Good morning,...lighting question.

PHOTOG · #1 04/12/2007, 10:31 AM

Tank-55gallon HEX, tank is 24 inches deep and about 27 inches "round", If i got a 400 watt MH what would I be able to keep in there as far as corals are concerned? I am curious.

would this be too little or maybe too much light?

shiftyfatdwarf · #2 04/12/2007, 10:36 AM

i wouldn't say it would be too much light if anything too little, but i don't see it being a problem.

i havn't had a hex so im not positive so keep askin

PHOTOG · #3 04/13/2007, 09:36 AM

Maybe a little bump here will help.

Anyone else got any ideas?

Hop · #4 04/13/2007, 09:48 AM

What color temp? For anything other that 20K, I think that a single 250 would be sufficient. Even then, a overdriven 20K 250 would be more than enough. But it really depends on bulb/ballast combos. You really can't say 250 or 400 across the board. There are 250s blowing 400 out of the water as far as par goes.

PHOTOG · #5 04/13/2007, 09:54 AM

What is PAR?

the 400w is an industrial fixture with ballast already wired, I dont know the exact parts, a buddy has this light and was going to give it to me for $50 and I figured if it already has a socket, ballast and reflector then I would just need to wire on a 3 prong plug and hang it.

I was thinking of a 14k bulb.

Hop · #6 04/13/2007, 10:12 AM

Well there is a possibility that you would have a $50 paperweight. Some ballasts wont fire some bulbs. I spent months researching lighting and to sum it up... I'm still not real comfortable giving advice on the matter.

Par is basically a measurement of the bulb/ballast lighting intensity.

You can start by checking out sanjay's thread and link to his website where he tested hundreds of combinations.

Link

kodyboy · #7 04/13/2007, 10:12 AM

It should work fine, a hamilton 14k or phoenix 14K would proabably look nice. I assume you are hanging this above the tank, so heat should not be an issue.