MH lighting for 40 breeder

[Quis]

Good Morning everyone. I currently have a 40 breeder 36Lx18Wx16H with 4x39T5 Tek hood mounted in a canopy.My tank is about 70% sps, 20% lps, and 10% zoanthid. I want to upgrade to Metal Halide. I was thinking of going with a lumenarc DE in the middle of the tank (no center brace) for its spread, because I want to use only one bulb. Will the coverage of the light spread from one side to the next? Also which would be better a 175W or 250W? What ballast would be better, and what bulb would give me a crisp blue? Sorry for all the question. Thanks.

 

[8BALL_99]

I've got Two 40 breeders I use for frag tanks.. Both have a single 250 Mh SE in a Lumenarc over them.. Works great for me. You could probably get by with 175 if you wanted. But if the heat and wattage isn't a big deal I'd go with the 250. Equipment cost the same anyway, Heck I think 175 bulbs even cost more...

 

[BLUESMAN]

I use the same tank with a single SE MH... Works very well. A single 4" fan keeps it cool. Mostlt sps and lps with a bare bottom covered with zoo's. Blue

 

[Quis]

Do you guy notice that the side of the tank isn't as bright as the middle? That what I'm trying to avoid, but would really like to stay with one bulb. If I can have anything in the tank from top to bottom with the 175W then that's what I will get if not I'll go with the 250W.

 

[8BALL_99]

Well I dont know about anything top to bottem.. One of my frag tanks is pretty much just softies.. Its got leathers zoo's even some mushrooms under the leathers. Its got a 250 14k bulb over it.. Now can you put a finger leather 3" below the water in the center of the tank.. probably not but that goes the same with any tank with mh lighting...

No the sides aren't dim.. The reflector is huge, Its stated to light a 36"x36" area.. I would agree that it does... Now if you have something very tall in the center then you might have a little more shaded area then you would with two bulbs..But its not a problem.. I've got a pretty large leather in the middle of mine.. around it is where I put low light corals..

 

[BLUESMAN]

I would have to say that my sides are dimmer than the center...just logical. It good though....I keep me lps on the ends. Although I am planning on adding a second 250W MH..Just to see the results. I'm running a XM 10K, which replaced a XM 20K, which replaced a Hamilton 14K , (and before that a Ushio 10K). The XM 10K is the brightest. Blue