Luminarcs -- Excellent!

what ballast are all you using on your LIII's I have a 96x36x30 tank incoming and was wondering which ballast to go with. I was thinking of using the 14k's. what's the differnce between the electric and the mag's? tnks
 
what ballast are all you using on your LIII's I have a 96x36x30 tank incoming and was wondering which ballast to go with. I was thinking of using the 14k's. what's the differnce between the electric and the mag's? tnks
 
Im currently running 3 lumenarc mini's on my 150 (same dimensions) along with 400 radiums. The way i have my lighting schedule set up, i do not see a problem at all with you covering your tank with 2, especially the reg size ones. 2 mini's cover mine easily. Hope that helps.
 
Great thread!

Would 3 lumanarc's adequately cover my 72"l x32"w tank? Tank is exclusivly acros.

I currently have 4 x 400W 20k XMs in a regular hood and am scared it will not be as bright, and enough light to keep some acros close to the bottom. Hood shades the back and front a little though...

Like the opportunity to buy one less bulk and spend less on electricity every month!

Go with the lumanarcs???
 
Yes, 3 LA3s would cover your tank. I switched from 250W DE in a ROIII to a 250W SE in a LA3 Mini and it was much, much brighter.
 
Which would be better for a 120 gallon running 2 250W SE bulbs 10K XM bulbs

Lumunarc 3 or Lumunarc A3 mini

Enclosed canopy - Tank dimension are 48L X 24W X 24D with center brace

Also using 2 110W VHO actinic and icecap moonlights

I am going to be building a new canopy here pretty soon and want to put in better reflectors than the one that came with my retrofit kit
 
I have asked before, but I am looking for more input... I am in the process of setting up my 600gal (96x48x30) and right now I have 4x L3 reflectors that will house 250w Ham 14k's... I am also going to be running 8x T5's... Do you think the 4x L3s with 250w will give me good coverage ??
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6655126#post6655126 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by asnatlas
I have asked before, but I am looking for more input... I am in the process of setting up my 600gal (96x48x30) and right now I have 4x L3 reflectors that will house 250w Ham 14k's... I am also going to be running 8x T5's... Do you think the 4x L3s with 250w will give me good coverage ??
Click to expand...

To cover 4' front to back, they will need to be 12"-18" off the water. Why 250's? Why not 400's?
 
i think that's pushing it. if you're gonna go that high off the water than i suggest 400s. You're asking each reflector to cover a 4' front to back. That's a lot of spread and a 250 probably wont cut it, especially bc of the 30" heigh
 
I find it kind of "silly" that people always say you need 400's on a 30" high tank. I think it is mostly people repeating what they hear and read (seems to happen an awful lot in this hobby), and not speaking from their own experience. My tank is 72x30x30 and I run my 250's in Spider Lights (would like to try LA3's one of these days) 15" off the water and my sps do fine and color up on the bottom just as well as the ones on the top. Growth on the bottom is slightly slower but the difference is negligible.

asnatlas, I have not ran the LA3's so I'm not speaking from experience here. I think you will be fine with them mounted 12-18" above the water. Not sure what coverage you will get at that height but it should be decent. It may not cover the very ends but that is where your T-5's will pick up where the MH's left off.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6657210#post6657210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mwood
To cover 4' front to back, they will need to be 12"-18" off the water. Why 250's? Why not 400's?
Click to expand...

I am not looking to cover the full 48" front to back with the MH... I am not going to have rock / coral right up to the glass... Also I will have the MH more so towards the front do that the back is darker to give more depth... I know that the L3's give good 36" coverage and that is why I went with T5s to help fill out the tank with light...

I went with 250s because I am planning on mostly LPS and softies with some SPS and clams... I just felt that 400w were way over kill for what I needed... Also 1000w is a little easier on the electric bill then 1600w...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6657617#post6657617 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by john37
i think that's pushing it. if you're gonna go that high off the water than i suggest 400s. You're asking each reflector to cover a 4' front to back. That's a lot of spread and a 250 probably wont cut it, especially bc of the 30" heigh
Click to expand...

I guess in my first post I didn't state what I was looking for... I am not looking for the full 48" to be covered by the MHââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s... This is why I went with some T5s to help out on that... I guess I meant to ask was will 250s give me good coverage to the bottom... I know I will not be able to keep SPS on the bottom but will it be lit well enough for LPS and viewing...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6657832#post6657832 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis
I find it kind of "silly" that people always say you need 400's on a 30" high tank. I think it is mostly people repeating what they hear and read (seems to happen an awful lot in this hobby), and not speaking from their own experience. My tank is 72x30x30 and I run my 250's in Spider Lights (would like to try LA3's one of these days) 15" off the water and my sps do fine and color up on the bottom just as well as the ones on the top. Growth on the bottom is slightly slower but the difference is negligible.

asnatlas, I have not ran the LA3's so I'm not speaking from experience here. I think you will be fine with them mounted 12-18" above the water. Not sure what coverage you will get at that height but it should be decent. It may not cover the very ends but that is where your T-5's will pick up where the MH's left off.
Click to expand...

I am with you Travis, I think alot of people just think 600gal of water at 30" so I must need 400w... That is why I keep asking this question to get as much feed back as I can... Looks like I am just going to have to throw them over the tank and see for myself... I just wanted to try to get it worked out before I got to that point...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6662620#post6662620 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by asnatlas
I guess in my first post I didn't state what I was looking for... I am not looking for the full 48" to be covered by the MHââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s... This is why I went with some T5s to help out on that... I guess I meant to ask was will 250s give me good coverage to the bottom... I know I will not be able to keep SPS on the bottom but will it be lit well enough for LPS and viewing...
Click to expand...

I have seen tanks with Croceas (the most light needy clam) on the bottom (of a 30", tank) with only a 250W over top of it (See this month's TOTM, for example)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6662767#post6662767 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparkss
I have seen tanks with Croceas (the most light needy clam) on the bottom (of a 30", tank) with only a 250W over top of it (See this month's TOTM, for example)
Click to expand...

Tank of the Month - January 2006 - Reefkeeping.com Owner : Morten Nordby's (mortenN)
Lighting:
I prefer Giesemann NOVA II lamps and use them because of their compact size. I need two lamps, and with these I also have enough room for four T5 24-watt bulbs. I use Giesemann double-ended 250-watt 14,500 K MegaChrome coral bulbs. The T5s consist of three D & D actinic and one 10,000 K. One of the armatures is dimmable, and I use the IKS controller to run a sunrise and sunset photoperiod.

We also have four Tridacna crocea and one T. maxima. The T. crocea clams are placed on the bottom of the tank at 75 cm deep. They all have good health and growth even with their deep placement in the tank.
Click to expand...

I have looked at that TOTM as well as all of the other ones many times... I must have over looked that info on this particular tank... Thank you for pointing it out...
 
Just so you know. I don't just assume you need 400 when I see those tank dimentions. I have a 96*48*15, I ran two 250's and two 400's. I'm currently upgrading to four 400's. When you get that far off the water to get spread, you loose alot of intensity. I have pics in my gallery if you want to see. The 20k pics are the 250's only.
 
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