Question about light on frag tank please!!

jherrin215

GO COLTS!!
I am going to be including a frag tank in my new setup. I have 2 options for lighting. I can use my extra 175 Watt MH ballast to set up a light for the frag tank, or I can add it into my DT lighting as I haven't built the hood yet. That would put me with 3 175 MH, 1 6ft Actinic VHO, 1 6ft Super white VHO and 2 2ft actinic VHO's on the DT if I added it. If i added it into my DT lighting then I would have to figure something else out for my frag tank. I would rather not spend anymore money than I have to, but I want to do this right. PS the frag tank is going to be 30 gallons.
 
No, use it on the DT tank as 175 watts is IMO weak for a 180 not to mention your using 2 and not 3. for the frag tank get a T5 retro or another 175. unless you want to buy a 250 for the tank then use the 175 for the prop tank
 
So i need to use the 3 175's and all the VHO's on the 180? That would be about 1000 watts total. Is that about right?? What about doing 2 175's on the sides and a 250 in the middle, would that work?? Then put the 175 on the frag tank??
 
I would go for the 250 and 2 175's then the other on the frag tank. also it might seem like a lot of power but 175's are really for tanks up to around 18" 250's go deeper (and a 180 is 24" deep).
 
They are about the same as the 175's (from what i heard) i use them strictly for actinics so it really doesn't do much in terms of "usable" light over here, just makes my tank pretty :D
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14179641#post14179641 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jherrin215
He is saying that the 250 Watt MH bulbs penetrate to deeper levels in the tank.
OK, the wording of my post wasn't very helpful :(

I disagree that a 250 reaches deeper. This is a myth based on the way that light spreads with distance. Once we use a reflector and control that spreading, we change the rules. Within the target region, a tightly focussed 175 will be brighter than a loosely focussed 250 at any distance.
 
That is one major thing I have to do when I build my hood. I need to build me some reflectors. I have to do this. I need to read up on building them.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14179719#post14179719 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JoelNB
OK, the wording of my post wasn't very helpful :(

I disagree that a 250 reaches deeper. This is a myth based on the way that light spreads with distance. Once we use a reflector and control that spreading, we change the rules. Within the target region, a tightly focussed 175 will be brighter than a loosely focussed 250 at any distance.

sorry about that, brain fart. i understand what your saying and it is true but i was basing it on loose reflectors since he didn't specify a high quality/focused reflector such as the LB (not trying to be rude).
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14179847#post14179847 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JoelNB
Hehe....and I didn't mean to go 'Huh' at you, just laziness at the time I guess.

Hey it runs in reefing :p :lol:
 
So do i need to go with another 175 or do I need to get a 250? Surely it wouldn't hurt anything to go with the 250
 
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