I was at my lfs and i was talking to some guy that was in there and we got on the light subject and he said he has been running 2 /20.00 500 watt halogens and 48" pc light for antic over his 55 gallon tank for 3 years ,he also said that people dont beleive it but he said i can come over and look at it for myself. all types of sps whats your take on this ?
dont know how true this is
- Thread starter feefer2
- Start date
shaginwagon13
Chartered Accountant
I'm not exactly sure but I'm pretty sure those are industrial lights...the same kind that construction crews use at night and I do know that they gets extremely extremely hot after they have been on for a little while
shaginwagon13
Chartered Accountant
Well I mean if he somehow got it to work without evaporating tons of water every day and the heat isn't an issue for him then I guess it can be done. Personally I would never do it, I have three 250W Metal Halide's and they get hot enough during the day. With 500W lights I would be more scared of something catching fire but I'm not a professional with lights so I'm pretty sure where there's a will there's a way and if you wanted to bad enough you could get the 500W lights to work but I personally wouldn't do it.
rickyfins
New member
You can probably grow anything under certain "high light" fixtures.
With spectrum in question on the other hand, most everything would be Brown I would guess.
If spectrum is not the question, then the heat would surely bleach/affect coral color.
I seriously doubt that you could do this without proper temp control on the tank and the room.
Using equipment known for heat definitely increases cost of equipment purchases to control heat, as well as increases operational costs. For the seriously minded reefer, who takes into consideration all the other options out there, would likely choose something a little (A LOT) more environment friendly, IMO.
With spectrum in question on the other hand, most everything would be Brown I would guess.
If spectrum is not the question, then the heat would surely bleach/affect coral color.
I seriously doubt that you could do this without proper temp control on the tank and the room.
Using equipment known for heat definitely increases cost of equipment purchases to control heat, as well as increases operational costs. For the seriously minded reefer, who takes into consideration all the other options out there, would likely choose something a little (A LOT) more environment friendly, IMO.
chineseknife
Premium Member
Bulbs, Brands, Types, Wattages, Color Rendition, K-Rating...
What it boils down to is PPFD and PAR.
If you want coral growth you'll need a high par reading. If you want algae growth go with a lower par reading. I don't care which bulb/ballast/brand combination used, if the PAR and PPFD aren't there, there's no use in using it.
So, if this guy told you that he has 2x500watt 20k bulbs and a ballast running themn, and they produce growth of the right kind then great. If not, then not so great.
If all you are after is the actual colors you eyes see and what that does in terms of making fish/coral stand out based on the color spectrum then use any old bulb, flourescent, vho, halide, led...who cares.
The heighth of the lights over the surface of the water will affect light penetration and the amount of PAR and PPFD reaching the top/middle/bottom of the tank.
Run a fan and move the lights closer and those parameters increase the closer you get to the surface.
If you start with a crappy bulb/ballast combination then sometimes even sticking the light in the water(don't try this) won't generate enough PAR/PPFD.
All situations are different even if they sound the same. No two tanks are exactly the same even if they house the same inhabitants in the same type of set-up.
Research some more on what folks have used on their systems that are similar to yours in shape/size/and stock. Look at their results and adjust them to suit your needs.
Any fan being run over the surface of the water or directed at the lights themselves, no matter size/shape/etc will help cool things down, as will the distance above the water.
What it boils down to is PPFD and PAR.
If you want coral growth you'll need a high par reading. If you want algae growth go with a lower par reading. I don't care which bulb/ballast/brand combination used, if the PAR and PPFD aren't there, there's no use in using it.
So, if this guy told you that he has 2x500watt 20k bulbs and a ballast running themn, and they produce growth of the right kind then great. If not, then not so great.
If all you are after is the actual colors you eyes see and what that does in terms of making fish/coral stand out based on the color spectrum then use any old bulb, flourescent, vho, halide, led...who cares.
The heighth of the lights over the surface of the water will affect light penetration and the amount of PAR and PPFD reaching the top/middle/bottom of the tank.
Run a fan and move the lights closer and those parameters increase the closer you get to the surface.
If you start with a crappy bulb/ballast combination then sometimes even sticking the light in the water(don't try this) won't generate enough PAR/PPFD.
All situations are different even if they sound the same. No two tanks are exactly the same even if they house the same inhabitants in the same type of set-up.
Research some more on what folks have used on their systems that are similar to yours in shape/size/and stock. Look at their results and adjust them to suit your needs.
Any fan being run over the surface of the water or directed at the lights themselves, no matter size/shape/etc will help cool things down, as will the distance above the water.
chineseknife
Premium Member
Re: Re: dont know how true this is
Re: Re: dont know how true this is
What I was trying to say, but way more concise. Thanks.
Re: Re: dont know how true this is
What I was trying to say, but way more concise. Thanks.
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