MH reflectors in a canopy

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DownwardDawg

New member
I'm in the info gathering stage of my 125. The lighting choice is killing me! If I decide to go with halides, I need to choose the best reflector for a limited amount of space because I'll also be adding actinic supplemental lighting, probably LED. The tank is 72" x 18" x 20". I do have a canopy, so space is an issue. I'm considering the Lumenmax Elite (wide or regular), Lumenbrite 3 mini, or the Lumenarc III mini.
Any and all advice would me greatly appreciated! Meanwhile, I'll be searching through thousands of threads!!
 
That's a great link for the Hamilton retro!!!! Thanks a lot. I've never seen that. While that's not my 1st choice in reflectors, I would be hard pressed to find anything that beats it for simplicity.
Oh, and my canopy sits approximately 14" above the water.
 
I just built a canopy for my 125 long with the same dimensions... . The tank itself is still a build in progress. 3x 250wDE reflectors (the budget aquacave ones). Small footprint, affordable, and they work quite well. Bulbs driven by Lumatek switchable ballasts. Two rows of T5HO's driven by an IC660. Each row is 2x 36" bulbs. Front row are ATI purples. Back row is ATI Blue+. I had a bit of extra room. I also added two rows of IceCap LED Moonlights (2x 36" LED strips for each row). One row of white. One row of blue.

The entire canopy is cooled by 4x 80mm fans blowing in. Two on each side. The back of the canopy is open. Plenty of cooling and it is very quiet.

My thoughts:

I spent $40 for each halide reflector (free ship). They work great and are very reflective. For a tank with the dimensions we are talking about, and with a desire for T5 and/or LED supplement. The footprint was just right. The other choice? Spend a pile per reflector for a slightly improved performance. Sure, it would have been great to have a top of the line reflector, but for price vs performance, I had to draw a line somewhere. We each have to weigh that decision based upon our budget and our individual preferences. But I tend to weigh price vs performance. If I can get 95% reflectivity for $40, or 98% for $250. I'll stick to 95% with the option to dump the savings into fish and corals. The light I installed made my wife shield her eyes when she walked into the room (the canopy door was open and the T5 reflectors weren't snapped on). So for me... mission accomplished :) Oh, and white high gloss paint inside the hood is also worth it.
 
DownwardDawg said:
Great video. Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

Just my opinion, but from that video, the bulbs seem to be too high above the water line for the reflectors that are in use. My lights are about 10" off the water.

Of course, there are more focused reflectors out there. But.. it does light the tank and appears to do a decent job. May not be so bad once the front is closed up. Its a balance. Having the lights higher up does improve accessibility. The alternative is to make the light mount adjustable.
 
3 x 175 MH with spider reflectors. It is easy because your tank is only 18" deep and 20" tall.
 
There are the LumenMax 2 or 3(one is HQI, one mogul base), they are about the smallest high end reflector. They LM 3 measures 11" square, the LM2 is 11" wide but longer because of the socket. Hamilton Cayman sun is 13 or 14" wide. Reef Optix 1 or 3 are about 9" wide.

Another option if canopy height is an issue, and to free up canopy space is to cut out holes for the reflector on top and sit the reflector right on top of the hood.
 
Some great advice so far. Thanks for the ideas. The lighting choice is the most difficult decision I've had to make so far. I think I'm over thinking it!!!! :hammer:
 
I have a 90 gallon (18" front to back) and have Lumenbright minis. I had to mount my T5s just under my reflectors. I imagine LEDs would have smaller footprint than T5s for your supplementation.
 
Adding to the confusion....

Adding to the confusion....

Would you go with 250 watt or 175 watt? I will be keeping mostly LPS and softies, but I do want to add any SPS I choose and maybe a clam later also. My small tanks only have softies in them.
 
I'd do 175 watt. Better yet, if you didn't buy the ballast yet, get a swtchable one like Lumatek that has 150,175, 250, HQI in one. The 175 and 250 moguls are the same size so if you ever needed to get more. Iwasai has a very white 15k 175w bulb that stomps even the 250 watt bulbs in PAR.
 
James77 said:
I'd do 175 watt. Better yet, if you didn't buy the ballast yet, get a swtchable one like Lumatek that has 150,175, 250, HQI in one. The 175 and 250 moguls are the same size so if you ever needed to get more. Iwasai has a very white 15k 175w bulb that stomps even the 250 watt bulbs in PAR.
Click to expand...

Thanks a bunch. I'm learning a lot today.
 
Not to hijack, but I'm looking at also adding some MHs to my 92g corner tank canopy. I'm looking at a slim set up, Hamilton Reefstar or Cayman, but I'm worried with them only having around 5-6" of clearance above the water it will cause some serious heat issues.

Anyone ever throw MHs in a 92g corner canopy? I'm getting tired of the t5s.
 
James77 said:
I'd do 175 watt. Better yet, if you didn't buy the ballast yet, get a swtchable one like Lumatek that has 150,175, 250, HQI in one. The 175 and 250 moguls are the same size so if you ever needed to get more. Iwasai has a very white 15k 175w bulb that stomps even the 250 watt bulbs in PAR.
Click to expand...

Do the 250's put out more heat than the 175's? I did the math on the approx. monthly cost to run each. It's a decent savings if I use the 175's, but not a budget breaker if I go with 250's. However, the added heat woould add to the electric bill.
 
Yes, 250s will run warmer. It is not night and day.... But you will run a degree or two warmer dependin on al sorts of factors
 
175 versus 250 at $.10 a KWH and 10 hours a day the 250 will cost you $30 per lamp per year more in electrical cost.
 
pmrossetti,
Thanks again for that link. My wife loves that idea too and we all know that means I will be buying that light. I just gotta decide on wattage and I'll be done!
 
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