Who has 150w HQI's over their tanks ?

[jman77]

Hello Guys,

I'm trying to figure out what to do. I have 2 x 250w HQI's setup over my 58g and i think it's a bit too much light. I'm thinking of either downgrading the fixture to 2 x 150w HQI's or running the 250 bulbs on E ballasts....

What do you think i should do? Do 150's grow decent stuff ?

 

[carpus]

well how big is your setup? 58 gal with a 50 g sump?

lightening is directly proportional to the setup. But try raising the 250's and putting your corals on the bottom and let them adjust. Slowly move the corals up. and aftert the corals are at the top of the aquascape, start lowering the lights.

I dont think 250's are too much light, but I do believe in slow acclimation

 

[jman77]

The tank is a 58 with a 30ish gallon sump

Corals are not bleaching they are fine. My main issue with the 250's is the ambient heat they put into the room. I see people running 250w HQI's over 120g tanks and getting great growth, so i think i went a little overboard getting dual 250w hqi's over a tank that is 36 x 18 x 21

 

[TwistedTiger]

I'm running 150w HQI's over my 75g and will probably convert my fixture to 250's. I get much better growth and color under the 250's.

 

[jman77]

Hello Tiger...

Are you running an HQI or E ballast on the 250 that you have ?

 

[Stoney Mahony]

150w hqi = Slow growth. You can still kepp them healthy, just gonna grow alot slower.

 

[carpus]

I have a 100 gallon with a 20 gallon sump and I run 2 250's ocean pendants on it. And yea I understand the heat issue.

Without a fan directing air at the water surface, my temp would go up to a risky 89F. but with the fan it never reaching past 80F.

as for ambient room temp... the tank's in my bedroom. its not too bad. the fans circulate air in the room as well as cools the tank i suppose

ITs one of those cheap 10$ target fans. there pretty powerful. get them while its summer. Its impossible to find good fans out of season

mine are HQI.

 

[Jovreefer]

I have a 150w HQI over a 20G and I wish I had went with a 250. I think over a 50 it would be a really bad Idea to go with a 150.

Have you looked into T5's if heat is an issue?

 

[Stoney Mahony]

I agree, I have 800w over my 55 and it never gets above 79 with a fan. Slight over kill but my corals love it .

 

[TwistedTiger]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7506921#post7506921 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jman77
Hello Tiger...

Are you running an HQI or E ballast on the 250 that you have ?

The 250w that I have is a SE 6500k on an E ballast. I'm using 14k's in the HQI 150's. If I rebuild my fixture I am going 2x250w HQI but I really like the color I'm getting from the 65k and the 14ks act more as actinic supplementation. I don't feel like the 150w even on the HQI ballast put out enough light to give SPS good color.JMO

 

[merlock116]

If you're doing sps, I'd go with 10k's. The par drops down 40-50% if you choose 14k or 20k bulbs.

I've got a 150w reeflux 10k de hqi over a 20 gallon but i keep mostly softies in it, with a few montis.

 

[jman77]

darn so it looks like the 150's are no good for sps..... I'll get the Electronic Ballast then and see how i like it.... thanks guys

 

[tdsounds]

I have a 58g with a 250de 14k and 2x95w vho. I'm thinking about adding another 250de 14k. I really don't think it would be too much light. How high is bulb from the surface of the water? I have mine about 12in from the bulb to the water and about 6 inches from the pendant to the water. I think you should just stick to what you got. Check out copps tank: His tank is almost your dimensions except a little bit higher. He got 2x250 and 3vhos. Here is the link to that tank
Copps 65g sept 04 tank of the month

 

[jman77]

SLooks good..i'm just going to change my ballasts over to the icecap E ballast.

 

[dots]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7506934#post7506934 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stoney Mahony
150w hqi = Slow growth. You can still kepp them healthy, just gonna grow alot slower.

Can't agree more, I have 150s over mine.....I always say I will never be a frag farmer. Other than that, they keep well.

 

[jman77]

Sac...

How slow is slow ?

 

[TwistedTiger]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7511837#post7511837 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jman77
Sac...

How slow is slow ?

That depends greatly on the par of the bulb you use and the depth of the tank.

 

[gizmo7718]

I've got 150s over my 36" tank. My growth and color are both good. My ORA tort grows about an inch every 2-3 months, A. microphthalma grows about 2 inches every 2-3 months. I've never tried 250s, hopefully I'll get around to sneaking that purchase in when my wife isn't looking. Wanna trade?

 

[Milleme]

I have a 150 and 250 hqi over my 58. Deffinitly more growth and better colors on the 250 side. But I do keep less light demanding corals like montis on the 150 side and more acropras on the 250 side.

 

[Tony Campos]

Hey jman77 i have a 20GL with Aqua Medic 150 MH with 10k bulb
and my SPS corals are growing and coloring nicely also have LPS
on one side doesnt seem to bother SPS at all.
Hope this helps