Lighting options??

D

dg806

New member
i'm running into the same problem on the 40 i'm setting up right now. after much deliberation i think i am going to go with a single 250w MH @ 14 or 20k. i looked at the sunpod, but for another ~$40 i can get a PFO pendant, icecap ballast, the hangers, ballast box, and a bulb. you just end up with so much more for your money going that way, or so it appears to me
 
Problem is, that if a single MH covers 2'x2', my tank is 30" long and I will need two for complete coverage.
All the retro kits are either 24" or 36". That creates a problem if you want to build a hood.
 
i think you can get away with the extra 3" on each side by raising the light up slightly, it should still have plenty of penetrating power throught the water, and should cover app but the top corners, and it's doubtful there will be anything requiring a high light load in those areas. thats just my thinking, i could be wrong though, perhaps someone with some small tank (30") and MH experience should jump in.
 
When my center 250w mh is on by itself it lights up the whole 6ft tank, the middle 35-40 inches is pretty bright. If you have a nice reflector and position it right you will be fine.

I love my mh and so would your anemone. It will make your tank shimmer. Also if you put some actinic supplements it will make the experience that much better. Its easy to do yourself if you can build a canopy.
 
Looks like I will have to build a canopy to get what I want. I'm finishing a stand now, so it won't be any problem, just a little longer till I can get it going. Now, off to find something close to what I want to build.
 
i debated that for a while, but a hood just won't work for me, so i just ordered a pfo mini hqi pendant, icecap ballast, and a 20k ushio bulb. let's hope it was worth the $$$$$!
 
my cuz had a 29 and he just had a single hanging pendant MH light. His tank was great. all corals had great color and everything. I dont know if you want to go that much for MH but if you want MH check ebay. I got a hanging pendant with ballast , pendant, and bulb all for like 80. not too bad considering the price of an MH bulb alone.
 
I got Single Ended 250w 10k CoraVue Reeflux bulbs and uri super actinics.

The halides are on CV E-ballasts. Cost a little more now but saves on the power bill later. Given they should last a long time they will pay for themselves.

The Actinics run on a workhorse 7 electronic ballasts and are very bright. So for I have had no problems with the WH ballasts and they dont cost much at all.

The bulbs have been great so far. I love the color and my corals seem to love the light. They are my first set of mh though and I am going to try the 12k reeflux next to get a comparison.

I ordered of E-Bay except for the WH7 ballasts they game from tx I think. Got a great deal and pretty good service.


My halides are about 12" off the water if that helps you with canopy designs. I havent finished my canopy but made an internal frame so the canopy is just for looks and has a open top. If i need to take it off to access stuff the lighting and fans stay suspended above the tank.

Im in process of putting new doors on the whole system. It has 4 on the bottom with a stealth removable back. The top has the same 4 doors on the front and 1 huge full lenth door on the back I made by cutting and gluing 6 doors together.
 
I got the 250w setup for my 39 gal (30"x 12"x 24") and i ordered from marinedepot.com, they seemed to have the best price on the total package (shipping was free) hope this helps -
 
btw - the total for the setup was 360, i know it was more on the purchase end - but i think/hope it will save me $ in the long run in bulbs and electricity (it's spendy in SB)
 
i decided to go with an ushio 20,000k bulb. i just got it installed today and WOW is it nice. perfect match between bright and blue. the thing is great now, but hopefully it will not look too different after it burns in. the PFO pendant actually looks kinda stylish in my living room too. can't say i have anything to complain about other than the price.

here's what i ended up with for 360 from marine depot:
pfo HQI mini pendant
pfo hanger kit (looks really nice)
pfo ballast box for icecap ballast
icecap 250w MH elec. ballast
usho 20,000k DE bulb
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Lighting question AI Blade.
Replies
2
Views
1K
griss
griss
L
Lighting Advise for 36 x 18 SPS
Replies
7
Views
551
Uncle99
Uncle99
t0mmy108
Kessil light options for a Waterbox Marine X 90.3
Replies
2
Views
764
BuckeyeFish
BuckeyeFish
B
Left Tank for a long time, now want to reboot
Replies
8
Views
383
SantaMonica
S
A
First SPS coral. Is this bleaching?
Replies
6
Views
614
apavlik2
A
Back
Top