MH help, last time :) (1 Viewer)

[toan]

okay so i've decided to go 2x400 watt

but im not going to have room for actinics so its going to be the MH lights and thats it

it will either be 14k or 20k bulbs not sure yet i dont want it too blue, and i dont want it to be too white.. so im guessing the 14k is the one to go

im going to hang both over the openings of my tank
each opening is 22"x15"

so are there any hanging reflectors in this reach?

also im not sure what is what
magnetic ballast vs electronic
brands?

bulbs? and what kind of brands? would like to go single ended , but i remember reading something about DE? didnt know what that was, anyways thanks for looking

 

[Guest]

they do sell 15k bulbs it thats HQI lighting, check out Marine depot

 

[fishcraze]

I like the icecap electronic ballast sine they are compact and reliable. some people use HQI magnetic (?) ballasts that can burn the bulbs brighter but these ballasts are bulky and hot.

For bulb, i heard the 14K 400w Ushio bulbs are good - not too blue or too yellowish white..

reflectors: heard good reviews on RC about the lumen arc reflectors by Coral vue tech. but these reflectors are for single end bulb. double end, icecap and sunlight supplies have some good ones.

 

[toan]

okay so i think im going with these reflectors
http://www.specialty-lights.com/904280.html

i've done more reading and hear eletronic ballast is the way to go because it can fire almost any bulb? and saves a little on electricity?
so about waht kind of ballast to purchase
icecap 400w is about 200, and hte pfo 400w ballast is around 130
any difference? or is it just a namebrand markup? or any other good name brands im not mentioning?

should i go 2x400 watt on a 144g?
5.5w / gal
or should i do 2x250?
3.47w/gal

would it make a big difference or would i just be wasting eletricity?

 

[Hurdicuss]

Hey toan, i think the best deciding factor on 400w vs 250w would be the depth of your tank. How deep is it? if it is over 24" deep then you might need to step up to the 400watters, if it is 24" or below then i think 250w would suffice. I think alot of reefers jump up to the 400w because they think initially 400w = more light which in turn = faster coral growth which can be true, but personally i think alot of reefers use 400w where a 250 set-up would thrive. In my mind, 400w = more intense light, yes, but also = more heat and more energy consumption! Not sure if you were able to attend, but Sanjay gave an awesome lecture at MACNA Houston about MH lighting. Moreover, if you are considering the pair of 400w do you already own a chiller or have you factored that into the system?? I would think you would automatically have to add one after incorporating the 400's. With the 250's you should be able to get away with effective cooling from the use of fans.

These are just things to consider as i do not know your set-up in full detail (i.e. dimensions of tank, placement of tank, current livestock and/or desired livestock/SPS vs LPS, etc.). For what it's worth, you could probably spend a day's worth of reading by doing a search on RC about your topic. Hope this helps!

~J

 

[cstewart79]

Toan,

I have a 190 and I have 2 x 250 single ended MH and it is more than enough light for sps. I also have 4x54 watt actinic for sunrise sunset effect.

400 watt = big freakin heater! You are wasting electricity and money. I doubt your corals will grow that much faster, your chiller if you have one will be running all the time and if you do not have a chiller get ready to drop a 1000 bucks on one, you will need at least a 1/2 hp to keep it cool with those lights.

Also I think those spider reflectors you posted to be substandard. Spend the extra and get some luminarc mini's, it will give you a much better coverage.

 

[toan]

okay i think the 250's will do then, because my tank is 26" deep, but i dont plan on keeping sps on bottom, more mid range to top of rock work, and softies on bottom area

i kinda thought it would be a waste of electricity and currently i have a 1/4hp chiller, it runs maye 6x a day now for only 5-10 minutes to keep the water at 80

also i have 2 small openings on the top that arent being filled, should i go ahead and try to find some smaller MH's in that?

there are 2x compartments of 4"x12"

im running 660w of vho right now

also, i read on RC about a guy on ebay greatdel, that sells bulbs for like 30, but i couldnt find much info, some people say the color shifts; some say its the best for the buck

also about reflectors,
the ones i mentioned above fit right into the space i want it to, would it be okay to have the reflectors hanging 2-3" from the water?

 

[toefu]

just for a quick reference. I have been running greatdel's dual 250w e ballast for a few months now. still good. Took a gamble, purchased it for ~$90 shipped. Running great since... for now.

 

[toan]

should've posted this in the beginning but heres what im working with again

so from opening to reefready box, its 18Lx15 1/2"W
and the 2 sides are 12Lx4" W

so im guessing since all of this bracing is covering a lot of my tank up
would 2x250 mh with the cheap reflectors work if its hanging over the tank maybe 2 inches

the lumenarc3 mini's look like they concentrate the "beam" of the mh to a specific center area or does it spread wider?

 

[wazzel]

I have a 26" deep tank and run 250's. I don't have SPS on the bottom but I do have some less than 6" from the bottom and they grow fine. I would keep more light demading SPS (if I get some) near the top. I do not run a chiller and I have yet to get hotter than 80.5F.

Your call, but if you do not plan on keeping SPS near the bottom then the 250's would probably suit you fine and cost less to operate.