lighting question?

onegreenray · #1 07/29/2003, 06:01 AM

i will be converting my 90 gallon to a reef tank in the spring. trying to plan out what type of lights to use. i was thinking of using 2 400 watt mh. know my question is when you turn the lights on can you just start with mh or do you need like pc to start the corals and fish off. is it a little much to just turn on the halides? i always used accents. adam from tridana reef was telling me the 400 watters should be enough. i am using four 55 watt pcs on the tank now. i could always add them into the hood when i build it. what do you guys think?

thanks,
ray

Justjoe · #2 07/29/2003, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by onegreenray
i will be converting my 90 gallon to a reef tank in the spring. trying to plan out what type of lights to use. i was thinking of using 2 400 watt mh. know my question is when you turn the lights on can you just start with mh or do you need like pc to start the corals and fish off. is it a little much to just turn on the halides? i always used accents. adam from tridana reef was telling me the 400 watters should be enough. i am using four 55 watt pcs on the tank now. i could always add them into the hood when i build it. what do you guys think?

thanks,
ray

I like to have a smaller light to let the fish wake up slowly and bed down at night. Two 400's will be more then enough, I had a 120 with one 400 and that was enough to grow basically everything. What are the dimensions of your tank?
I'm setting up a 120 (4x2x2) for a friend and it will have (2) 250 HQI Ushio bulbs and probably a moon light from IceCap.
Do you have a chiller because with two 400's, you'll most likely need it.
Joe

onegreenray · #3 07/29/2003, 01:12 PM

tank is 4*18*24. no i don't have a chiller. would you really need one if you have fans as well as good ventalation?

ray

Justjoe · #4 07/29/2003, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by onegreenray
tank is 4*18*24. no i don't have a chiller. would you really need one if you have fans as well as good ventalation?

ray

Is room temp controlled with AC? If you're only 18" wide, I would look into (2) 250 HQI bulbs, (2) 400's will be real intense. Any one on the list currently running a tank of that size? Their lighting?
Joe

MIKE NY · #5 07/29/2003, 04:29 PM

Hi Ray,
I running a 90 gal with those demensions and I'm running two 250 Ushio 10ks and four 55 watt PCs actinic 03s. I'm cooling it with just a fan and a room A/C without any problems. I'm will be running the MHs for 10 hours and the actinics for 12 so that there is an overlap of an hour before and after the MHs go on to create a dawn and dusk effect.

Mike

onegreenray · #6 07/29/2003, 05:17 PM

that sounds really cool. since on my 40 gallon i have 1 250 mh 10k ushio, which i could incorporate into the hood of the 90 gallon, and i could also incorporate the 4 55 watt pcs.

then all i would have to do is buy another ballasst and socket for a 250 mh.

i think i origanally spent 150.00 on ballasst and socket. which is better then 400.00 i was looking at for the 400 watters.

i didn't think that was enough light. mike do you keep clams and sps? if so i will go with the setup you have. that will save a ton of money on the setup cost of the lights.

what type of bulbs are you using for your pc,s? actrics, 10,00ks?

onegreenray · #7 07/29/2003, 05:37 PM

this the mh ballast i am using now. so all i would probly have to do is get the reflector and another one of these. i have a few fans to incorporate into the hood and the first floor of my house is air conditioned in the summer.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2311402279

MIKE NY · #8 07/29/2003, 08:15 PM

Yea, just get another 250 ballast, reflector and mogal socket and your set. It would be alot cheaper than not using them and going with the 400s not to mention the extra heat problem. I'm using a PFO dual ballast for the MHs and true actinic 03 bulbs for the PCs. The MHs are about 8"s off the water. I have SPS, but I don't have a clam yet only because I really don't have the room for one.....

Mike

onegreenray · #9 07/29/2003, 09:55 PM

could you post some pics of your tank. i reallly am curious how you set up the rock work? i was thinking of leaving the middle open for clam and put a structure on each side.

MIKE NY · #10 07/30/2003, 04:22 PM

Sorry I don't have a ditital camera yet, but I could bring some pics to the next meeting. I have over 150lbs of rock and it forms a sloping horseshoe shape. It covers both sides across through the middle and slopes almost to the top towords the middle rear.

Justjoe · #11 07/30/2003, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MIKE NY
Sorry I don't have a ditital camera yet, but I could bring some pics to the next meeting. I have over 150lbs of rock and it forms a sloping horseshoe shape. It covers both sides across through the middle and slopes almost to the top towords the middle rear.

Mike,
Where do you live? Maybe someone in the area could take some shots... sounds like we should start a LIRA photo page of members tanks....
Joe

montepora · #12 07/30/2003, 10:58 PM

I am running 2X250W 10K on my 120. It is same as 90 just wider. You can see it on Tuesday.

onegreenray · #13 07/31/2003, 01:49 AM

can't wait to see it. thats this tuesday? or next?

montepora · #14 07/31/2003, 08:14 AM

Ray:

LMAO.

Next Tuesday. Today is Thursday already, Wake up you reef addict.

JB NY · #15 07/31/2003, 09:34 AM

I like some lower level supplemental lighting as well. As I like to have lights on the tank morning, noon and night. My MH I run from 12-9 but I run the actinics from 7:45 AM to 8:45 PM. I also use the MH to stager the lights coming on. They go on in the morning over a 15 minute period to let everyone wake up. Then I feed them and then the MH turn back off until noon. I stager the MH turning off as well. It work nice as all the fish start to bed down when the first light goes off at 8:40 PM and most are already tucked in by the time the last one goes off at 8:55.

MIKE NY · #16 07/31/2003, 04:23 PM

Joe,
that sounds like a great idea. We could have a members photo gallery on the website of tanks, filtration, lighting even inhabitants so that others could see. I think it would be very benificial for others to see, giving them ideas for their systems.

By the way I'm in Franklin Square if anyone wants to stop by... just drop me a PM.

Mike

ADS · #17 07/31/2003, 08:00 PM

Hi Ray-
I'm running dual 400W 20K on my 90g display without supplementation-the color is very natural IMO. I use PFO pendants to dissipate heat which is vastly different than straight
mogul & reflector.
The 250W DE 10K is a great setup but it requires a pendant or aquaspace fixture(never tried DIY DE setup in hood). Also most supplement with 03 actinic which is another expense. The PAR from 250W DE 10K is amazing for coral growth.
For early or moonlight effect PFO now has a 1W extreme LED night light apparently 5x brighter than any other LED. Lights 2x2' area. Mounts on any fixture. This may help with the light variation like Joe has on his setup.
The best way to decide is to see different setups. I also prefer the 'open' center in my display-gives you room to place larger sandbed clams in front.
Adam

ABahn · #18 07/31/2003, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by onegreenray
i will be converting my 90 gallon to a reef tank in the spring. trying to plan out what type of lights to use. i was thinking of using 2 400 watt mh. know my question is when you turn the lights on can you just start with mh or do you need like pc to start the corals and fish off. is it a little much to just turn on the halides? i always used accents. adam from tridana reef was telling me the 400 watters should be enough. i am using four 55 watt pcs on the tank now. i could always add them into the hood when i build it. what do you guys think?

thanks,
ray

Sounds good to me. Go with the PCs though. Better for the fish.

Cheers,

ABahn

onegreenray · #19 07/31/2003, 08:46 PM

thanks guys.

adam you are right about seeing other setups. i can't wait to see andrews. i don't have the option of a open tank with pendents. not my house. one day.