Supplemental light for 250w halides

[Reel North]

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on 3 lumenbright mini pendants.

Tank is 72 X 30 w X 24 tall sps reef.

I currently run an ATI 8x80 but want a bit more par and miss the shimmer.

I have 2 48" reefbrite LED xho bars I was considering using for a bit of supplemental lighting, as well as "dusk and dawn"

I have 250w radiums, which I like, but I want to get the corals really started growing (mostly frags and a couple mini colonies), so I was thinking of using 14k bulbs. I have some m80 pfo ballasts I will be using.

Any advice or input on the supplementals, and bulb choice is much appreciated.

 

[sirreal63]

With those tank dimensions I would skip the LumenBrites, they are a spotlight.

 

[Reel North]

With those tank dimensions I would skip the LumenBrites, they are a spotlight.

Here's my dilemma then.

I have 4" euro bracing around the tank, and I have 2 sea swirls mounted onto the euro.

I DO have 2 lumenmax large reflectors, which are a bit big I think at 22" square.

I COULD just use 2 of them and use 400w Lumatek electronic ballasts. I have all my rock work at least 6" in from each side panel, and 4" off the back.

What reflectors would you recommend. I have a really tall canopy.

 

[sirreal63]

I would get in touch with Hamilton and see what they still have that will cover better than the LB's. You can raise the LB's to enlarge the hotspot but then you are losing the light outside the hotspot.

Here is Sanjay's testing, look at the lack of spread and hotspot under the LumenBrites. There are better options.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/review

I would keep the LM Large's, I have one and I will never sell it nor will I ever sell my LumenArcs. Hamilton does have smaller reflectors that mimich the LumenArc mini's, which is a better option by far than the LB's.

 

[Reel North]

I also have one of those 20x20 hammys.

 

[tmc1313]

My setup is similar, just smaller. I run 2x250 watt radium's and supplement with reefbrite xho actinic strips. My tank is a standard 120 gallon (48"x24"x24). It is also aquascaped so everything is 6" in from the ends. At first I worried it would be too blue, but it's not at all. Personally, I don't like the look of tanks with two much blue and I think this combination is the best I've tried. I run the radium's with luxcore ballasts on the super lumens serting.

 

[Reel North]

I think what is probably the smartest thing for me to do is to build a hanger and put the current reflectors I have back in. I was running 2 lumenmax large on the ends and the Cozumel sun 20x20" in the middle.

My old rack was a POS and super flimsy.

I'm going to get that tube rack that we all seem to use now lol. Then I can attach he reef brites to that.

I'll go up to 400 w, since the last time I had them up, my par on the bottom was maybe 130 with the 250w.