I am looking at purchasing a 65 gal and would prefer dual 250w halides on this tank. I have found 2 different fixtures one with actinics and one with white leds and lunar lights. I really dont care about the lunar lights so should I go with the actinics? Will they provide any xtra benefits? It looks like 36in light are limited in choices. I really dont want a canopy and pendants are not practical considering the location of where my tank will be. I have looked a liveaquaria and marine depot does anyone have another supplier to check out.
Thoughts on halide fixture.
- Thread starter mercuryxs
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Tomoko Schum
New member
I suspect that a dual 250W light fixture would be too much light for 65 long (48 x 18 x 17). It's too much and not a right fit for 65 wide (36 x 24 x 17). I have dual 250W on my 120 (48 x 24 x 24).
65 Gallon tank is not an easy tank to light up with a metal halide fixture. The fixture that might work for you might be:
Current USA Outer Orbit Fixture, 2x150W HQI Metal Halide & 4X39W T5s, 36 inch
However, it is really too much light for 17 inch tall tank IMHO. Have you consider a different size tank such as 95 wide (36 x 24 x 25) that fits the same foot print but taller?
Here's a good tank size chart by glass cages. They offer tanks in various sizes. If you don't like Glass cage's tanks, you can consider Ocea's tank. They seem to be very well made and not as expensive as other brands.
One metal halide bulb can cover 2 feet x 2 feet area. If you have a great reflector such as Lumenbrite or Lumen Max, it can cover an even larger area.
If you don't want a canopy or pendant, I suppose you want something that mounts directly on the tank.
If you use 14K or 20K lamp, you don't need an actinic lamp. You can just use a metal halide lamp in that case.
Tomoko
65 Gallon tank is not an easy tank to light up with a metal halide fixture. The fixture that might work for you might be:
Current USA Outer Orbit Fixture, 2x150W HQI Metal Halide & 4X39W T5s, 36 inch
However, it is really too much light for 17 inch tall tank IMHO. Have you consider a different size tank such as 95 wide (36 x 24 x 25) that fits the same foot print but taller?
Here's a good tank size chart by glass cages. They offer tanks in various sizes. If you don't like Glass cage's tanks, you can consider Ocea's tank. They seem to be very well made and not as expensive as other brands.
One metal halide bulb can cover 2 feet x 2 feet area. If you have a great reflector such as Lumenbrite or Lumen Max, it can cover an even larger area.
If you don't want a canopy or pendant, I suppose you want something that mounts directly on the tank.
If you use 14K or 20K lamp, you don't need an actinic lamp. You can just use a metal halide lamp in that case.
Tomoko
To much heat to much light? I want enough light to have sps. This seems to be the best deal I have found
Aqua Medic Ocean Light T5/Metal Halide Combo Series
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_Aquar...e_aqua_medic_ocean_light_t5_combo_series.html
Aqua Medic Ocean Light T5/Metal Halide Combo Series
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_Aquar...e_aqua_medic_ocean_light_t5_combo_series.html
Tomoko Schum
New member
There is such a thing as too much light. Even SPS's can reach a point that they get more than enough light (photosaturation). It the light level gets too much, photoinhibition occurs and SPS's shut down their photosynthesis mechanism and stop growing.
I recall that Dr. Sanjay Joshi mentioned in some of his articles that a 250W metal halide lamp can generally light a reef tank shallower than 24 inches quite adequately. 400W bulbs are needed for tanks deeper than 24 inches.
If you have two 250W lamps over 36 inch wide area, you will have the center area where two light beams overlap lit very intensely. 500W of light over 17 inch depth seems too much light to me. You can raise your light fixture so that the light will not be too intense over your SPS's, but a lot of light will be spilling outside of your tank.
Aqua Medic Ocean Light needs to be hung from the ceiling. I though you did not want to do that.
Tomoko
I recall that Dr. Sanjay Joshi mentioned in some of his articles that a 250W metal halide lamp can generally light a reef tank shallower than 24 inches quite adequately. 400W bulbs are needed for tanks deeper than 24 inches.
