I purchased another metal halide light from hello light's sale. Currently I have 1 175 watt mh with a diy peice of junk reflector, and a 2x65 watt pc ficture. Now that the hellolights stuff has arrived I realize that the reflectors are too big to fit along with my pc fixture inside my hood. Should I try to retrofit the pc lights into the hood with the mh's (it would have to go under the reflector for the mh's) or just use the 2x175 halides. I have a 55g tank with soft corals, zoos, and lps.
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Lighting
- Thread starter ocmsolidsnake
- Start date
C
concept3
Guest
If you are trying to use the PC's for supplemental actinic lighting, you can use it. However, if you are using higher spectrum lights, you may be able to get away with just the halides themselves, but you'll lose the dusk/dawn effect if you have the PC's on a staggered timer.
You can bend the reflector to fit, and do the PC's underneath, that's what I would do.
You can bend the reflector to fit, and do the PC's underneath, that's what I would do.
Would it be best for the tank to get 10k halides and use actinic pc's, because I was originaly going to use 14ks.
personal preference. I like the color of the 10k myself
A lot of this depends upon exactly what you are after when it comes to lighting.
If you want the lowest running costs, and the least amount of bulbs to change, run the MHs alone, and use 10,000 K or a 14,000 K bulbs, depending upon what you like. You could even use 20,000 K bulbs, but IMO that's too blue.
Using the PCs as an actinic supplement is fine too. There are some who swear that th actinic from fluorescent bulbs really makes colors on corals pop. I don't buy that myself. This would allow you to put the actinics on a times for the dusk/dawn effect many people like. Again, I'm not sure if it's necessary for coral health.
I'd say try it with just the MHs and see how you make out. If you like it fine, if not, then add the actinics.
If you want the lowest running costs, and the least amount of bulbs to change, run the MHs alone, and use 10,000 K or a 14,000 K bulbs, depending upon what you like. You could even use 20,000 K bulbs, but IMO that's too blue.
Using the PCs as an actinic supplement is fine too. There are some who swear that th actinic from fluorescent bulbs really makes colors on corals pop. I don't buy that myself. This would allow you to put the actinics on a times for the dusk/dawn effect many people like. Again, I'm not sure if it's necessary for coral health.
I'd say try it with just the MHs and see how you make out. If you like it fine, if not, then add the actinics.
Would anyone be able to post a pick if they use 10k's suplimented, or 14ks or 20ks alone.
You use actinics correct?