where to buy DIY lighting parts

70W sucks! I had one over a nanocube and it couldn't grow any but the least demanding sps. I'd at least put a MH, at least 150w in the middle and then I'd stick a tube fluorescent in the back for supplementation and extension of the light. Then I'd place the most demanding corals in the middle going outward.

To give perspective my 36g is 20" high and I've got a 250W MH over it in the canopy and things grow wonderfully.

gl,
-A
 
It depends on the reflector you use. The new TEK II reflectors are 3" wide so 4 across a 12" tank is tight. The Icecap reflectors are less then 3" wide, they are about 2.5" or so. I set up my 30g long with 3 36" bulbs and had room for one more using the old TEK reflectors that were less than 3" wide. I used three with a single Workhorse 5 ballast and was happy with the results.

You could squeeze more than five in but would either have to skip the individual reflectors, angle the reflectors, or alternate heights both of which would reduce efficiency.

I saw a photo of someone who squeezed five in with the outside reflectors angled in towards the tank. The idea was to "aim" the reflected light into the tank rather than out the front or into the black background.


FYI, I am very happy so far with the push-on waterproof endcaps I got from DIYreef. I used the plastic standoffs on my 30g and the push-ons on my new 90g and like the push-ons much better. I know you didn't ask about those, just stating my experience with both.


Dave
 
OK, to take this thread in a slightly different direction...

You all have convinced me that in the long run I won't be happy with what has been discussed to this point.

So I'm now considering 2 options:
  • Current Nova Extreme 6x39 T5 fixture - $350 from DIYreef, possibly a hair cheaper on ebay.
    Advantages: Fixture - no DIYing. Cooler, more efficient. More affordable.
    Disadvantages: Fixture - won't work well on a longer tank if I upgrade.
  • Current USA 2x150mh + 4x39T5 fixture - hard to find the MH/T5 version, everyone has the MH/PC one.
    Advantages: Fixture, no DIYing. Great light output.
    Disadvantages: Fixture - won't work well on a longer tank if I upgrade. Expensive. Heat may be an issue, if it is, not much I can do about it.
  • DIY setup: 2x150MH and 2x39w T5s - somewhere in the neighborhood of $500.
    Advantages: Fully flexible, both now and down the road. Great light output. If heat is an issue, I can always add more vents/fans.
    Disadvantages: DIY- I don't mind DIYing, but it never seems to come out as well as I'd like/expect. Expensive.

I have a little more money to play with than I initially thought. Do I stick with the 30l and go with the MH/T5s, or upgrade to a 45g tank (same footprint, just taller), drill it, use the 30 as a sump and go with the T5 fixture.

It's easier (though more expensive) to upgrade lights down the road than it is to upgrade a tank.

So, what say ye? I'm leaning towards sticking with the 30 for now and going with the better lighting. Spending the money on the lighting gets me MUCH more light. Spending the money on a 45 and drilling it doesn't get me that much more tank.
 
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i would agree that it is easyer to uprgrade lights over a tank...lol...

are you goin to drill the 30g?? i guess that would be the disideing factor for me. if you are drilling to run to a saump then i would say go with the better lights, bbut if you are just goingt o run the 30 with no sump i would upgrade to the 45 so then you would gain about 30 more gallons over just having a 30g tank.
 
then go with the lights you will be much happyer. i have had t-5's and moved to MH. personally i love the shimmer and i dont think i would ever go back. as well as when most people change over from mh to t-5 and there corals have been growing under mh for a while they tend to loose alot of them and soem tiems crash the tank due to improperly acclimating the tank to the lighting.
 
you dont want to drill the bottom of an undrilled tank anyways. you want to drill the side or back. every tank has a tempered bottom.
 
According to Allglass, seems like most tanks bigger than 55g (including some 55s) do not have tempered bottoms.

And drilling the bottom is the only option - I don't have enough room to drill the back or side.
 
that is interesting. i havnt seen a tank with out a tempered bottom. you sure you could work it out some how there isnt much clearence needed for it. maybe 1.5 inch.
 
Keep in mind that a 36" fixture can fit over a 48" tank. Many fixtures have leg attachments and DIY supports are another option. You obviously don't get maximum coverage but it easily do-able. Also, much of the "guts" of a fixture can be used in an upgraded DIY fixture. Going from a 30g long to a 55g isn't that much of a stretch. Going from a 30g ling to a 90g is a different story.

The debate between MH and T5 will go on for years. There a proponents and opponents of each. Many people have gone from MH to T5 and had great success and would never go back to T5.

Every tank is different and every hobbyist is different. What one person likes another one doesn't and visa versa.

Dave
 
You can get the ballast off of ballastwise dot com I have a 30 gal long 36Lx 12Wx16H and I run a single 175 halide with a cheap parabolic refleftor and have been running it that way for almost a year now and love it. I get great coverage from just one bulb.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12873308#post12873308 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jacksonpt
According to Allglass, seems like most tanks bigger than 55g (including some 55s) do not have tempered bottoms.

And drilling the bottom is the only option - I don't have enough room to drill the back or side.
Click to expand...
Sorry - I miss typed that... all tanks UNDER 55gallons (including some 55s) do NOT have tempered bottoms.
 
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