MH ballast and bulb upgrade

[Worldwithin]

I currently am running 4 60" VHOs over a 135gal reef. I am looking to upgrade to a dual actinic VHO with 2 or 3 MH bulb setup. In reading through some of the posts over various threads, I am still trying to figure out what setup to go for. Right now, the Sola ballasts are looking rather attractive not only because of their price, but also they seem reliable. The two ballasts that I am looking at are the M57 (175 watt) or the M58 (250 watt). The tank itself is only 24" deep, so I am not looking for extreme light penetration.

Assuming that either of these ballasts are purchased, What light would work best for these ballasts. Having heard bad reviews on the 15k bulbs, I was looking at the 10k or the 20k XM SE (single ended?) bulbs. Would the 20k make the tank too blue with the dual Actinics??

Regarding the Sola ballasts, I have found some online for about $40-ish apiece, yet they do not look like they have an enclosure that comes with them.. Is this an issue, or would one have to be built to accomodate them? Does there need to be fans on these ballasts as well to dissipate heat? They would located within the stand under the tank.

Another concern I have is this.... Would 3 MH fixtures be overkill for this tank. The dimensions are 72L x 18W x 24H? I also have that thick piece of glass as a center brace in the tank to deal with.

Lastly, is this even a good setup? I know that there are a variety of ballasts, some more efficient than others in terms of output, bulb life, and energy consmption. In what I can see, aside from energy costs, the magnetic ballasts seem to be the best performer for bulb life and output efficiency. Is this correct, or am I just reading things incorrectly?

Thanks

Andy
:fish1:

[Phoneguy982]

The K rating is going to depend on your preference of color. 10K being yellow/white 14-15K will be a little blue-er and the 20K real blue. PAR is also reduced as you go from 6500K to the 20K's. I like a little blue look to my tank and don't want to use actinics to supplement my MH's so I will go with the 14K Hamiltons or the 14K EVC bulbs in the 250W MH range. Being your tank is 24" you can do either 175 or 250 but you need to figure out what you want to keep. 3 175's from I've learned will be fine but if you want the 14K look, go with 250's so the PAR will be higher in the 14K range. It does get confusing. I have 5 corals right now and all are doing fine in my 150 with 440W VHO. I am just still trying to figure out if I really want MH's or if I should keep what I've got now.

They say 1 MH for every 2' but you can do 2 for a 6' tank. (Which I plan to do) M58 ballasts use more electric than electronic ballasts so be prepared for more electric usage.