580g Lighting Question

[skairik]

This weekend I will begin converting my 580g FOWLR (120"L X 28"W X 40"T) to a reef. I have another tank - 225g reef - that I will be pulling all the LR out of and adding to the existing LR in the 580.

My question is: With that much rock - approx. 800lbs - stacked high enough, would 4 X 250W Hamilton Pendant halides be sufficient enough lighting for SPS and clams? I'm knowledgable enough to know that 4 X 400W would be enough but in the interest of keeping my electric bill tolerable I'd like to use my Hamilton pendants.

If the prevailing opinion is Yes then what type of bulb would you all suggest? I was leaning more towards the 14K's but before I spend the money I'd like some feedback. Thanks all.

 

[jaypainter24]

if you do decide to go with 400w LMK i have 3 400w PFO retros with bulbs for sale. Located in Corona

 

[818]

40 inches Tall!!!! WOW

Yea, u need at least 400w or maybe even 1000w if you want to keep any clams on the sandbed. I dunno though Im sure the big leagers will chime in soon

Sam

 

[tptp279]

I've been told and have read that for anything even around 30" is to use 400w. just letting you know.

 

[john37]

how about using 4 lumenarcs w/alternating 250 and 400W?
250W-400w-250w-400w

are you going to be using actinics?

 

[skairik]

john37: At this point in time I wasn't planning on using actinics. Funny that you mention the alternating lumenarcs because another reefer told me the same thing.

Would it be difficult to set up a system such as that? What do you think my total expense would be? Thanks

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

In my 400G, 36" tall tank, I'm running 400W DE MH bulbs. I've been able to keep clams on the sand bed with them. Don't know if 250's would work as I haven't tried it. But I do know that with the 400's, even my LPS and softies that are in the lower part of the tank still open fully and don't seem to be botherdd by the light as if it was too bright. I don't run atinics. Right now I'm running 1 hamilton 14K and was running 2 Coralvue 20K's but will be switching out to all 14K's as they look brighter yet still give me the blue/white color I like without using atinics.

If your going to go with 250's, I'd say go with XM 10K's as they are the brightest and just supplement with atinics for the blue.

 

[john37]

well for me, i have a 72" tank and i'm using 3-250's w/ 10K XM's on the sides and a 20K radium in the center.

if you go w/10k xm for the 250Watts and 2-20k radiums for the 400W. i think it'll look nice and will blend in well. the 10K xm have great par so i'd say you could keep sps and clames on the upper half of your tank.

i run them w/SLS hqi ballasts which seem to overdrive the bulbs a little but they work great.

as for total expense-
1-250W bluewave VII hqi ballast is about $250
1-400W bluewave VII hqi ballast is probably less than $300
4-lumenarc III's a bout $110-$125 each = $440-$500
bulbs- i'd say will run you about $280 for 2-250W 10k xm, and 2-400w 20K radiums. Considering it's a 580gal tank...i'd say this is the most cost effective way to go.

i'm sure you can get a better deal if you look hard enough.
also, many people think hqi ballasts are only for double ended mh's but they can run single ends as well.

 

[raskal311]

Going with all 400 vs. two 400 and two 250 wouldn't make that huge of a diff on your eclectic bill. I'd go with the all 400watts and run the MH only 5-6hours a day vs. 8hours and a few hours of VHO for sun up sun down.

I was running 500watt of mh a day for 8 hours with no actinic and just changed over to 5 hours of MH and 3hours of 75watt VHO. 1.5 hours of VHO before the MH comes on and 1.5 after then come off. I still get 8 hours of lighting for the fish and 5 hours is more then enough for the corals.

 

[john37]

maybe raskal is right....i just thought that it would save money. But if you aren't running actinics you can just run the 20K's a hour before and after the 10K's come on.

 

[skairik]

I have an aquaspacelight by Aquamedic on my 225g. I run the 4 X 24W actinics one hour before and after the 3 X 250W halides. Halides are on for 6 hours.

Too bad I'm unable to incorporate those lights into my 580g. The center overflow makes it impossible because the aquaspacelight is almost 6' and the center overflow divides my tank into 2 48" lengths. See pics below:

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/skairik/580GallonFOWLR120LX28WX40T.jpg

The aquaspacelight is above the 225g:

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/skairik/225Reef04-12-06003.jpg

Maybe somebody has a trade out there for me.