If you have two 250W lamps over 36 inch wide area, you will have the center area where two light beams overlap lit very intensely. 500W of light over 17 inch depth seems too much light to me. You can raise your light fixture so that the light will not be too intense over your SPS's, but a lot of light will be spilling outside of your tank.
Aqua Medic Ocean Light needs to be hung from the ceiling. I though you did not want to do that.
Tomoko
The0wn4g3
New member
First of all, exactly which 65 gallon tank are you going to be getting? I have the 65 "tall" which is 36 x 18 x 24.
At the beginning, I had 2x 96W PC's which was plenty for softies, muchroom etc. I then upgrade to dual 175W with XM 15,000k bulbs. The dual 175W was NOT enough for me to keep any SPS unless it was very high up in the tank. Another thing you have to take into consideration is how high above the water level the fixture is. Mine were mounted to the canopy, so about 7" above the water. If you get a fixture, it will be around 4" off the water.
I eventually got tired of having to place all of my lighty-needy corals near the top of the tank and replaced the halides with 4x 39W T5's overdriven on an IceCap 660. The difference in coral growth and color was like day and night. I was able to keep SPS anywhere in the tank without a problem.
With that said, I wouldn't recommend anything less than dual 250W, even if it is the 17" deep version of the 65. It is MUCH easier to have too much light and just raise the fixture rather than having too little light and placing all of your coral at the top. I thought dual 175W would have been spectacular... boy was I wrong.
Aquamedic makes great fixtures. You won't be let down by that fixture.
Personally though, I would recommend T5's over metal halides for a 65 gallon, unless you just really like the shimmer effect. I had trouble with the metal halides causing too much heat when I had my 65 set up. Even with the canopy open and a fan blowing, in the summer it got around 80-81 when I usually keep it 77-78.
Also, just because it is a hanging fixture doesn't mean it must be hung from the ceiling. It is easy to hang them over 2 shepard's hooks mounted to the back of the stand. That way there is no need to drill holes in the ceiling, and it is easy to adjust the height of the fixtures.
PS: My 65 gallon tank, canopy, and stand with sump is for sale
At the beginning, I had 2x 96W PC's which was plenty for softies, muchroom etc. I then upgrade to dual 175W with XM 15,000k bulbs. The dual 175W was NOT enough for me to keep any SPS unless it was very high up in the tank. Another thing you have to take into consideration is how high above the water level the fixture is. Mine were mounted to the canopy, so about 7" above the water. If you get a fixture, it will be around 4" off the water.
I eventually got tired of having to place all of my lighty-needy corals near the top of the tank and replaced the halides with 4x 39W T5's overdriven on an IceCap 660. The difference in coral growth and color was like day and night. I was able to keep SPS anywhere in the tank without a problem.
With that said, I wouldn't recommend anything less than dual 250W, even if it is the 17" deep version of the 65. It is MUCH easier to have too much light and just raise the fixture rather than having too little light and placing all of your coral at the top. I thought dual 175W would have been spectacular... boy was I wrong.
Aquamedic makes great fixtures. You won't be let down by that fixture.
Personally though, I would recommend T5's over metal halides for a 65 gallon, unless you just really like the shimmer effect. I had trouble with the metal halides causing too much heat when I had my 65 set up. Even with the canopy open and a fan blowing, in the summer it got around 80-81 when I usually keep it 77-78.
Also, just because it is a hanging fixture doesn't mean it must be hung from the ceiling. It is easy to hang them over 2 shepard's hooks mounted to the back of the stand. That way there is no need to drill holes in the ceiling, and it is easy to adjust the height of the fixtures.
PS: My 65 gallon tank, canopy, and stand with sump is for sale
I have the 36x18x24 65g also it is a very deep tank for a 65g and the 2 250 do great on there. Iam not an expert on reef tanks i can just say how what i have seen has done.
