Advice on lights for my 150gal. (60x24x24)

[ancron]

I’m looking to get lights for my new tank I’m setting up. I just upgraded to a 150-gallon (60x24x24) tank and it’s going to be a reef. I’m wondering what you guys think I should put on it... I’m thinking of three setups.

1. 2 250 watt HQI 10k plus 2 Actinic VHO

Or

2. 2 250 watt Metal Halides 10k and 2 Actinic VHO

Or

3. 2 400 watt 20k metal halides

What do you think? What is your experience with the above set ups or do you have another set up you think will work. My tank has a very tall canopy so height is not an issue.

[Toomnymods]

I'll be very intrested in a response as well I'm going to be doing the same reef size tank within the next 2 months, I'm in the planning stages right now.. I'm mainly going to be about 90% Sps with a 15" rose anemone and a few mushrooms,clams, and zoos..
Thanks,
Chris

P.S. The LFS I go to suggested using 3 250 10,000k watt HQI's in a 8-10" canopy with icecaps for air circulation.. with vho actinics..

[moonpod]

I'll be a smart *** and respond w/an 8x80w T5 system driven by two IC 660's.
Check out this link:
http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ratgeberaquarium.de%2Fmerfa_ati03.html&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

[dendronepthya]

I've done #1 and #3 or something very close with my 60" tank. I really like the way #1 looks. A little while back, I posted a thing about my canopy that I had just finished. The lighting on it is a 48" AB Aquaspacelight and 4 - 110W VHO actinics. I'm really happy with how that worked out. Since the canopy is about 15-18" tall, I have no problem with light spread. Here is one pic of that setup(the rest can be seen in my gallery):
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/582/117canopy4.jpg

[StirCrazy]

Originally posted by ancron
I’m looking to get lights for my new tank I’m setting up. I just upgraded to a 150-gallon (60x24x24) tank and it’s going to be a reef. I’m wondering what you guys think I should put on it... I’m thinking of three setups.

1. 2 250 watt HQI 10k plus 2 Actinic VHO

Or

2. 2 250 watt Metal Halides 10k and 2 Actinic VHO

Or

3. 2 400 watt 20k metal halides

What do you think? What is your experience with the above set ups or do you have another set up you think will work. My tank has a very tall canopy so height is not an issue.

Go with number 1, but use AB mogual bulbs. the PAR will be the same but you will get a better spread for a more even lighting..

persoanly I would concider going with 3, 250 watt HQI ballast and run two 250 watt radiums on the outsides and a 250 watt 10K AB in the center.

Steve