T5 or HQI project?

[bkmorris]

i've been wanting to upgrade the lights on my 30 tall for a while now, and was going to go with a 150 watt DE halide bulb.. but have been hearing a lot of people who are very satisfied with their T5 systems. i am intrigued by the lower power use, cooler operation, and long bulb life. right now i have a 130w current power compact fixture sitting on the canopy with the lid flipped up. i love the look of the canopy and would ideally like to put in a retrofit in the lid so i could keep it closed again...

my hope for the upgraded lighting is just a few sps, nothing crazy (yeah i know, that's what everyone says in the start, haha) and maybe a clam.

soooooooo all you crafty reefers.... i need some ideas on how to do this.... and maybe some help in actually getting it done.

here are some pics and dimensions:
(excuse the cloudy water, i just did a wc this afternoon )

and here's inside the canopy... i put a fan in that i run during summer, and the overflow box is in the back:

the inside dimensions of the canopy are about 24.5" x 10.75". the tank itself is 24" x 12".

alright guys, have at it! thanks in advance, you all rock!

 

[Justin74]

Here are the dimensions of an IC 2x24w combo: 23.25" x 5.0" x 2.75" (LxWxH)

Technically you could put them side to side and make it fit, although you would need to be creative on the hood you attach it to.Having said that you could definately get 3 bulbs over it and be less creative, overdriven with an IC ballast would easily provide you with the depth penetration youd need for a deeper 30 like you have. You could always buy the 4 bulb tek and suspend it if it doesnt fit with the legs, but I'd talk to the rep and throw him your dimensions before you committed to that. 4 would be the best but room may be an issue so at least get 3 over it with a normal ballast, but 3 overdriven on an IC ballast would be that much sweeter. Reefgeek.com is a very reputable dealer, from what Ive heard is also VERY helpfull with helping people make educated decisions regarding there dimensions and lighting available. Let me know if I can help further.

-Justin

 

[eagleONE]

Hey Brooke, I picked up my T5s from reefgeek, they're very helpful when it also comes to bulb combinations. Honestly, I started out with PCs and the thing just got too hot (so much of difference since I have a halide) In any case, T5s run a lot cooler, I might be swapping out the halide for full T5s some time later.

 

[funman1]

I love my 150 DE sunpod by current
It has moon lights and 150W MH

The heat is an issue though as with any MH.

 

[brianbigoats]

30" is pretty deep for T5 you might try Asking the Grim Reefer (t5 expert)on the T5 Q&A thread in the Lighting and Equipment Form

 

[bkmorris]

the tank is actually only about 25" tall....

 

[MrMikeB]

Brooke, how much room do you have in the canopy for the lighting system? I think T5s are cool and all, but I like the shimmer effect you get with a MH. Heat is indeed an issue but manageable with a fan or two. With a 24x12" I think a 150W with the right reflector would work nicely.

 

[bkmorris]

so here is my concern for hqi and a reflector.... with the lid closed, there is only about 4.75" clearance between the canopy and the surface of the water. is that even possible? it seems like i would need to come up with some sort of waterproof housing or something. i suppose another option is a pendant...

 

[funman1]

Well the sunpod is 4.75 inches to the bottom.

so it looks like you would have to go with just a mogul light w/ reflector, and then use a remote ballast.

 

[Justin74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9659460#post9659460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MrMikeB
Brooke, how much room do you have in the canopy for the lighting system? I think T5s are cool and all, but I like the shimmer effect you get with a MH. Heat is indeed an issue but manageable with a fan or two. With a 24x12" I think a 150W with the right reflector would work nicely.

Another thing to take into consideration is the coverage of a 150 DE, typically the way there designed with the reflectors is they shoot a pretty narrow beem down on the tank, and wont provide the full coverage on your 24" long tank.
A 1watt LED used for moonlights,dusk/dawn whatever would be a solution to provide you with a mild shimmer affect, but when the T5's kick off of course it will be much more noticable. Hindsight being a 175MH user over a 30, I may eventually retire it and go all T5, a shimmer affect just isnt priority to me as much as color and health of the coral. 150's just arent enough for some stuff, and the heat/shorter life, but great for a more shallow tank. I think if you bumped it up to a 250DE 20k youd be happier with the results and light coverage. Otherwise, like I said T5's with some IC reflectors will definately be enough to hit your corals on the sandbed, and keep em thriving.
Or you can skim through about 40pages to find that out from GrimReefer

-Justin