If you want a pic of a 65 w/th 2 250 look under tank of the mos for the 65g i dont remember his name but it is a sps tank looks great
If you want a pic of a 65 w/th 2 250 look under tank of the mos for the 65g i dont remember his name but it is a sps tank looks great
I have the 36x18x24 65g also it is a very deep tank for a 65g and the 2 250 do great on there. Iam not an expert on reef tanks i can just say how what i have seen has done.
If you want a pic of a 65 w/th 2 250 look under tank of the mos for the 65g i dont remember his name but it is a sps tank looks great
If you want a pic of a 65 w/th 2 250 look under tank of the mos for the 65g i dont remember his name but it is a sps tank looks great
Tomoko Schum
New member
One thing about sleek Aqua Medic light fixtures is that their HQI ballasts are noisy.
I have an Aqua Medic dual 250W HQI light fixture (with two 14K MH bulbs only) over my SPS dominated 120. Its suspention system is very nice actually. No one notices its fine steel cables from the ceiling. Its really well made.
Since my 14K bulbs are about 10 months old, I have my light fixture lowered to about 4 to 5 inches above the water surface right now (normally suspended much higher than 4 inches above water). My SPS's are colored up brightly with most of them half way down the tank (24 inches deep). Obviously a dual 250W MH fixture on a HQI ballast (brighter than the same bulbs on a electronic ballast) is good enough to color up SPS's in a 120 (48 x 24 x 24). This is the primary reason why I think a dual 250W MH fixture with T-5 actinic lamps is an overkill for a 65 gallon tank (provided that you have a well-matched lamps and ballast combination.)
Tomoko
I have an Aqua Medic dual 250W HQI light fixture (with two 14K MH bulbs only) over my SPS dominated 120. Its suspention system is very nice actually. No one notices its fine steel cables from the ceiling. Its really well made.
Since my 14K bulbs are about 10 months old, I have my light fixture lowered to about 4 to 5 inches above the water surface right now (normally suspended much higher than 4 inches above water). My SPS's are colored up brightly with most of them half way down the tank (24 inches deep). Obviously a dual 250W MH fixture on a HQI ballast (brighter than the same bulbs on a electronic ballast) is good enough to color up SPS's in a 120 (48 x 24 x 24). This is the primary reason why I think a dual 250W MH fixture with T-5 actinic lamps is an overkill for a 65 gallon tank (provided that you have a well-matched lamps and ballast combination.)
Tomoko
jrthomas40
New member
i think you could get by with 2x 175....2x 250s could just be spending more money than is needed and using more energy...like tomoko said the ballast and bulb combo is the key...but 2x250s could be over kill...i would actually like to drop down to 2x175s on my 90g because 1) the lights are between 10-12 inches off the water so no real heat issues but also wasting a lot of light from the light spread
The0wn4g3
New member
At one point I was running 4x 39W overdriven and a 2x 39W nova retrofit for actinics. I can safely say 6x 39W on a 65 is overkill. I now use the 4x overdriven over my 110 gallon "tank" which is actually a 5' wide 15" deep octagonal tub.
The bulbs usual from from $19-$24 each, so approx. $76-$96 + shipping to replace them, depending on the brand of the bulbs. Running ~156W also reduces heat output and safe energy compared to 350W or 500W of metal halides. T5's are also easier to find the "right" bulb combination as there are tons of different bulbs by different makers that all have unique qualities. The electronic ballasts are silent, too.
With all that said, I don't have any problems growing SPS with my 4x 39W T5 retrofit by IceCap.
I got these frags from H@rry. They are about 12" below the waterline, and about 24" below the fixture.
The bulbs usual from from $19-$24 each, so approx. $76-$96 + shipping to replace them, depending on the brand of the bulbs. Running ~156W also reduces heat output and safe energy compared to 350W or 500W of metal halides. T5's are also easier to find the "right" bulb combination as there are tons of different bulbs by different makers that all have unique qualities. The electronic ballasts are silent, too.
With all that said, I don't have any problems growing SPS with my 4x 39W T5 retrofit by IceCap.
I got these frags from H@rry. They are about 12" below the waterline, and about 24" below the fixture.
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