Ananick
06/18/2005, 12:55 AM
I'm going to be receiving my new 30g high acrylic tank soon (24"W x 24"H x 13"D) and I very much want to try out a MH setup this time around. I've been reading through lots of threads and its difficult to make up my mind what the best route to go is. Right now I'm leaning towards a 175w/150w electronic ballast (maybe icecap or EVC) using either a hamilton 175w 14k SE bulb or a phoenix 150w HQI bulb. As mentioned above, the tank is 24" high and I would be mounting the lights roughly 8-10" above the tank in a DIY hood. What I'm trying to figure out is what to choose between single and double ended bulbs. From what I read, I might get better coverage with a SE bulb than an HQI bulb. Also, what about my tank depth? I'll have a sand bed of around 2-3" so that'll subtract a little from the overall lighting distance. I understand that the higher kelvin bulbs give you less penetration than the lower kelvin bulbs. I really do like a like a slightly bluish look to the tank, which is why I think I'd like to try out a 14k bulb instead of a 10k with PC actinic suppliments. Another point I'm not sure about is if a 150w HQI or 175w SE bulb would be enough for my tank. The 250w is very tempting, but it's more money for electricity that I'd rather not deal with.