Ohioreefer-

[Andrew]

Where did you get you'r lights at on you'r 75 gallon? j/w :)

[ohioreef]

They are DIY. I got most everything from hellolights.com.

[Andrew]

o. T5's right?

[ohioreef]

Nope. VHO.

[Andrew]

Should I stick with pc or upgrade to VHO? What kind of corals can VHOS support?

[ohioreef]

I have SPS, LPS, leathers, mushrooms, and anemones in my tank and all seem to be doing well. Go to www.ohioreef.com to see the pics of my corals.

I currently have 330W, but intend to add a fourth bulb for a total of 440W.

There are advantages/disadvantages to both types of lighting systems. You just need to to do some research and decide what works best for your situation. Personally, I really like my VHOs.

[Andrew]

humm. Gotta talk my dad into forking out some money to get some then. The hard part will be making a canopy for a bowfront tank. The front part would just not be covered. I just took an inch of sand out of my tank and am working on making this tank sweet. I also want to re-arrange the rocks before the fragswap. Right now most of my rock sits on the sandbed and I want to try to stack it up more. Would this set be good?

http://www.hellolights.com/243lavhoreki.html

[Dubbin1]

FYI you can get a 250w MH retro kit with bulb for around $160. This comes with everything you need to get it going plus it is an electronic ballast. http://oceanencounter.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=OE&Product_Code=E2R&Category_Code=EVMHR

[Andrew]

sweet. Are there any antic pc light retro kits I could add with that?

[Dubbin1]

Just get it with a 14 15 or 20k bulb and then you would never have to worry about an actinic bulb.

[Andrew]

k. Im not really light bulb smart. Just learning.

[ohioreef]

Wouldn't he need 2 of the MH kits to cover his tank adequately?

[Andrew]

Its only 24'' long.

[Dubbin1]

Originally posted by ohioreefer
Wouldn't he need 2 of the MH kits to cover his tank adequately?
Not at all. One unit is good for a 2X2 area.

[Andrew]

Ill look into ordering the light. I just took 1/2 the rock out of the tank and cleaned it down and ill get the rest after school and then re-arange it. The rock I cleaned is now in the fuge.

[hllywd]

Andrew the bow front canopy isn't that difficult, if you or your dad have some woodworking skills make a form with some plywood scraps to match the bow then glue and clamp several layers of 1/8" plywood to the form to make the front piece fit your tank.
Like I said it takes some minor skills and a few tools but isn't like rocket science or anything...:cool:

[ohioreef]

Just remember that MH can add a lot of heat to your tank.

[Andrew]

Yea, Ill have to take out the heater and add 2 fans to it. Im sure my dad knows how to make the word bow. I just don't know how.

[Dubbin1]

Originally posted by ohioreefer
Just remember that MH can add a lot of heat to your tank.
I left the back and top open on mine and I have no heat problems at all. Sure its a couple ° warmer but its nothing that will cause a problem.

[Andrew]

Just got done cleaning the tank and rocks. Put them all back in. Not really happy with the stack I have now but I may swtich around a few rocks.

[Andrew]

Should I get 2 bulb or 3 bulb unit?

[ohioreef]

Originally posted by Andrew
Should I get 2 bulb or 3 bulb unit?

Are you talking MH, VHO or PC?

With MH you'd only need one. VHO or PC would depend on how much wattage you're looking at trying to achieve.

[Andrew]

How many watts do recomend in MH?

[Dubbin1]

Originally posted by Andrew
How many watts do recomend in MH?
250w

[scottfarcuz]

Originally posted by Andrew
Yea, Ill have to take out the heater and add 2 fans to it. Im sure my dad knows how to make the word bow. I just don't know how.

Why would you remove the heater? It wont kick on unless the water falls below it's set temp.

I have 1-250w MH and 2-55w PC's on a 29g with 1-106cfm fan ,and if I crank the AC in the house down like I sometimes do My heater still runs occasionally...