will 1 MH bulb be enough for a 36" long tank?

[gfk]

i was planning to either get a 30 gallon long, or a 40 gallon breeder, both of which are 36" long tanks.

will one mh most likely a 250watt, be sufficient enough to spread the whole 36" tank?

right now i have PC's so im used to the whole tank having equal light

 

[Mekong]

I have a 175watt SE over a 50g 36" tank and it works just fine. There really is no problem with dark spots, the middle is of course brighter, but I think its nice to have some shady areas for corals that like it.

2 I think would be too many

 

[electric130]

yes. get a parabolic reflector, mount it perpendicular to the front of the tank and you can bend the sides in or out to get the coverage you need. my brother in law did i on a 38 gallon. if you bend the reflector right, you can cancel out about 95% of any shadow a center brace might cause. it won't be noticible to anyone but you.

 

[jimbo045]

Fine I say. I only run 2) on my 120.