planning lighting for new tank

[Pico1]

I'm having a 3'x2'x2' tank made and can't figure out what would be my best bet for lighting with a canopy. This tank will be 90% SPS. I am debating between 2 x 250W MH in PFO parallel reflectors or 1 x 400W MH in a sunight supply lumen max reflector or a luminarc reflector? I also would apprecaite any reccomendations on a ballast. Bulb will be SE. TIA

 

[pepe.king.prawn]

I think you'll be quite happy with a 400w and either of those reflectors. The luminarc seems really nice to me, only seen them on a couple tanks w/ 1000w halides.

 

[pcurry18]

I think you should get these..

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/for/259635704.html

 

[Pico1]

Thanks for the suggestions. Which is better the lumen max or luminarc? Anyone else have any suggestions?

 

[Elite]

I think 2x250s have better coverage than 1x400W for this tank. I'm using 1x250W on a 30" long tank. I don't have enough light on the sides of the tank. I'm upgrading to 400W and raise the pendant higher for better coverage.

 

[jlfnjlf]

Jordan,

I read up on both of these reflectors, and I think they are comparable. However I think the lumen max will fit in a hood better than the luminarc. I am going to go with 2 of the lumen max over my 100.

John

 

[xia]

I would go with lumenarcs. They're cheaper and studies have been done to show how even their light dispersion is. And there is the air cooled option on them, a very nice feature if you can also get the fan. The socket can also be adjusted to center the bulb if you're going SE.

The raised bumps on the lumen max just "help" to disperse the light, but I wonder how it affects the spread all around.

 

[Unarce]

I wonder about the 'hammered' effect, too. It does help diffuse light, but probably decreases the overall intensity. I noticed that PFO moved away from those type of reflectors, and are now completely smooth.

 

[pepe.king.prawn]

Those bumps are useful in horticultural stuff. Plants are more suceptible to leaf burn caused by hot spots which smooth reflectors can create. The dimpled surface spreads the light out more rather than focusing it. There's no reason this wouldn't work the same way in a reef tank. While your coral isn't likely to burn from the light, an evenly lit tank is more visually pleasing than one with a spotlight right in the middle.