DIY Lighting questions

[Gluestick]

I am new to saltwater reefkeeping and I have ALOT of questions about lighting, which I plan to do myself for my tank. If someone would be patient enough to answer my 'stupid' questions, I would be forever greatful. I kind of feel like some of the experienced reefers can be somewhat condescending to us newbies, but I am really willing to learn, and I want to someday have a beautiful, healthy reef. I have some questions about lighting terminology: What does HQI mean - I thought it was short for Metal Halide... What exactly does retrofit mean? It seems like I am using the wrong terms here...
What I would like to do ultimately is save money by building my own lighting system. I know several electricians, so I am going to use their help and knowledge, however, they knownothing about reefkeeping.
What I want my ending result to be is 500W (or more) metal halide (what would be the best spectrum? I was thinking 14K or 10K), Blue Actinic t5 HO, but I don't know what wattage, any ideas throw them out at me, and moonlights. I guess what I want is this fixture with all the options, but not costing that much: http://www.aquauniverse.com/compone.../category_id,48/option,com_phpshop/Itemid,31/
I would love to talk to a knowledgeable person about lighting for a reef aquarium. Please Instant Message me on AIM, my sn is LIDOCAINE23
Thanks,
Valerie the newbie from IL

 

[bassnman11]

Often your lighting options are determined by the size of the tank. T5s come in 4 lengths, so you need to fit them over the tank. Halide wattage is usually determined by depth. The top size of the tank and any bracing may determine how many fixtures you need. A long tank takes more halide fixtures than a short one. I hope this does not seem vague, but lighting takes some planning after you decide which tank you will use.

 

[Fast Fred]

I'll agree with Bassman, and add to it...

Retrofit means to add something to something else that's already built. In reef lighting, it means that you already own a canopy, and you are trying to install some new or different lighting. "I purchased an AGA canopy for my 125g tank. It came from the factory with no lighting what-so-ever. I retrofitted 2ea 6' VHO actinics, and 3ea metal halide fixtures into it".

As far as 10,000k or 14,000k, it's a personal choice. 14,000k bulbs are a beautiful shade of blue. 10,000k bulbs are much more white. It is my understanding the sun is 6500k. Generally, the most common bulb in reefing with the highest Kelvin is the 20,000k. It is also my understanding that the closer you are to 6500k, the better growth rate the corals will have. The closer to 20,000k, the better coloration your corals will have.

What size tank are you trying to light, and what type of corals/clams do you plan to keep? This will determine how much lighting you need.

Also, keep in mind that more lights cause more heat. This is another issue that you'll need to address.

 

[Gluestick]

Okay, thanks guys. My tank is aa AGA 90 gal RR, the dimensions are 48x18x25. I would like to have the option of keeping corals and clams that require high lighting if I wanted them in the future. if my tank 25" deep, do I need 250W of MH or would 150W be okay?
Thanks
Valerie

 

[Fast Fred]

Valerie,

Definately go with 2ea 250w MH fixtures. You will probably want to also go with the actinic T-5s you mentioned earlier. 2ea @ 4' or so would be nice.

What I did on my tight reef budget, was to retrofit 1 MH fixture at a time, over the course of a year, as money became available. I now have 3.

Would some pictures of mine help you at all?

 

[Gluestick]

pics would be great! also, where did you buy your supplies? thanks so much!!! do you have your MHs under a decorative canopy? if so, how do you control the heat?

 

[Fast Fred]

My VHOs I bought from a fellow reefer here on RC. My MHs came from Marine Depot as retro kits. All of my ballasts are Ice Cap, the MH reflectors are by Spider Light. Two of my bulbs are 14,000k Hamiltons, 1 (my newest) is a 10,000k XM. I think I'm going to be switching them all to 10,000k XM as money becomes available. I'm waiting to see if there is any difference in the growth and coloration of the corals before making the switch.

I deal with the heat by using 4ea 4" computer fans in the hood, blowing inwards. They come on in the morning with the VHOs. There's an opening in the front, top of the hood for the hot air to escape. I also have an 8" fan blowing on the sump, that is cothe day, the fan automatically comes on.

Here's a couple pics.

Hope this helps.

 

[Gluestick]

Wow, Fast Fred, that looks great!!! Do you have any sort of protective lens over the MHs? It looks like you don't have a glass top. If the glass were to splash, would it be okay? LOOKS AWESOME. If you don't mind me asking, how much did that entire setup cost you? The only reason I ask is because I want to build this myself to save $$$. Thanks a whole lot for your help, This is just what I needed!
Valerie

 

[Gluestick]

PS, do you use a chiller?

 

[Gluestick]

My husband, who knows nothing about reefkeeping, suggested computer fans. Where does one aquire these?

 

[Fast Fred]

Well, let's see...

