ssminnow81
New member
whats my best bet for a tank of these dem.? two 3 foot t5 fixtures or metal halides? never had a tank this deep ,dont really know what to do.
36x36x16 best lighting
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ssminnow81
New member
any help would be appreciated
Amoore311
New member
You could get away with (1) Metal Halide for that size tank.
My tank is a 37 x 37 x 18. I have it lit with (1) 250 Watt Halide, Icecap Ballast, Phoenix 14K Bulb, Lumenbrite Pendant.
You just need to hang the pendant around 12" from the surface of the water. This will still give you enough PAR to grow sps on the sandbed if you wanted.
If you like a more actinic look substitute the Phoenix Bulb for a Radium.
My tank is a 37 x 37 x 18. I have it lit with (1) 250 Watt Halide, Icecap Ballast, Phoenix 14K Bulb, Lumenbrite Pendant.
You just need to hang the pendant around 12" from the surface of the water. This will still give you enough PAR to grow sps on the sandbed if you wanted.
If you like a more actinic look substitute the Phoenix Bulb for a Radium.
BuckeyeTodd
New member
I did two t5 fixtures...works great
You could get away with the single halide in a LumenArc fixture...I know, it is what I am using on a 40x40x17 Pentagon. I have run both 150 watt HQI and 250 watt HQI, currently running 250 watt Phoenix but will put a double 150 watt over it shortly with Radiums.
ssminnow81
New member
i didnt think one mh fixture would cut it for the width of the tank. thats why i was thinking two 4 bulb t5 fixtures 156 watts each. im not trying to keep sps.
gcarroll
Active member
If you are going metal Halide the best reflector for the job is the Full sized Lumenmax (not the Lumenmax Elite, not the Lumenmax 3) reflector from Sunlight Supply. There is no reflector out there that will light a 36" x 36" area as evenly as this reflector. If the tank was 30" x 30" I would suggest the Lumenbright but at 36" there is no doubt in my mind that the Lumenmax is the best reflector for the job. Unfortunately it may be hard to find but it can be ordered by any Sunlight Supply dealer.
BuckeyeTodd
New member
sorry I don't have anything handy. All I did was build a shelf in my canopy and set the two fixtures on it. It was easy as heck, I have 10 bulbs for full coverage.
ssminnow81
New member
how much are the lumenmax reflectors?
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Sciencing Daily
If you don't want to keep sps and don't need strong light to the edges, why not go with a single 250w halide over the tank and save yourself 62 watts of power at 12hrs a day. You can still keep sps most places in the tank if you end up wanting them, but a single 250 should light a shallow tank like that fine.
Amoore311
New member
It's only a 16" tall tank. A lumenbrite or full sized lumenmax with a 250 watt would light the tank with no shadowing at the edges at all, and still be able to grow anything he/she wanted anywhere in the tank.
You get more options in regards to tweaking the color with the T5 set up. However, you are going to be paying more in bulb replacement cost and power by running it that way.
There really isn't a wrong choice here.
You get more options in regards to tweaking the color with the T5 set up. However, you are going to be paying more in bulb replacement cost and power by running it that way.
There really isn't a wrong choice here.
ssminnow81
New member
now im confused, i didnt think 1 mh would cut it. it would save me money but i like the fact that i can mess with the color a bit with t5s.
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