lighting options on 29g?

[dime079]

im looking to start up a new 29g for my parents in their office. got a few questions about lighting tho maybe you veterans can help me out.
does this sound like a good setup to you guys?

150 or 175w MH DE 10,000k + 2x65w PC

if i am correct the 29g is 30" long, here are my questions.

1. should the pc lights be actinics (i like to run just actinics some days, the reef cant be sunny every day right)?
2. what can / can't i keep in their with this lighting(too much light / not enough)?
3. what are the advantages/disadvantages of building a custom hood as opposed to buying a prefab setup like a sunpod or pendant? is it cheaper to buy the ballast, lights separate?

thanks guys
dominick

[easye123]

i have a 29g with a 150w MH 20k HQI....ive got everything from acro to mushrooms growin and doin perfectly...
i just built a canopy though soo imm gonna throw in some 2x65w PC's to give more watts and actinics...

if u wanna do 150w with the 2x65w for ur 29g u will be able to put anything in their(to my knowledge) dont let let other people make u think U HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST A 250w with other stuff

[dime079]

are you making both the PC's actinics? or one daylight and the other actinic. since im thinking about going with a 10k bulb and you have a 20k im thinking the 10k would require 2x65 actinics

[dime079]

i know theres quite a few 29's out there, what do you guys got as far as lighting setups?

[Paladin]

I have a 250w DE Mini-pendant and ballast from PFO. You can ditch the pc's and just get a 14K bulb if you like some blue.

[Pattylucylaura]

I run 175w SE 14k I bought all of the parts separate and it only cost me about a 100 bucks but I bought an el chepo bulb of ebay not bad color for 20 bucks though I also have 1 10k 65w pc on there just because I had it laying around. I like the 14k I will probably add a atinic to my pc's when I have some extra cash probably even 2 just so I can have that whole dawn dusk effect. I would say 150-175 you can keep pretty much anything you want it is all about placement after all.

[mr pink floyd]

i run 150 DE with a bad 20K bulb (more pink than blue) and 2x65 PC actinics, haev digis, a slimer, and softies

[SVXH6]

go with a 250 SE or DE, i personally have a 250 SE14K and think its perfect..growth is very good IMO..

[DesertBandits]

I love T5 (no heat/evaporation issues for a small tank)

I only have 2 because i'm a broke student at the moment ad they are just fine for soft/lps, though i do plan to upgrade to 4

for a 29 2 aquablue, and 2 blueplus staggered should do great

[DesertBandits]

i would go either mh, or t5 and maybe vho superblue for looks, all the other lighting methods are quite inferior.

[dime079]

tony: i would like to be able to run actinics only sometimes thats why i asked about the supp. otherwise i would probly stick to 1 MH and nothing else.

Pattylucylaura: did you make a hood for all that (i assume so) and do you have any pics?

everyone else, hoods/no hoods?

[SVXH6]

you know what i actually have the caps to run 130 watts pc actinic/daylight in and i dont even use them!! im home just enough to watch the MH and i love the color so i dont even bother with the actinics..so, if i ran it all id be running 380 watts over a 29!!!! a little too much..lol..

[dime079]

do i have to buy a ballast that is exactly the amount of watts of the bulb i plan on keeping for MH? or can i keep a 175w bulb in a 400w ballast?

[DarkXerox]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7733444#post7733444 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SVXH6
you know what i actually have the caps to run 130 watts pc actinic/daylight in and i dont even use them!! im home just enough to watch the MH and i love the color so i dont even bother with the actinics..so, if i ran it all id be running 380 watts over a 29!!!! a little too much..lol..

Yeah I did the same for the summer since it is so hot. Just have the 250w 14k on my 29g for now, but I will probably switch on the actinics again when it cools down for the dusk/dawn cycle.

[Paladin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7735055#post7735055 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dime079
or can i keep a 175w bulb in a 400w ballast?
no--you have to match the bulb to the ballast

[fnicklaus]

I have a power compact lighting system over a 20 gallon, but it is shallower than a 29 gallon. Metal halide is better but you may consider getting a small chiller. Even with compacts, my tank still gets too warm with all pumps working. A 175w mh light is plenty and i would not turn it off for a full day, rather keep the lights on for 7-8 hours per day every day.

[BONDQ]

I have a 32G and I use a Current USA Sunpod, Model #1060.

It's really nice. It is a 150W 14K HQI with 6 White & 6 Blue LED Moonlights. There are no Actinic bulbs, which I prefer not to have.
The light has a built-in cooling fan and you can switch the main light and moon-lights all individually. The moonlights are grouped by color. The footings that all you to mount the lights to your tank are adjustable, which is a nice touch.

In general, Actinic bulbs really bother my eyes. They actually make me nauseous. It's like staring at a black light.

While your corals will not look "fluorescent" due to the lack of the actinic, I would argue that they will look more natural, given that there are no actinic in the ocean.

The 14K color temperature is a nice bright white, with a touch of blue. Not too blue, like a 20K, and definitely not yellow like a 6500K bulb. I think it's a good substitute for actinic and gives a nice pure glow.

I've had it for about 3-1/2 months and no complaints. It performs like a champ and does what it's supposed to do. I have a variety of corals and everything seems to be happily growing.