halide question

[CiroFuentes22]

is 3x400w halides good for a 250g or should i go wit 4x250w and which ever is better i also want to know what is the best reflector for them.

i have been planning on doing the 250g for about 5 months now but it wont happen till december or even january. the only thing that hurts me is the live rock. lol. but if anyone is familiar with a 250g and they can help me on geting info on a nice setup like the skimmer, and the reactor, and anything els.

 

[jeffbrig]

3 vs. 4 should be determined based on the dimensions of the tank. I have 3 pendants over mine, but it's 72"x30"x27" with an overflow at one end. Another friend of mine with a 72" long 240g uses 4 pendants, because he has 4 openings in the top on an acrylic tank. Reflector choice would also be dependent on the dimensions of the tank.

As for wattage, depends on how deep the tank will be, and how brightly you want/need it to be lit.

 

[CiroFuentes22]

ok its going to be something like 68x32x29. and also what ind of equipment are u useing on urs.

 

[jeffbrig]

I think 3x250 would be perfectly adequate for those dimensions.

My tank uses:
Sequence 4200SEQ12 return pump
3x250w Ushio 10k DE in PFO Mini Pendants w/ icecap ballasts
4x80w T5 (aquablue & blue+) in SLR reflectors driven by icecap 430s
2 Tunze Stream 6100s on 7095 controller
Euro-reef RC500 skimmer w/Eheim pumps
1/3 HP Aqua Logic chiller


About to add:
2x110w VHO Super Actinics on ARO ballast
Schuran Jetstream1 calcium reactor
DIY kalk reactor
Litermeter III

 

[CiroFuentes22]

what do you think about 2x250 on the left and right and o1x400 in the middle. and damn das a 1700 buck skimmer bro. dat hurts.LOL. and how about your water changes and can you give me full tank pic bro. i really love ur tang. lol

 

[jeffbrig]

It's really up to you. Personally, I don't like varied lighting, you end up with light and dark areas, and having that visible bothers me. Still, every person is different.

I don't have quite that much invested in my skimmer, lol. I bought a 12-2 body originally, then got in on the SP4 pump beta and ER converted it to recirculating for me. Just recently I switched those pumps out for Eheims. Works great, though, and could probably handle a tank twice the size of mine.

On water changes, I don't really have a set schedule. Most of my water changes are due to pulling water out for other uses. For example, I use seasoned tank water in my QTs (5g 10g, & 55g), and newly mixed sw goes in each time. Also, skimming wet (1-2g/week), and syphoning detritus periodically (~15-25g each time). Every time I buy a new coral, I probably end up removing 5-10g between acclimation, dips, etc. Looking at my salt consumption rate, I probably average 50-75g per month.

Here's a recent tank shot: