Help with Bulb Configuration

[fastrd400]

So, i've built a new light fixture... It holds 16 - 54 watt 48 inch t5 bulbs. they are arranged in 2 colums, 8 rows. the 2 colums slightly overlap in the middle.

which bulb positions should come on together?

The limitations are: I have 3 ballasts that can fire 4 bulbs, so there must be 3 "groups" of 4 bulbs that come on at the same... and i also have 2 more ballasts that each fire 2 bulbs... so there must be 2 groups that fire 2 bulbs together...

aditionally, i would like to know peoples opinions on which bulbs that i have should go into which positions...the bulbs that i have are as follows:
(approx 6 months old)
1 - wave point "sun wave"
1 - wave point "red wave"
1 - coralife "color max"
2 - UV lighting "454"
1 - UV lighting "super actinic"
1 - SPS "pure actinic actinic-03 420nm"
1 - SPS "deep-water 20,000k 460nm"

and the new bulbs that i have are:
2 - Hagen "marine-glo actinic"
2 - Hagen "power-glo 18,000k"
2 - Hagen "life-glo 6700k"
2 - Giesemann "powerchrome pure actinic"



I've made a sketch of the layout of the bulbs mounting locations so we can all speak the same language when identifying the positions...

 

[socalmiket]

You are going to have a crazy bright center of your tank with that setup. Why didn't you go with 36"?

Also, why those bulbs? What look are you going for?

I think with all those single bulbs you are going to have a hard time matching the left and right.

If I were you I would wire it up on it's side like your picture and power the bulbs up and compare them by brightness and color. Then go with some kind of pattern on each side.

Ex:
Blue #1
Sunlight
Blue #2
White
Blue #1
Sunlight
Blue #2
White

If it was my rig, it would have 8 ATI blue plus, and 8 ATI Aquablue specials.

 

[fastrd400]

Thanks for the input Mike. I'm just trying to work with what I have right now. This rig is going over a 210g in wall project. The older bulbs were on my 75 that I tore down, I fabed the canopy for the new tank, and will be using a weight and pulley system to raise and lower it fro maintanence.

 

[SBJim]

+1 on SocalMikeT. A "normal" T5 fixture is much brighter in the middle than at the ends. That effect will be intensified on this set-up. So definitely consider your 'scaping and coral placement with that in mind.

Re: ballasts, unless you want some funky left-side/right-side effects, I recommend treating L and R as a single (imaginary ) unit. Since you have an add number of ballasts, I suggest assigning the "most middle" bulbs (i.e. positions 4 and/or 5 of both columns) to a ballast, and then work out from there. So if the middle gets the "Ballast1" position, then bulb positions 1 and 8 get the "Ballast5" position. Make sense?

Try to intersperse blues, whites and pinks (e.g, the red wave) so you don't get banding. Looks like you have a couple of "whites" and a lot of "blues", but only one "red". If you like the look of the red wave (I have a fiji purple in my mix which I like a lot) and don't already have another bulb similar to that one, I suggest buying another one of those so you can get both the right and left to look similar.

I guess I would have the bulbs in the general vicinity of 3 and 6 come on first, and I would put blues/actinics and reds in there. Maybe whites and/or brighter blues in the middle (4/5), and in the 2 and 7 positions. And actinics in the 1 and 8 positions. for timing, maybe something like 3 and 6 on first, then 1/2 and 7/8, then 4/5.

Make sense? Helpful?

 

[fastrd400]

Thanks SBJIM, not really my tank. I'm helping out a buddy that has built this monster.