Help- I need lighting advice!

[primmer]

Folks,
I just upgraded to a 36" 65 gallon. I've had a 55 for years, wanted the deeper and wider tank for a better rock stack.

However- I need new lights, and can't decide how much is enough and what would work.

Also, bear in mind that my wife has put the clamp down on fundage, so I need to do this as inexpensively as possible.
Therefore, I'm trying to get in to some cheap used lighting.

I've talked to several fellow Upstate Reefers about used equipment, and wanted to get an opinion from the rest of you as to what you would do to get the best setup for the least dough.

Should I:

Get a 4 bulb, 36" T5 setup
Is this enough light to grow softies, leathers, and some sps?
probably the highest cost

Do a 150 watt metal halide
Again, is this enough light?
Also, I'd like to place a single halide in the center of the tank, directly
over the brace. i'm guessing this will be an issue?
Probably the lowest cost

Do a daul 175 halide
Is this too much light?
Also needs sockets and bulbs
middle cost, unless I can find some cheap fixtures and bulbs

Also bear in mind I have an old 4 bulb 65 watt (each) pc setup that could be scavenged for parts for a DIY retrofit to supplement the 150 watt halide
However, the bulbs are shot and at $30+ each......

What would you do?

Finally, If anyone has anything they would need to get rid of, I promise to give it a good home. You see, I'm a science teacher, and the tank is in my classroom. You wouldn't believe how often kids stop by my classroom just to see the tank.

Thanks in advance for any advice


Primmer

 

[Dave VG]

What lighting are you using right now? IMO a single 175 MH would be fine. Nate AKA nwrogers runs a single 175 over his 65 and gets good results. Heck he ran 175's over his 150 when he had it up and running and that tank was amazing. Here is a link to the 65 thread. I’m sure he would answer any questions you might have.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1793753&page=2

 

[johno4]

PMed

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

MH vs T5 will always boil down to personal preference, barring any unusual circumstances. My personal preference is for MH, out of those choices. 150w DE and 175w SE aren't that much different in performance so I'd chose based on price and how much you liked the components included.

That said, if your tank has a center brace, think long and hard about how much a shadow will bother you, or if you want to be brave and replace the plastic brace with something transparent.

 

[Flanders]

I have a couple of old 175-watt ballasts and sockets in my shed. one is an advance cap and coil, one is a pulse start but I forget the brand. I'd like to hang onto one of them, but I might be convinced to sell the other real cheap.

I like uneven lighting and rock stacks, so I'd probably offset a single MH lamp and utilize some empty space, but that's just me.

 

[Dave VG]

I should mention that Nate modified his cross brace to accommodate the single 175 by cutting it out and replacing it with clear lexan or plexi can’t remember witch so there was no shadow down the middle. This is a repair link but shows how he did it. Ya another link lol. Here ya go.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1612994

 

[primmer]

Thanks for the advice so far

Here's another question:

How far above the water should a 150-175 w halide be?
i'm thinking I may need to modify the hood that came wiht my tank

thanks

 

[primmer]

Dave's questions

Dave's questions

What lighting are you using right now? IMO a single 175 MH would be fine. Nate AKA nwrogers runs a single 175 over his 65 and gets good results. Heck he ran 175's over his 150 when he had it up and running and that tank was amazing. Here is a link to the 65 thread. I’m sure he would answer any questions you might have.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1793753&page=2

Dave,
I'm currently running 4x65w PC's on my 55. Would want slightly more light in the 65