90G lighting, help please

[jsl6v8]

Well I got multiple questions/problems, I have 2x250W MH with German reflectors and 4xVHOs to put into my standard 90 gallon canopy and it seems I don't really have quite enough room to have it going in there nicely, I either have to bend the reflector which seems like a bad idea or rest up 2 of the bulbs partically under the reflector otherwise I can't get it all to fit, if anyone has some suggestions or pictures I would love to see some pictures if you have a similar set up to mine.

Part 2.
I am using 2x250W MH 10k Ushio bulbs but I haven't gotten the VHO bulbs yet I think I have to do the 42.5 bulbs as I don't believe 48s will fit but the real question is what kind, obviously I need some actinic supplement but should I be doing all 4 vhos and super actinic 03s or should I do 1 or 2 of them something diferrent?

Finally what kind of timing cycle would you all suggest? VHOs on then 2 hours later MH for 4/5 hours then VHOS left on for another 2 after or do 3 hour cycles with the MH??


As a side note anyone know a place to get cheap computer fans either pre-wired to a useable plug or otherwise, I went to Skycraft today and well quite frankly the old heavy metal used fans cost just as much as shiny new plastic ones. I'd prefer not to have to get ac/dc adapters and wire nuts but you can't have it all.

Thanks in advance,
Joshua

 

[chrisstie]

I'm not sure what to tell you about your lighting because I have an empty canopy and just VHOs and no MH yet.. need to buy it\try to assemble it myself before I have a clue

But as far as teh computer fan thing goes would something like newegg.com be useful? I think we got ours from there when we got a spare to put into the AP12g

 

[markandkristen]

wow thats alot of light. on my 150 i have 2x250s and just one pair of vhos actinics for supplement. thats alot of lighting for a 24" deep tank.

i would just go with one pair of vhos and the 2x250s


my tank is 30" deep

 

[Fuzzy]

I had 2 x 175w MH and 2 x 110w VHO URI super actinics on my 90. It had plenty of light for everything in the tank.
It was by far my favorite lighting rig.

BUT - it added a lot of heat!
I had to use a chiller or it would cook the tank - and that was with 2 Ice cap fans in the canopy.


Our new 150 will have 2 x 150 w HQI and 4 x 75 VHO super actinics. I prefer a blue look and only have softies - so I don't need tons of light.

SITC has some nice clip on fans that put out double the air of a box fan and are even quiter than the Icecap.
I think they were around $25. I put one over the sump and 2 in the canopy. No need for a chiller so far.......

BUT - make sure you drill a hole in the bracket and run a tie wrap thru it to keep the fan secure......

Don't want to admit how I know about that.....

 

[jsl6v8]

yes I'm a big fan of light, a bit afraid of the dark, I'm quite determined to get them all in there I will have light enough for jesus himself . The clip on fans won't work for me.. well not entirely true... I might take another looksy at them.

 

[plumb]

i hav 2-400watt de mh pendants 8'' over the water and 4-54 watt t5 in an experimental hood, aand no chiller over my 90.

sky craft has many sizes of cpu fans at very fair prices. some may be louder than they have to be. They also sell wall plug transformers in many voltage/watt configurations. As far as the lights... I think you should cover the inside of your hood with refective material and hang your vho over the mh and cut your reflector a LITTLE.... this will fit best .

 

[plumb]

check out the 6'' cpu fans at skycraft 360 cfm for one amp @ 12 volts!

 

[jsl6v8]

I was at skycraft today and the fans cost more than brand new fans.

 

[skinnyjoe1976]

ok the first concern can be fixed by bending the reflector or you can get some 2x2 flat trflectors and use uri vho's due to there internal reflectors. depending on how the canopy is made you probaly will have to go with space saver bulbs. still get the same output. abd as for to much light is agree. i ran over 10 watts a gallon and burned my caps. if you want to use all the ballast why do you go with 2 vho's and 2 normal output and that would put you at 8.88888888 wtts a gallon. the 2 no you can do a tricromatic and give a little more color spectrum. i have my lights run a total of 12 hours. the vho's 10-10 and the halides from 2-9. just my thoughts on it. and i more thing if you want to go with 12 volt fans the only thing is unless you want to go large like 6" i would go with 120v. you can get a 3" that will push 140cfm. and if you dont want to use a chiller try mounting the fans above the halide and draw the hot air up out of the canopy. good luck

 

[hexedagain]

If you would have known or mentioned needing help with these, I could have taken a ride over yesterday and taken a look at them. Seeing how I get paid to play with electricity, I could have helped. (Not insinuating I want anything for doing this)
If you still need help next weekend, I can take a ride by.

 

[jsl6v8]

Thanks hex, I got my lighting idea from waterfaller, I'm going to sand off a bit of the stand offs for the lamps to help them fit a bit better, that way I'll have less blockage from the MH reflectors, I also found that I'm probably going to have to use, I'll be using URIs with the built in reflectors, 36" bulbs as 48" is definately to long and I think 46.5" is really cutting it close and may not fit, wish I had a 46.5" inch bulb laying around to test it out. So I'll be staggering the 36" bulbs to get better coverage. I currently have an azoo quad fan in the sump for heat and I plan on putting in 2 5" fans 1 on each side of the stand and 2 as well on each side of the canopy to pull heat, the top of my canopy has 1/4inch slits between the boards to help release heat and I may eventually put a fan next to the MHs to pull heat as well if thats needed, I don't think it will be as the back of the canopy is completely open except for the eggcrate that I will have to keep my black ribbon eel in, will probably need to put wedding veil stuff around the eggcrate at least for the bottom half.

 

[hexedagain]

So how do those zoas look?
Any pics?

 

[jsl6v8]

they are looking good, got a handful of featherdusters on the rock too that I didn't notice in the picture, it will go in the 90g when I get the lighting up I can't seem to find my camera right now but I'll get pictures when I have it in the 90.