Lighting wattage - how much is too much?

[Delphinus]

(Moving into the main reefing forum...)

IMO, it's more a question of acclimating corals to that intensity, instead of what the overall intensity actually is. If a coral is moved from a less intensely lit environment it should be acclimated gently (using an on/off light method .. e.g., start off with 1/2 hour on, 1/2 hour off, for a few days, then 45 minutes on, 15 minutes off, and so on).

There will be some things though that don't really appreciate super intense lighting, mind you, so species selection will have a role (although as Harvey says, you can get away with putting some of the ones over at the edges).

Fish and anemones, no real concern. Softeys, probably not so much. LPS yes, need to be careful. SPS and clams .... will looooooooove those lights.