Lighting question for a Grow out tank

[woodworker1959]

I am setting up a 40 gallon tank which will be in parallel with my main system. The purpose is an area for frags to grow without alot of other interference. I was trying to see what would it be better to light the tank which will be on the shallow side. it's a 36 by 18. I have a five inch sandbed and on top of that I have setup a frag platform with eggcrate and PVC. So the bottom of the egg crate lowest shelf is about 10" from water surface and upper shelf is 5" from water surface. I am considering going metal halide 175W. or a 4 bulb T-5 HO setup. If I went with the MH I think I would need two bulb setups not sure if something like a lumenrc could cast the 36" width. Or if the T-5 HO would be intense enough. Just looking for someother opinions.

 

[LCGoldman]

What type of frags are you planning on growing out?

 

[woodworker1959]

SPS

 

[onegreenray]

i would go with the t5's. is it the forty breeder? if so i had one years ago makes a great frag tank or reef tank. wide and shallow.

i ran a 250 mh on it for years. but that was a real big over kill.

you should be able to grow anything with 4 t5's over it since the tank is so shallow.

 

[DEXTER SOLIS]

I was considering doing the same thing, but was thinking NO instead of HO T5's.....is this not enough?

 

[teen]

ive got the 250w mh over my 30 gallon long. its 36" long and light gets to both sides.

im using the reefstar pendant, got it from bluezoos.

 

[fishome25]

NO? c'mon dex we're too good for NO

 

[Spracklcat]

I have T5's over my tank and I love them--inexpensive to buy and run, easy to DIY...instead of going with Icecap ballasts you can get the Fulham Workhorse ballasts for under $30 (I run two ballasts, I think one cost $25 and the other $18). I don't think you need MH at all.

 

[woodworker1959]

Thanks for all the input. I already have a T-5 setup with 4 sets of Ice cap endcaps, Single lens reflectors and a IC 660 ballast. I had used it for a month on my main tank but when I decided to put SPS in the tank I thought I needed to have Metal Halide. So I had the above sitting around the last few months and then I got the idear to set up a frag area and wasn't sure if I would have to go with Metal Halides also. The above origionally came with 10,000K Current bulbs. Their bright alright but I wasn't sure if the color was good. I have read on the equipment forumn that people say the Geisman, UVL's and ATI are superior. I'm not sure how much it matters. I read it that forumn that Sanjay is setting up tests to compare T-5 to MH. Just curious if anyone uses T-5's and what they use and if they are happy with the bulbs. And most important if they think they are getting good coral growth out of them.

 

[teen]

i spend a lot of time reading in the sps forums and it seems most t-5 users arent experiencing deeper colors. the colors are lighter, sort of pastel.

 

[woodworker1959]

I have T5's over my tank and I love them--inexpensive to buy and run, easy to DIY...instead of going with Icecap ballasts you can get the Fulham Workhorse ballasts for under $30 (I run two ballasts, I think one cost $25 and the other $18). I don't think you need MH at all.

Thanks for the info on the ballast I wish I had know before I bought the IceCap which cost about 4 times what the Workhorse cost. I went on their site a saw that a workhorse7 would power 4 T-5 39 watt for $39.00 per ballast. I assume that it doesn't overdrive like the Icecap. That looks like a real bargin. I assume that your pretty happy with them?

 

[Spracklcat]

very happy--the wiring diagrams from Fulham are easy to follow, and their customer service is good if you have any questions. I got the ballasts on ebay actually.

Also, I don't have any branching SPS, but the Montipora I have is a dark orange color--certainly not pastel. Maybe it has to do with the color temp of the bulbs being used?