Is the Hamilton Cebu Sun (250w MH, x4 39w t5) over kill on 40g breeder Acro tank?

[Radioheadx14]

I currently have a 40g breeder, mostly SPS with many Acros. I currently run 3 Kessils, but I have not been 100% happy with them. Everything looks great except the acros, and I have heard acros colors can be finicky with LEDS. And I miss the crispness and growth of the MHs and the assurance that if something is not dialed in right, it wont be my lights.

http://hamiltontechnology.com/item/Radium-Cebu-Sun-Systems-with-M80-Ballast-2214

So without arguing what lighting method is best, I'd rather stick to question: With a 40g breeder being only 16" deep. Is this fixture too much light? I know the 250w Radium is fine, but the added 4 t5s might be over kill.

I guess my other question would be, would the 24" fixture be better?

 

[kevin_e]

Maybe slightly unnecessary, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it. I had a 250 watt over a 20 gallon and 2x 250s and 2x 54 watt T5s over a 55. Right now I have a 150 watt halide and 4 t5s over a 2x2 tank.

 

[phxreefer]

I have the 3 foot with a single 250mh and T5 over a 40b. I'm using it for the same as you're describing, mostly SPS frag tank. I love this light and no it's not too much for that in my opinion. T5's are on on for 9 hours and MH for 5. I'll see if I can grab a pic of it tomorrow if you're interested.

 

[Radioheadx14]

I have the 3 foot with a single 250mh and T5 over a 40b. I'm using it for the same as you're describing, mostly SPS frag tank. I love this light and no it's not too much for that in my opinion. T5's are on on for 9 hours and MH for 5. I'll see if I can grab a pic of it tomorrow if you're interested.

Definitely. That would be great.

I know I don't need that much light, but there are not many good MH options anymore, so this is the best I can find new in a single unit. I want a clean look without multiple fixtures or a bulky canopy. If they had a SE 250w with only 2 T5s, id get that.

 

[phxreefer]

Picture coming soon. One thing you can do is just leave out 2 bulbs, they're on two separate ballasts and have separate cords.
In all there are 4 cords:
1. MH ballast
2. Outer T5 bulbs
3. Inner T5 bulbs
4. Cooling fans
I use my Apex to control everything, T5's come on first along with the cooling fans. Then the MH come on and T5/fans remain on. When the lights go out I let the cooling fans run for 30 min. For a cool down period.

The MH will not completely cover a 40b with extreme light due to the reflector design. The perimeter will be lower light than the center. This is a good thing in my opinion so there are areas for light options and acclimation.

I've never measured the PAR in there but it is pretty obvious the sides are less intense. My frag rack is smaller than the tank is, so I start everything off to the side and lower down to acclimate. Then I move things up and to the center as needed.

 

[phxreefer]

Here is a picture of the fixture. The lights are off at the moment, so had to use the flash. But at least you can see the setup, and height it's at. Hope this helps you, I love this light BTW:thumbsup:.

 

[Radioheadx14]

awesome. I was thinking of hanging it.... does it have good hanging options or attachment areas?

 

[phxreefer]

You can see in the picture that there are threaded holes in the top. It did not come with any hanging hardware, but my guess is that I could get eyelets with the correct thread from the hardware store and use the small caribiners other kits use. Or call Hamilton and ask if they offer a hanging kit.

At first I was worried that it would be too close to the water on the mounting legs, but it has been great for me the way it is.

 

[Radioheadx14]

Okay, definitely ordering, just deciding if I want 24" or 36". i think the 24" might look better and less bulky, but the 36" may give me better side coverage. Does anyone know if the 24" would work well on a 40g?

 

[forddna]

Do you guys think the 24" unit will be good coverage over a 30x30 tank or will it need supplemented?

 

[Ocean envy]

If the tank is larger than the fixture you might want to hang it a bit higher to get fuller coverage. The tank is not very deep so it should be fine. But if you are into maximum par over the largest area then a bigger fixture would do better with that, though I think you would be fine with the former. You could also add a strip of leds in the future for more color pop.... Either way, mh for part of the day with t5s the rest of the day should keep your corals happy.

 

[Radioheadx14]

I went with the 36". i figured I'd rather pay the extra 50 bucks to have more T5 coverage. In the past, I always ran MHs for only 5 hours so I plan on doing the same. I will leave the T5 on a bit longer.

 

[Zacktosterone]

Do you guys think the 24" unit will be good coverage over a 30x30 tank or will it need supplemented?

this light is ridiculous, the last thing you need is supplementation. you could get an 8 bulb t5 unit that's 36" and it wouldnt have as much juice as the 24" cebu

 

[d2mini]

Had the 24" over my 40b frag tank.
No other supplementation.

 

[forddna]

this light is ridiculous, the last thing you need is supplementation. you could get an 8 bulb t5 unit that's 36" and it wouldnt have as much juice as the 24" cebu

Thanks!