Lights for 110 Extra Tall

[tangtang clown]

A friend of mine needs lights for his 110 Extra Tall 48x18x31.
Would 2x24" 150watt MHs with T-5s be enough, or would he need 250watt MH's.
Thanks.

 

[redfishsc]

Depends on what he's going to grow. Softies and LPS would be fine with the 150's and 2 or 4 T5's. Perhaps even some SPS especially near the top third.



However, if he's wanting SPS and clams near the bottom, 250's would be much more fitting.

BTW howdy fellow NC reefer!

 

[luv4paws2]

I have that tank with 2x150w sunpod, and 4x65w pc retrofit. I have a little of everything and it all does well with proper placement. Better reflectors like lumenmax 3 would help, if there is room.

 

[Hal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15594229#post15594229 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luv4paws2
Better reflectors like lumenmax 3 would help, if there is room.

+1

I can't emphasize enough how much difference a good reflector will make. I run 250W MH's on my 30 inch deep tank (although I do have a 4 inch DSB) and on one side I have a spiderlight reflector while on the other I have a Lumenbright 3 reflector. The difference is so noticable that it's almost scary. The Lumenbright is bright, bright, bright, whereas the spiderlight (by comparison) looks like an overcast day.

 

[tangtang clown]

What up Redfish! Like the name. He is growing mostly LPS and softies for now. He is tight on money so he is thinking about using the lights from his 75, which is 4 by 110watt T-12 VHOs.
I am trying to talk him into MHs as I am upgrading from a 75 to a 125.

Since he and I are on a budget, we are both looking into Odyssea lights. We plan on upgrading bulbs and ballasts over time, but $99 for a 150watt MH with 2 T-5s sounds pretty good. He would need 2 b/c his tank is only 48" long. I am looking at a 72" fixture with 3x250 MHs and PCs.

I will start looking into other options, as far as reflectors, but I don't think I will be able to get a better deal than a 72" fixture for $490 shipped, unless you guys know something I don't.

 

[Hal]

If it was just the 150W MH's, I'd say you won't have enough light. I'm not sure how much difference the T-5's make.

I'd think that you need the higher powered bulbs to get light penetration at depth, but I could be all wet on this.

 

[luther1200]

As long as your water quality is good you will be fine. I know a few people who run 150w over 30" tall tanks with no problem.

 

[tangtang clown]

thanks guys

 

[turtleman9100]

I am doing this same tank with two 400 watt halides and two vhos. Perfect IMO. Still placement is very important in my setup. My tank is a mixed reef and everything grows great.