lighting a 29

[vyger]

I am planning on setting up another tank...a 29 gal but due to the hood configuration I can't retrofit anything into the hood. So I have to span the tank with an Aqualight or something similiar. Will a 2x65 watt be good for softies and some LPS. I know with an 18" depth ,PC's are at their limit . I would appreciate opinions from anyone having experience running these bulbs.
Thanx

 

[Andrew]

Well pc would work for softies and some LPS but if at all possible, get a MH pendent. Can't you mod the canopy?

 

[i8chicken]

If you don't want to do a pendant, there are a few other options for metal halide.

Current has a 150 metal halide fixture that fits perfectly on a 29.
It's called a Sunpod, I think, and it's available at Marine Depot. It has moon lights and comes with a 14k bulb, and it comes with legs to sit on top of your tank.

There is also the Coralife Aqualight Advanced hang on tank metal halide. This one has a remote ballast and doesn't have moon lights, though.

 

[vyger]

It would take a lot to modify the canopy as it has 2 huge glass panels in the top. The stand and canopy are a Sedona model.Nice looking stand and matching canopy except the for the fact that the glass panels are a major portion of the top with a 2 1/2 strip of wood from front to back down the center. A real bad design as far as I am concerned.I need the tank enclosed because of my curious cats . I know at the first opportunity they'd be going for a swim. Otherwise I would just hang a MH pendant and be done with it. I am familiar with the Sunpod and I don't think it will fit under this canopy. I hate to start butchering the canopy to make lights fit. Don't know if I have the woodworking skills or not..I only have Zoo's, candycane , GSP,brain and yellow polyps so I don't need a great deal of light....most of the corals are fairly large tho....

 

[mr pink floyd]

i haev 65 watts PC on my 29, upgrading to 156 watts of T5 soon.

i currently haev GSP button polyps finger leather another leather xenia a non photosynthetic gorgonian kenya tree and yellow polyps.

the button polyps and finger are on the dand bed, everythign sles is about 1/4 the way up and all growing!

 

[mr pink floyd]

just got a belated birthday check, my T5 fund is now at 165 dollars, i have anotehr 75 in my wallet jus twaiting for something, adn 45 coming from a reefer buying my Mag 7, btu thast goign to some people eater zoos and a green devils hand on saturdays CTARS meet, we are meeting with the NEC!

ths cost of ther 36" T5 nova extreme HO fro ma guy in CTARS who runs an online store is 200 +shipping, btu shipping is cheap!

i can hardly wait!

 

[vyger]

thanx
Good to know that your corals did well under that lighting...They should do alot better under the T5's tho...

 

[mr pink floyd]

i was goign to get the nova extreme, but people trash it, saying alot of SPS wont do well under it, im not sure, i might get a geisman thingy now lol

though my tank is 30", fixtures are either 24or 36, nad the nova has legs that slide in and it has moonlights, if i even want to do some harder SPS or a crocea or something ill get seperate reflectors.

a guy in the CTARS just kept some SPS alive in a 38 with this fixture, so im goign to talk to him!

 

[i8chicken]

Sorry, vyger. I didn't realize the canopy was part of a set. I agree, the Sedona stuff looks really nice, it would be a shame to hack it up.

Back to your original question, I have 2X65 pc's on my 29 now. It is the Orbit Satellite system. I don't have a canopy. I use the legs that came with it.
I have a toadstool, xenia, zoos, rics, and shrooms. They are all doing fine. I don't have any LPS, though, so I can't tell you how that would work out.

I have ordered the Sunpod metal halide (should be here tomorrow ) because I definitely want to have a clam one day and maybe a few light luvin' corals.

Good luck, what ever you end up getting!

 

[vyger]

Thanx for the info
I think I can get a 30" Aqualight under the hood and from what all are saying the corals I have will do ok...actually for about a year I had the Candy Cane in a 18 gal Aqua Via which is 18 " deep with an 80 W Orbit and they sseemed to do fine..
I'm sure you'll really notice the difference with the Sunpod..I have a few smaller tanks with MH on them and the 14K Astralux is a nice color bulb much better than the 10K which I was using..