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Calling out the lighting experts

mfisher2112

mfisher2112

Here's the scoop:

Debating between a 90 gallon (48x18x24) and a 120 (48x24x24).

Either way, I will be building a new stand and probably a hood as well.

My thoughts are drifting ever closer to Metal Halide lighting, although I'm not sure I want to deal with the heat issue...

At any rate, do you guys have recomendations on wattage to penetrate that depth properly?

And, what retro parts would you recomend?

I'm definitely leaning more and more toward the electronic ballasts, but I'm stuck on what wattage I need without overkill.

I also am looking for information on single ended vs the double ended as well.

Any thoughts, advise, etc welcome.

I would be supplementing the MH with my current 48" 4x54 HO T5 rig. Most likely will tear apart the fixture (which comes apart surprisingly easy) and use the components inside the new canopy.
 
B

Brian

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Well, This is always a matter of opinion....

In a tank that size, you would probably be ok with 2 x 175w MH.

Try and find some used ballasts on RC. I am using all electronic ballasts for my 250w MH (2 ARO Ballasts and 1 Ice Cap Ballast). I got the ARO's used on RC for about $100 bucks (for both!). I would get a Spider Reflector; PFO makes a nice one.

As far as the T5's go, I would atleast get a reflector for each bulb. From what I've been reading, it's always better to use a single reflector for each bulb. PA or Champion has the reflectors.

HTH :)
 
mfisher2112

mfisher2112

Witfull said:
what are you keeping? i would go 120g, 2-250s w/icecap ballasts and 2-4 t-5 actinics.
Click to expand...

I guess I shoulda included that, huh?

Right now I am running a 55gallon that has been up since May. The only thing in there is some mushrooms, a small colony of zoa, some GSP, 2 tomato clowns and a Scopas Tang.

I want to be able to keep a variety of coral with the new tank, and I also want to be able to include a clam.

I would have just stuck with more T5 lighting, but with the 24" depth, I'm figuring I want to go up to MH and keep the T5 for actinic. I currently have 2 T5 actinics and 2 T5 Daylights, I would just replace the 2 daylights with actinic for 4 total actinic. Would also go with individual reflectors for each bulb.

I guess the debate ensues as to whether to go with 250watt or 175watt...

My original thought was 3 175 watts centered across the length of the hood, with 2 T5 actinics on the backside and 2 T5 actinics on the front side.

Something like this:

lighthood1.jpg
 
W

Witfull

here is my thoughts,,,,250 XM 10k's, extreme par and great white color. 4 t-5 actinics...you can keep anything including light whore croceas'
 
W

Witfull

is this gonna be in a canopy? if so, you can DIY a reflector to improve spread. check for prices minus a reflector. you can always strip aluminium the the canopy.
 
mfisher2112

mfisher2112

I'm going to be building the canopy along with the stand.

I took a look at the individual parts, and by the time I put everything together, it is actualy cheaper to just get the retro kit even if I don't use the reflector, and utilize something else to get the light into the tank.
 
kabal2

kabal2

in my 120 i have 2 250w mh 10k, in mini pendants, with 2 t5 actinic, and i have that give a nice color, my bulbs are doble ended, btw im not and expert

Gabe
 
mfisher2112

mfisher2112

Gabe, what corals have you had success with under that lighting? That's almost exactly what I am looking to do with my lighting, just in a DIY canopy.
 
kabal2

kabal2

all my corals are doing alright, and the colors are coming back really nice, problem at the biggin with my tank was phosphates

Gabe
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
On my 120 I have 2 T5 actinics and 2x250 MHs. For 2' you want 250s. Shorter and 175s would be ok. Taller (30) and you might want to go 400s.
 
mfisher2112

mfisher2112

Phyl said:
On my 120 I have 2 T5 actinics and 2x250 MHs. For 2' you want 250s. Shorter and 175s would be ok. Taller (30) and you might want to go 400s.
Click to expand...

Either tank I go with is going to be 24" tall. So looks like 250's it is.

What bulbs are you running? I was thinking 10K with the T5 actinics.

Do you think I need all 4 of them with the 24" width? Or will 2 suffice?

I'm trying to avoid the cost of a chiller, do you have a heat issue?
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
The temp of the lights you get will largely depend on your personal preference. I like it bluer rather than whiter/yellower. I prefer a 14k ReefLux bulb.
 
C

concept3

Guest
matt, look into the lumenarc minis for your lighting reflectors. I used to have the retro parallel reflectors and I thought they were awesome, now I have the lumenarc style (bought at the premium aquatics groupbuy last year) and they made my parallels look like doo doo. Even more awesomer! LOL

whenever you're free on a sunday or so, you're more than welcome to finally see it all come together, being you were here before I finished everything!
 
C

Carlo

Phyl said:
On my 120 I have 2 T5 actinics and 2x250 MHs. For 2' you want 250s. Shorter and 175s would be ok. Taller (30) and you might want to go 400s.
Click to expand...

I personally think people go to big on the watts with Halides. I run 30" tanks and have never used more then 175 watt HQIs on them. I've got close to a dozen ultra maxima clams sitting on the bottom of the tank and they are doing GREAT.

The difference in light output is not much between a 175 and a 250. Same with an upgrade from 250s to 400s. Remember it takes 4 times the wattage output to get twice the light output. Halides penetrate really well. 20K bulbs at 175 watt are good enough that corals thrive, clams grow on the subtrate and temps aren't crazy light when you use the higher wattage halides.

Just to give you a rough idea. Clams sitting on the bottom of a 30" tank will receive about the same amount of usuable light (+/- 10%) from a 10K 400 watt as a 20K 175watt halide! Also worth mentioning, because of the heat output you can mount 175s much closer to the water then you can a 400. I have my 175s sitting 3" above the water line in the winter and 5" in the summer. I change my bulbs out when I raise the lights.

I'm so satisfied with the 175 HQIs that I'm planning on staying in the 175-200 watt range when I do the big tanks. I just don't see the need for 400s as they are overkill. I think it's much more important to get a really good reflector for the lights you are using or buying a quality light fixture to begin with.

If anyone is looking for lights, the newer Odysea lights are hard to top for the money they cost. They are very moderately priced and work very well but the electronic balasts box (external) is huge.

Just my 2 cents for what it's worth,
Carlo
 
mfisher2112

mfisher2112

Merv and Mott, thanks for the offers. I would definitely love to stop by and see the setups. My schedule will be crazy for the next few weeks, but as it starts to slow down a bit, I will definitely look you both up for that.

Carlo, great info. That makes sense to me.

Ok, so is there a 250 watt ballast that will run either a 175 or a 250 watt bulb? So I would have the option should I decide to go from 175 to 250?

And is there a difference (good or bad, other than the obvious mounting method) between the HQI and the single ended?

Once I do this, I don't want to have to do it again.
 
C

concept3

Guest
nope, no ballast that will do both. 250 watters just goves you more play on bulb choices and tank depths IMO. Ballasts are about $5-$10 difference from 175 to 250. Definitely go electronic as they run cooler, do not hum and are more energy efficient. SOme people say the Magnetic ones run the bulbs with a higher PAR, negligible in my opinion unless you are a stickler when it comes to that.

HQI bulbs are a little more expensive than SE and you would also need to get a UV shield to be mounted underneath an HQI which makes retrofit ones a little harder cuz of the extra step. The SE bulbs already have the UV shield built onto the bulb. It has been mentioned as well that HQI wattage per wattage generates more PAR than SE.
 
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