameters, nutrient levels, salt creep, age of bulbs and light duration are just some of these variables.(refractory)
Many corals are able to protect themselves through various means from damaging intensities of suns rays or artificial lighting. Mucus coats, irridophores, pigments and such are a corals means of protection from the harmful UV rays and act much in the same way as sun screen does to those sun driven beach goers.

Placement of the light fixture either higher up or lower down offers some variation and flexibility with regards to light intensity.

Duration of the lights remaining on can also be tweaked to ensure that your corals receive the right amount of light without exceeding their limits.

Placement of the corals so that the more light loving corals remain higher up in your tank, whereas the lower light requiring corals can be situated under caves and closer to the benthic areas(substrate) of your aquarium.

A glass top covering your tank will reduce the amount of light to your corals below through refraction as will the amounts of turbidity. Maintaining a clean tank and employment of a carbon source will reduce the amount of these light reducer elements.

Remember that lighting is only part of the equation as other water parameter issues will alter the corals growth and health, even more so than lighting!
Hope this helps somewhat!

 

how many hours of lights on and off are best for me (I love to watch) and the fish? I work all day til about 5 pm. Can I leave the lights on all evening? Also what time of day should I turm them on. I leave the house at 7:30'ish home for lunch at 1:30 pm, then home for the day at 5. Should I NOT turn the tank lights on until my lunch hour, and just use the light that comes in from the windows? Like I said, I love to watch them, but don't want to screw up a schedule they may need for hours of light....HELP, please...

p.s. you guy's "rock" for answering so quickly! Glad I found you

 

Nice response coral reefer. I too do not like the watts per gallon. It is fast becoming passé with all the new advances with LED and a myriad of different spectrum and intensities of the modern lighting.

Chalmies, here a resource for you to bemuse; OceanReeFlections Marine and Reef School 101

 

I agree with Coral reefer. I was going to buy a 150W HQI for my 20G because I was afraid that my 70W HQI was not enough for my green bubble tipped anemone. My anemone has shifted from a green color to a light pink. Naturally, I thought it was bleaching since it has faded, but was informed otherwise that it is fairly common that these types of anemones change color. I was told by a few sources that 150W HQI would probably "burn" my tank. Since being honest meant losing a $300 sale, I trust that what Hamilton Lighting told me actually true.
Remember each watt of lighting is not equal. 10W of CF is not as intense as 10W of T5 which is not as intense as 10W of MH/HQI, as an example.