The MHs were retro kits from Marine Depot. They were about $225. each.

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_lighting_metal_halide_icecap_system_reflector.asp?CartId=

The VHOs are about the same:

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=ICK462

I have 4ea 4" computer fans installed in the hood. They were given to me by a fellow reefer. They are commonly available online, or from Radio Shack for $10.- $20. each. You can get them in low voltage (mine are 12v), or line voltage (120v). With the 12v ones you will need a transformer. My transformer is from an old laptop I owned. It runs all 4. When you are ready for this, I can help you do the calculations for the electric, if needed.

I also have an industrial 8" fan blowing on the sump. Desk fans are available in the summer season from K-mart for about $12.

No protective shield between the MHs and the water. Glass tops cut down on cooling and evaporation. So far I have not had any problems. It was over a year before I had to clean any salt off of the bulbs, and at that, it was only a few small spots.

No chiller required for me. I use evaporation for cooling, and so far, so good. In the summertime, the room is air conditioned to 74 degrees. The warmest my tank gets is about 82 degrees after the lights have been on all day. At night, it drops to about 79.

 

[Gluestick]

Awesome, thanks for the great info. If you don't mind, I am going to add you to my buddy list so I can email you when I am ready to do this. Do I need a computer to run the fans? Where do I get a transformer? Also, do I need a special ballast for the MHs or can I use one from an electrician's supplier? The reason I ask is because my uncle is an electrician (i think you are too, right?) and he has a few laying around. I know I can't use the bulbs, but are the ballasts ok?

 

[Gluestick]

Also, it looks like that VHO retrofit has MHs in it? Are you sure that is the one you used? Also, did you build your own stand?
Thanks Fred!

 

[Gluestick]

one more question, does a t5 need a ballast, and how many MH bulbs can you run per ballast, I see you have 2, but maybe i just couldn't see the others...
Thanks again you have been very helpful!

 

[Fast Fred]

You're very welcome to my help. Please feel free to add me to your buddy list and contact me anytime! PMs here on RC are the best way to get my personnalized attention if you need it. I do have email, but it's rare that I check it.

The VHO set-up that I linked to is VHO only. No MHs there. I think the confusion is that you see a pretty blue ballast with an aluminum heat sink. That is an electronic VHO ballast. A ballast (transformer) is needed to run any fluorescent lighting.

No, you don't need a computer to run the fans. You will need a transformer and some way to turn them on and off. ie: a time clock, or just unplug it as needed. Any chance you have an old HP printer that no longer works? Some of their power supplies where 12v DC transformers. I would suggest you find a power supply, then purchase the fans to match the voltage.

As far as using a MH ballast from an electrical supply house...Magnetic ballasts are hard on the bulbs. The bulbs commonly used in reef keeping are not cheap - maybe $50.-$80. each. Magnetic ballasts will shorten their effective life in as little as 6 months. The color temerature (kelvin) will change and possibly cause algae growth. This might mean replacing the bulbs every 6 months. The Ice Cap electronic ballasts that I use aren't as hard on the bulbs, and life expectancy of the bulbs is a year or more. So, this decision is yours. High initial cost vs. high long term cost. Magnetic ballasts also get much hotter than do electronic ballasts. If they are mounted in the stand like mine are, you may have excess heat to deal with as well. Electronic ballasts are also more energy efficient. So, IMO, keeping the electric bill as low as possible is a plus as well. Your tank - your decision.

Each MH bulb/fixture will require it's own ballast.

T5s will need a ballast as well. They are a good substitute for VHOs, and some people keep corals with T5s instead of MHs. It does require that you have multiple (as many as you can fit) T5s if you plan on keeping light-loving corals and clam without MHs. I remember seeing at least one Tank-Of-The-Month that used only T5s. Look in the archives, you may find it.

As far as my stand goes, It is a standard oak AGA stand, store bought, that I modified to fit my needs.

Mod #1: I made a waterproof (from the top) electrical box in the right 1/4 of the stand. It is open from the bottom, but sealed from the top. This serves two purposes. If the tank were to leak, or if I had an overflow or a spill from above, the box will act as an umbrella and keep all the electrical components dry. I had a power strip catch fire once because it was laying on the floor and it got wet. It also forces the wires to have a 'drip loop'. If water runs down the outside of a wire, it will drip off instead of going back uphill to the power source.

Mod # 2: I built a 10" oak riser (hollow platform) for the stand to sit on. It allows me to stand in front of the tank and not have to bend over to enjoy the view. It also gave me an extra 10" inside the stand for all of the equipment. Even when sitting in the room, as opposed to standing, the view is good. The only drawback is that I need a 2' ladder to work in the tank. I'm not in there all that often, so it's not really a big deal.

You can sort of see the riser in this pic

Hope this helps.