mh lighting se or de

[robzilla]

hi, i've read pages upon pages of the differences of the the 2 types of bulbs. my question, as i relatively new to this hobby, what would be a good recommedation for a pendant style mh for
a pentagon tank.
how about wattage? 175 watts be enough ? the tank is 22" deep. or should i go with 250 watt?
i've got two small children, is there any health risks involved with using these lights (other than heat or burns by touching the unit)

thank you for any help,
rob

[HouseDJSTL]

Definately keep out of the reach of children, as for the wattage.

For a 22" deep tank, I would suggest the 250 Watt.

You will be much happier w/ the amount of output it has.

Good Luck!

-J

[robzilla]

would i start with 14000k bulb as a minimun, as i will not be adding supplemental actinic lighting>

[scottfarcuz]

Here (http://metricksystem.com/chris/250wcolour/) is a cool site that will help you compare the look of different 250w MH bulbs.

[bertoni]

[welcome]

Any bulb 6500 K and up should be fine as far as the organisms. The color temperature choice is mostly an aesthetic issue. If you can look at some real tanks, that'd be very useful, IMO.