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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12935871#post12935871 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phenom5
Grim...I'm looking for your expert opinion on a bulb combo.
Looks like I'm going with a Tek fixture, the wife saw some tanks with the fixture hanging from the ceiling, and really liked the look. Okay by me, I'm a terrible carpenter, so if I don't have to build a canopy for a retro...:thumbsup:
Going with the 4x24 for a 20g long (30x12x12) SPS reef.
Here's what I'm thinking...
Front of the tank.
ATI Blue +
UV Super Actinic
UV Aqua Sun
ATI Blue +
Thoughts? Looking for good color and growth (of course I am...aren't we all).
Also, something I didn't even think about until now. My overflow is a 24x4 shelf overflow. Did I screw myself? I'm a little worried about it blocking out the back bulb. Thoughts?
Any thoughts on the hanging kit that Reefgeek has?
Thanks in advance. This thread is a freaking monster...I went 7 or 8 splits back, still couldn't find the start. I read through as much as I could stand, but god lord there's a lot of info to sort through. Keep up the good work.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12934403#post12934403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer I thought maybe something was not right also, like the ballasts were not fully operating. I plugged the fixture into a kila watt meter and it read just a little under 500 watts, so it looks like it is pulling the right wattage. I also beleive the fan is working properly because it speeds up as the fixture gets hotter. What else do you think it may be that is affecting the par? Thank you very much.
Something isn't right. I read PAR on a friends fixture sitting on my tank. The sensor was about 17" under the water with the fixture sitting on the tank frame about an inch and a half above the water line (22" tall tank). Just running a super actinic and Blue Plus the PAR was in the 120's. Because of some hang on back equipment I had at the time the fixture couldn't sit back far enough so the front lamp was about half blocked by the tank frame. At the rear my live rock was a solid wall about 5" from the water surface so the light from the rear lamp was at least partially blocked and we got PAR in the high 300's. I think with my current rockscape and lack of HOB equipment it would do over 400. Even being 6" further away from the target I would expect your readings to be at least in the mid 200's.
You sure the fan is working? Could be the lamps are shot. With 4 blue plus, one pro color which is about the same output as a blue plus with a little luck, one super actinic and one UVL 75/25 my constellation did in the mid 200's. The blue plus were the highest output lamps in the fixture.
T5's might be able to sustain an existing colony with less PAR than a halide, at least the theory sounds good. I am not sure you would match the growth with less PAR though. It's an interesting concept that is unfortunatly above my pay grade
I thought maybe something was not right also, like the ballasts were not fully operating. I plugged the fixture into a kila watt meter and it read just a little under 500 watts, so it looks like it is pulling the right wattage. I also beleive the fan is working properly because it speeds up as the fixture gets hotter. What else do you think it may be that is affecting the par? Thank you very much.
