lighting for a 55 gal reef
 

i have a 55 gallon reef tank and i have some power compacts that have 230 watts. is that enough for lps? in the future i want sps too. would that be enough for them too? or would i need to upgrade for them?
thanks

Thats is enough for LPS mid to high and SPS at the highest part of your reef. I have SPS and LPS doing great and growing in a 29 AGA with 130 watts of PC.

I agree with outpost, but there is a little more to it than just lighting.

Water quality is far more important to coral vitality than lighting. The reason I say this is because water that is foul will kill your corals faster than insufficient lighting. What are your water parameters? Alkalinity, Calcium, pH, Nitrate and specific gravity? A lot of SPS and LPS can survive under PC as long as the water quality is near pristine. Metal Halides offer more chance for success, as they offer a bigger spectrum of UV light, something that is crucial for zooanthelle growth.

. What are your water parameters? Alkalinity, Calcium, pH, Nitrate and specific gravity?..[/quote]

lately i have been useing the dip strip style testing kits, and it says that my alkalinity, and ph are good. my nitrates are a little high, but right now i am mixxing saltwater to do a 10 gal water change. and it doesnt have calcium, but i add it daily

What is good?
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do not add what you do not test for.

thats literaly what these strip tests say. i get paid on friday so i will buy some new test kits

The strips say, "good?" If that's the case, then you defintiely need liquid test kits.

thats what i thought, but i found accual numbers this morning. there was a seprate chart inside this little book kind of lable. but my numbers arnt too good i know, but beleive me i am working on it now that i just saw the numbers


nitrate-160ppm :((
nitrite- <0.5ppm
alkalinity-200ppm
Ph-7.8 :/