70w MH lighting idea

[Rhinecanthus]

I just had a thought and was hoping maybe I could get some feedback.


I was thinking about using 2 70w DE MH bulbs over my 90g.

I would use the 14K colour bulbs.

This would give me bright lighting with a blue colour and shimmer lines. But hopefully it wouldnt be too much lighting as to have an algae problem, right?

This would look nicer than VHOs I think.

Thanks

 

[aquaman67]

You will get shimmer lines and a bluish tint.

Remember that you have to have surface agitation to get shimmer lines. Just aim a couple powerheads at the surface to do this.

This is a kinda expensive way to get shimmer lines, you must really want them! It will look better than fluorencent lights too, expensive, but better.

 

[Rhinecanthus]

Thanks aquaman. I'm not really concerned about cost. I figure I can get 2 70w setups for $300 total. So really its not all that much more expensive than 3 VHOs. Its cheaper to run them too. 140w shouldnt cause a heat issue either.

I also like the fact that they will be brighter than VHOs.

I would go with 10K but I dont want to have to supplement with actinics.

 

[aquaman67]

I don't know if they will be "brighter" than VHOs but that's the only way to get shimmer lines, a single point of focus light.

 

[Rhinecanthus]

Should I go with 150w???

 

[vthondaboi]

Brighter? probably not

I use to have a 70W but it was a 20K bulb and my prop section of my sump was pretty dim near the bottom and it was like a foot of a water.

 

[Rhinecanthus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6719378#post6719378 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vthondaboi
Brighter? probably not

I use to have a 70W but it was a 20K bulb and my prop section of my sump was pretty dim near the bottom and it was like a foot of a water.

hmmm


What about 2 150w HQI 14k bulbs?

 

[hooterhead]

i've got a 70w over my 60. where have you found the 14K 70w bulbs. all i can find are 10K and 20K. mines 20. the tank is much dimmer than when i had the 96watt pc on it but i love the shadows it creates. and the shimmer lines are great too! i think you'll like the 70's. the 150's would be a waste of light.

 

[vthondaboi]

150s would give off a good amount of light, kind of a waste if you don't have corals

but I do hear that some fish look better with brighter light

how about one 70W for shimmer lines and PCs for brightness

hooterhead - a sponsor on nano-reef sells the 14K 70W I believe

 

[Mikeeal]

Just by accident, I used a 9W PC drop light for a freshwater tank, length wise, from front to back, on the glass center brace and I got the same effect, and DEFINITELY no algae outbreaks. You could use maybe two or three retro's right next to eachother in the same fashion, and would cost tons less, no heat, and a nice shimmer. FWIW.

 

[Rhinecanthus]

www.illuming.com sells 70w 14k astralux bulbs (I had to look around at all the nano-reef sponsors but I found them!)

I have an older 150w setup sitting around here.

For the life of me I cant believe that 2 of these setups with 14K bulbs would cause enough heat to affect a 90g tank with 30g sump. Especially since they will be nearly a foot off the water with fans in the canopy.

I plan on a large skimmer (G2 or G3 perhaps) so I dont think that I will have algae issues either.

Anyone ever try this? Any pics I can see?