2 400w's too much for 90g?

[styxnpicks]

I just bought a 90aga and i'm starting to plan everything out, I'v had my 10G for over a year now and I had setup a 40G about 6 months ago but never really stocked it, well I got a used 90G with stand for cheap and i'm going to use the 40 as a sump as I had wanted to do in the first place when i picked up the 40g, right now I have 1 400w and ballast on the 40 but I also have an extra bulb so all I would need to buy is another ballast and new reflector, I see everyone with 90's running 2 250's and I'm wondering if 2 400's might be too much. the 400 on the 40 right now is about 9 inches off the water and its way to hot, so the 2 400's on the 90 will be about 18-20 inches off the water in the 90 if not even further, oh ya I also have the ballast for 220 watts of VHO too :) but I feel I will need to upgrade my skimmer from the urchin pro i have to like a ev-180 since I insist on a heavy bioload AND sps

[paulpp187]

no it's never to much if you don't mind paying a slightly higher electric bill. my buddy runs 1 400 over his 29g

[Larry Waughon]

The 400's would be fine,put a fan over your tank to keep it cool.

[spamin76]

Originally posted by styxnpicks
I just bought a 90aga and i'm starting to plan everything out, I'v had my 10G for over a year now and I had setup a 40G about 6 months ago but never really stocked it, well I got a used 90G with stand for cheap and i'm going to use the 40 as a sump as I had wanted to do in the first place when i picked up the 40g, right now I have 1 400w and ballast on the 40 but I also have an extra bulb so all I would need to buy is another ballast and new reflector, I see everyone with 90's running 2 250's and I'm wondering if 2 400's might be too much. the 400 on the 40 right now is about 9 inches off the water and its way to hot, so the 2 400's on the 90 will be about 18-20 inches off the water in the 90 if not even further, oh ya I also have the ballast for 220 watts of VHO too :) but I feel I will need to upgrade my skimmer from the urchin pro i have to like a ev-180 since I insist on a heavy bioload AND sps

It depends who you are asking. I think it is overkill, but some people do it and have awesome tanks... :D

[samsfishnchips]

spamin76 has a point, depends on who you ask

why run 800+ watts if the ballast is magnetic, while a 175w or 150w DE pendent will do the job,

but at the moment, 400w's will make you start up cheaper,

anyway good luck,

sam

[HaroldT]

I dont think a single 150w DE pendent will be enough lighting for a 90 gallon reef tank IMO. Would likely limit what you can keep in your tank. The 400s would do fine but would just cost more to run.

[szwab]

400's woul look good. one thing you won't need to worry about is placement of your sps. Now if you are looking to do low light corals you will have to incorporate some overhangs to shield those corals a bit. On a 90 an alternative would be to go with 250 de's in a ro3 reflector. I personally run 400's in lumenarch3 refectors but my tank is 31 inches deep

[danthemanj]

I am in the process of putting together a 90 gallon AGA too and just wen through the same stuff you are going through. I bought everything for it and am currently in the process of selling the 400 watt ballasts and bulbs because I decided on going with 250 watters instead. The 400 watt bulbs would raise my tank temperature considerably and I did not want to have to purchase a chiller for the tank. I have the XM 15k 400 watt bulbs and CSL ballasts that I am selling and I purchased the XM 10k 250 watts bulbs and Blue wave ballast. If you have a chiller a nd dont mind the extra electric bill, then go with the 400 watters, if not, I would suggest the 250 watters. For a 24 inch deep tank, 250 watt bulbs would work just fine even with SPS and clams.