400w Mh ?

NewSchool04

New member
How high do you have your bulb from the water surface? I'm running 3 SE 10K Reeflux w/ Coralvue E ballasts over a 180 and now have the bulbs 13" from the surface.
 
Looks like it's time up update that old sig.

Where did you get your lights from I am really thinking about making the leap to MH. Either that or LED.
 
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Correct, the bulbs are 9 inches of the water. We cannot get them any higher within the canopy. We have 1100 watts total in an enclosed canopy on a 90 gallon tank. Although we do create alot of heat, the 1/4 H.P. chiller holds the tank temp steady. Our 75 has a suspended canopy with 1 - 400W XM 10K. It is 11-12 inches off the water surface. I prefer this height as it not only reduces heat issues but also makes it easier to access the tank. There is nothing worse than accidentally being burnt by a hot bulb (speaking from experience). Lowering the bulbs will also increase your risk of having one get splashed. We have experienced this as well. Alot of damage can be done in just a few hours if a hairline crack goes unnoticed. HTH
 
Thanks lovereefs!

I'm not used to having the lights being so far from the water and wondering if enough light is getting into the tank at 13". I'm having a little heat issue but not that bad. My canopy just surrounds the tank with an open top, once I add fans I think I'll be OK as far as heat.
 
With all three running now, I'm definitely noticing the heat difference from my old T5's!

I've never really dealt with heat problems, what's an acceptable range from low to high during the day?
 
We would typically experience 4-5 degree swings when we were chillerless. 5 degrees of swing won't hurt anything, but I wouldn't want any more than that. You may want to think about adding a chiller sometime soon to be safe. Summer is coming...:)
 
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