250 watt MH enough on a 120?

[marino420td]

I just set up my 120 (48X24X24) and I have 2- 250 watt MH in Mini Lumenarc reflectors over the tank. I haven't yet decided on a bulb (let me know your suggestions). Is this sufficient for sps on a tank this size.

The reason I ask is I also have a 400 watt MH ballast so I hooked it up to one of the reflectors. Man is it bright! Now the bulb left in the 250watt socket is an old bulb and very blue in color so the comparison might not be totally fair.

Let me know what you think.

 

[Horace]

Probably not necessary IMO, but that also depends on what kelvin bulbs you are running. If you wanted to run 14k or 20k, I would start thinking about using 400w I think.

 

[Chrisrush]

I think with the sandbed that you have and the mini lumenarcs, 250w should be plenty. You could always run that 400w w/ a 6500 bulb for 2-3 hrs a day if you get another reflector.

 

[murphreef]

i have a 180 72"x24"x24"

and run only 2-PFO mini pendants on PFO hqi ballast with phoenix 14K bulbs and keep my corals happy.....

i have about 12 different sps and many different softies and lps along with a large squamosa clam a few croceas and a large RBTA....

i keep everything happy....

except montis lol but thats a different issue....

so it can be done....

i dont run 3 cuz my electric bill is already rediculous

 

[RichConley]

2x250s around 14k is fine, but you could even run 2x175 (with Iwasaki 15ks or any 10K bulb) and still be fine.

24" is relatively shallow, especially when you have good reflectors liek that.

 

[marino420td]

Thanks. I already bought the 250watt ballasts but began second guessing them when I saw how much light the 400w put out.

What bulbs do you recommend I run?

 

[murphreef]

are they SE or DE bulbs?

heres a shot of my tank its 180 running the Phoenix 14k's sorry its a side shot but u get the idea i think

 

[brad23]

run 250s with lumenarc or lumenmax reflectors and it will be more than enough.

 

[jcraft]

i have 2-250w ROIII'S on my 120- works fine(14k Phoenix), but i thought it wasn't enough . . .

so I added a 250w 6500k Iwasaki in the middle, changed the HQI's to 20k bulbs and added a couple VHO's for actinics

so put the two 250's up, see what you think and if it looks like you could use more, maybe add another MH under there

 

[marino420td]

They are single end bulbs. With the Lumenarc reflectors, there really isn't room for a 3rd MH. I am considering either VHO or T5 supplemental lighting.

How is the color of the 14k Phoenix bulbs? Is it really blue? Where is a good place to buy?

 

[clkwrk]

I thin k with the 2 lumenarcs and good bulbs you will be fine. I went for intensity over my 4x2x2

Here is my old 120 with 3x 250 phx 14k when the bulbs were new

Here are the bulbs near a year old

and now new phx over my new 180

 

[marino420td]

clkwrk- awesome! That is a NEW 180? It looks like it has been running for years.

Don't take this the wrong way but how accurately do those pictures portray the actual colors you see with your eyes? I know different people with different cameras on different settings can make pictures look totally different. The color in your pictures is exactly what I want. Are you running any supplemental lighting on your system?

 

[Ti]

awesome pics!

 

[clkwrk]

The colors a very close if not spot on . Those are the actual colors of my corals. I run no supplement at all .......Here is my 90 with the same lights and again no supplement.

oh one more of the sps in the center.

and the 90 same bulbs and ballasts.Only think off in this pic is the green in the frilly mushrooms and the green in the hammers above the anemone.Brighter in person.