Anyone use MH on thier nanos?

[nvillacci]

Im considering adding a 250 watt PFO over my 10 gallon nano. Currently I have 72 watts of PC on this tank. I have SPS living but I want thriving.
Does anyone run a Metal Halide on their nanos? Whats your experience with heat and keeping the temp down? Is 250 watts doable? Any tips would be much appreciated....

BTW Im going to try and pay 150 for a PFO ballast, reflector and 6500K bulb, good you think?

Thanks!

Nick

[mr9iron]

I have heard that it is possible. I am considering hanging my 175 watt mh over my tank also. Who knows what possibilities lay ahead for us nano reefers. I say give it a shot and keep us posted.

[Q-ball]

I would put a 175w over mine, but don't want to deal with the heat issues here at work. If my nano was at home where I have more room to get creative, it'd prolly have a 175w MH on it, yeah...

Q!!!

[nvillacci]

Well I was mainly considering it for the SPS and clams I have in there. If I add another 36 watt bulb for a total of 98 watts for a ten gallon would this be better? (Also cheaper...) What have you guys done with SPS and clams in these small tanks, do they live?

LMK
Nick

[Pseudo Boy]

Hello,

I am running a 175 watt w/2X32 watt CSL PC's. The tank temp went up about 8°-13° from 79° until I actively left my AC on now the temp is back down to 81°. I also had to change the way my hood was designed so that the bulb would be higher from water.


Now for the good part. I was doing maintainence on the tank and when I took the hood off I put it on the floor, I turned to pick up my cordless phone and dropped it on the bulb shattering it.

And so now for the begging part...:D

Does anyone have a used 10,000k bulb CHEAP

I am moving soon and can't spend anymore money on tanks or the "expecting one" will kill me.

Pseudo :smokin:

[nvillacci]

ROFL, now thats a sad story........ Well its possible but with AC. And since the ambient temp outside right now is 94-100 im not going to risk it... Too bad it would have been fun.

[Pseudo Boy]

nvillacci,

You can do it. Even with the heat like it is, if you use a pendant it will be far enough from the water not to heat it so much. I am using a custom hood which is almost totally enclosed. So the heat build-up is incredible. I have a fan on the hood and it keeps the tank cool when the halide is off. I was having tremendous problems with heat buildup even when I only had the CSL's on.

The tank would get to 91°-93° when it was 75° in the room. The fan dropped the temp to 81° but I started to have evaporation of a 1/2 gallon water a day and sometimes more when the room temp went up.

I don't use the AC all day because the halide is only on for 4-6 hours a day, then the CSL's take over. I left the 10,000k and super actinic CSL bulbs in the hood that stay on for 12 hours with the actinic on the 1st hour alone and the last hour alone. The corals look great and I am keeping alot of different stuff from SPS to leathers and polyps.

So good luck with your tank

Pseudo :smokin:

[nvillacci]

Yep, but pendants arent cheap... As it is my temp goes to 85 with a fan and 72 watts of PC lighting, I think Ill just stick with what I have, maybe add a 13 watt Acitinic and make the other 72 watts 6500K. If you do happen to come along a pendant for around $100, thats a different story:)

Thanks!
Nick

[Tadashi]

I used a 250-watt 12000K MH on my 12-gal nano with great results. Actually the corals grew so fast I has to move them to another tank. I used two 4" fans pointed at the water to cause evap and keep the temp at 80-82 deg. I had to have a AT-1 Tsunami to replace evap (about 6 gal a week).

The 12000K eliminated the need for supplementation. If it is too blue for you I recommend the 10000K.