Input please! Lighting a 7 foot tank Fish only.

[mtlreeffreak]

Ok guys I am tired of listening to the local LFS around town I don't really like any of them anyways.

Here is the rundown My tank will be a 265 Gal 84x24x30 Fish only tank.
so i know The lighting doesn't have to be insane as its fish only. But i would still like to show off some if the specimens I will have in the tank eventually

what do u guys suggest that would give me a nice look and doesn't really break the bank as far as needing something that would support corals etc..
I live in a town where Reefing and Fish tanks isnt a big market so im sure there is something available that you would suggest that I cant get or see locally.

Thank again guys for all the help!

 

[michael.lemke]

Three Chinese led.

 

[mtlreeffreak]

Three Chinese led.

can you be more specific?

 

[viggen]

Metal halide

Two 175w or 250w metal halides would do the trick with a good reflector like luminarc which has a broad spead pattern. I use 3 250w metal halides with luminarc reflectors on my 120x30x30 fowlr. I could easily get by with 175w units but purchased the larger ballasts before I tried better reflectors.

Bulb wise I get el-cheapo 250w bulbs, cost me $13 ea and look as good as $100 aquarium branded bulbs.

I prefer metal halide due to the shimmering they give off.

 

[mtlreeffreak]

Metal halide

Two 175w or 250w metal halides would do the trick with a good reflector like luminarc which has a broad spead pattern. I use 3 250w metal halides with luminarc reflectors on my 120x30x30 fowlr. I could easily get by with 175w units but purchased the larger ballasts before I tried better reflectors.

Bulb wise I get el-cheapo 250w bulbs, cost me $13 ea and look as good as $100 aquarium branded bulbs.

I prefer metal halide due to the shimmering they give off.

now were talking

 

[Lionfish666]

Have a look into the e-shine units. Save yourself the heat and electricity and bulb replacement involved with metal halides. They are cheap and well made and give shimmer. A++ feel like they should be paying me keep recommending them today.

 

[mtlreeffreak]

Have a look into the e-shine units. Save yourself the heat and electricity and bulb replacement involved with metal halides. They are cheap and well made and give shimmer. A++ feel like they should be paying me keep recommending them today.

will do right now . Have a link ?

nvm found it

 

[sirreal63]

These are very budget friendly and will do what you need, considering your plans for the tank I would use Phoenix 14K bulbs and replace them every two years.

http://www.aqua-medic.com/product/ocean-light-3x150w/

If you want a little flexibility in lighting this one also has T5's for a dusk/dawn effect and for slightly altering the look of the light.
http://www.aqua-medic.com/product/ocean-light-plus-3x150w-2x80w-t5/

 

[jda]

^ these are good lights. I use AquaMedic lights and I still have some that I bought in 2000.

I used VHO fixtures over my 7' FO tank which really made the fish look good (the super actinic make the fish look awesome)... but at 165W a bulb, the 150W HQI as posted above are same wattage and provide more light.

FWIW - you are doing the right thing by illuminating a high quality FO tank with reef lighting... it really makes a difference with some fish.

 

[mtlreeffreak]

^ these are good lights. I use AquaMedic lights and I still have some that I bought in 2000.

I used VHO fixtures over my 7' FO tank which really made the fish look good (the super actinic make the fish look awesome)... but at 165W a bulb, the 150W HQI as posted above are same wattage and provide more light.

FWIW - you are doing the right thing by illuminating a high quality FO tank with reef lighting... it really makes a difference with some fish.

thats what I figured


so well the 3 150's be enough to cover the whole tank ?

 

[sirreal63]

thats what I figured


so well the 3 150's be enough to cover the whole tank ?

Yes it will as far as lighting the goes. How are the braces set up? you would want each bulb between braces and not over any brace.

 

[jda]

I light a 7 foot reef with this same light, only the 250W version. I have a 24" glass brace in the middle (old school Oceanic) and other than just watching what I put under the glass (like no maxima or crocea clams), the light spreads just fine and is able to grow coral anywhere.

 

[jda]

Also, if you keep the N and P at reasonable levels, you can really get some awesome coralline growth with the HQI that you might not get with other kinds of lights. I can grow purple, dark red, brown (boo), white, some yellowish gold and pink. Some of it likes the light more than others, so you get some really awesome mixes on each piece or rock as the contours shadow places.

 

[slief]

For a fish only system, I would avoid metal halides. They consume lots of power and will contribute to heat in your tank and could end up generating enough heat that you would need a chiller. If it were me, I would use efficient pumps that don't transfer much if any heat. I would go with LED's such as those from Reef Breeders as they are inexpensive in comparison to other LED's and are backed by good support and a decent warranty which is something you will not get from most of those cheap Chinese fixtures.

Depending on the height available above the tank, you could get away with a pair of Photon 24" fixtures with wide angle optics assuming you can mount them a foot or more above the water. They would give you the benefit of being able to dim and control your light spectrum to highlight particular colors in your tank while saving on power and heat. These days, I am a big advocate of building a system that can maintain low enough temps to avoid the need for a chiller. When you start getting into certain pumps such as Iwaki's and lighting such as metal halides, you start getting into a situation that the devices create a lot of heat. As such, I prefer Reeflo pumps or Eheims and LED lighting.

Alternatively, you could also get away with 3 or 4 of their value series. Those are less expensive and don't offer sunrise sunset kind of dimming but still allow you to manually control and dim 2 separate channels to create a somewhat custom color.

 

[azjohnny]

IMO metal halides would be fine for a FO system, Fish don't need the lights on all the time, I only have the lights on my FOWLR tank for when I will be home

I use Phoenix 14k 150 watt bulbs, IME they give the best color for the money and I agree MH gives the shimmer effect but so does Kessil LED

 

[leveldrummer]

just get a few of the LED strips that just stick to anything, mount them to the inside of your canopy or make a cheap light bar with them. you dont need much, everyone is suggesting reef lights and im not sure why. just search LED strips on amazon or ebay, you can get enought to light your tank fine for less then 75 bucks probbaly.

 

[sirreal63]

just get a few of the LED strips that just stick to anything, mount them to the inside of your canopy or make a cheap light bar with them. you dont need much, everyone is suggesting reef lights and im not sure why. just search LED strips on amazon or ebay, you can get enought to light your tank fine for less then 75 bucks probbaly.

Probably because he is looking for something that would also support corals. :thumbsup:

what do u guys suggest that would give me a nice look and doesn't really break the bank as far as needing something that would support corals etc..
I live in a town where Reefing and Fish tanks isnt a big market so im sure there is something available that you would suggest that I cant get or see locally.

Thank again guys for all the help!

 

[leveldrummer]

Probably because he is looking for something that would also support corals. :thumbsup:

Wow, I dont know how I missed that, We have a new born baby so Im way low on sleep. maybe i forgot to keep reading after the first couple lines. I dunno,

forgive my stupidity. carry on! :wildone:

 

[sirreal63]

No worries LD, a lack of sleep with newborns is always a reality and is always worth it.

mtlreeffreak if you are curious what can be done with 150 watt halides in a tall tank, here is Palting's, 6' 150 gallon tall tank. The added water volume you have and a lack of a canopy with a fixture should give you no heat issues at all. Very few people with MH need a chiller, I don't even have fans on my tank.

August 2013 FTS, cellphone photo. The acan lord, Rics, blue shrooms, mini-maxi, palys.......all like the increased light they are getting after fragging the overhanging SPS.

 

[jda]

I have higher wattage halides on all of my tanks and never need a chiller. There are a handful of variable that need to be worked out, but needing a chiller is not one of them.