Which reflecter has widest spread for 400 watt halide?

[SoFloReefer]

My tank is 4' x 4' but is shallow. The reflector is going to hang around 20" above water. Out of the top end reflectors which has the most spread? Thanks (please dont chime in if you are going to tell me to use 2 250s etc)

 

[RokleM]

What are you planning to keep? What's the depth?

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of SPS guys tell you to use 4x250 instead of 2x250 Trying to get a bulb stretched far enough for a 36" reach is hard enough, let alone 48". Again, depends on your depth and what exactly you plan to keep.

 

[gcarroll]

The reflector with the widest spread is the full sized Lumenmax. We have a store in So Cal that has them over a couple of 4' x 4' x 1' bins and it covers them fine. They were running 250 watt Radiums but I would suggest spending the money on a 400 watt Aquaconnect 14K for the extra PAR. They were able to keep the SPS with above average colors.

 

[SoFloReefer]

Im going to keep mostly softies as in Zoanthids, Palythoas, Ricordia (Florida and Yuma) but I will also keep some SPS towards the center where the light will be intense. The coral will only be a foot or less below the surface. I have been thinking 20K Radium bulb to REALLY make the zoos pop. I have been wondering how much of a trade off the growth rate is with the 20Ks over lets say a 12k or 14k bulb. Also which ballast is best matched for the Radiums. I have little experience with Metal Halides because up till now I have used T5s

 

[ReefWreak]

I would check out Coral Reef Farm down on Stirling Rd. in Fort Lauderdale. They've got their coral "bins" (which look either 4'x4' or 3'x3') all lit with Luminarc full sized and 20k radiums. 400w I believe. I would check it out because it's EXACTLY what you're talking about, it would sound like. They get awesome coloration out of the corals, and huge spread. They also keep the reflector a good 2' or so off the top of the tanks, but thats what you NEED to do to get spread like you're talking about.

I've never seen the original lumenmax reflectors, but whatever they are, I believe that the Luminarc IIIs are more reflective, give better light distrobution, and cover more area. I believe the comparison was made in Advanced Aquarist magazine. I suggest checking them out for comparisons on light spread with reflectors.

 

[RokleM]

I think a radium 20k with a Lumenarc full sized would indeed do dencently well. Most of what you listed is indeed pretty low light, and you could use that center section for SPS.

Personally, I would think about a 400w Radium 20k on a HQI ballast.

 

[gcarroll]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12959239#post12959239 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefWreak
I've never seen the original lumenmax reflectors, but whatever they are, I believe that the Luminarc IIIs are more reflective, give better light distrobution, and cover more area. I believe the comparison was made in Advanced Aquarist magazine. I suggest checking them out for comparisons on light spread with reflectors.

The Lumenmax reflector outperforms the Lumenarc 3 for this application. The Lumenmax is a larger reflector and has a more uniform light distrbution than the lumenarc 3. Per Sanjay's reflector test, i think it would be the better choice. If we were talking a 3' x 3' I would say lumenarc or lumenmax would be fine, but since we are talking 4' x 4' I would say the choice is clear for me. Lumenmax!

As for bulb choice I would go with the Aquaconnect 14K (which is really a 20+K bulb) with a HQI ballast. You might even consider a Galaxy E-ballast. The Radium is a good choice but you will need to change it every 6 months to maintain peak perfiormance. The Aquaconnect has far more par and is a HQI bulb so it will not suffer the short life of the overdrived Radium. The AC 14K has more peak blue (455 nm) and more peak actinic (420 nm) than the Raduim

 

[GSMguy]

Greg what bulb ballast reflector combo and height from the water would you suggest for my 48x27x14 ?

i want to go 400w SE from 2x250w DE

 

[gcarroll]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12960273#post12960273 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
Greg what bulb ballast reflector combo and height from the water would you suggest for my 48x27x14 ?

i want to go 400w SE from 2x250w DE

14" high? If so I would not recomend 400 watt I would go with 2x250 watt Radium SE. Ballast: HQI, Galaxy, New Icecap or Lumatec ballast. Reflector: Lumenbright, Lumenmax Elite, Lumenarc 3, and Lumenmax 2 will all give nice even sperad. Lumenbright and Lumenmax Elite will be more intense

 

[EnderG60]

Luminarc 1, looks like a 3' diameter UFO, covers 4x4 perfectly. We used them with 1000w's on SPS vats where I used to work.

 

[RokleM]

What SE reflector for 400w at 48 wide, 36 deep, 27 tall (have 2 t5's for actinic)? I have 2 LumenMax 2's right now on my 180 I'll move to the new tank or replace with suggested reflectors.

 

[SoFloReefer]

I cant find those Aquaconnect bulbs in 400 watt. Also why do you consider the HQI superior to a mogul bulb?

 

[SoFloReefer]

^^ I meant why is HQI better at driving Radium than Standard electronic ballast. I found those Aquaconnect bulbs btw and they run 140.oo. After looking through Sanjeys tests I'm thinking XM 20K

 

[just dave]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12963468#post12963468 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SoFloReefer
^^ I meant why is HQI better at driving Radium than Standard electronic ballast. I found those Aquaconnect bulbs btw and they run 140.oo. After looking through Sanjeys tests I'm thinking XM 20K

If we are talking about the Radium 400w 20K this is what I've learned. There is no 400w Radium 20k bulb. It is actually a 360w bulb and was designed to be driven by an ANSI m135/m155 pulse start ballast. There is no HQI 400w ballast the one sold as a 400w HQI ballast is usually ( if not always) a SON AGRO 430w unit. So firing a 400w (360w) Radium 20k bulb on the 400w HQI ( 430w SON AGRO) ballast overdrives the bulb causing it to burn brighter but it also cause the bulb to degrade faster.