1250 gallon tank lighting???

[AquariumObsesse]

1250 gallon tank??? HELP!

I want to keep mostly acros/SPS.


Tank- 126L x 72W x 32H = 1250 gallons

250 or 400 DE?. I prefer the HQI pendants.

How would you set this lighting up?

What k would you use? 14K, 10K, 20k, a mixture?

How many Halides?

thanks

 

[Mauisreef]

I would think you would go with the 400 watters because of the depth of your monster.
As far as the rest I am still learning myself so.......Someone else I'm sure will clue us both in.
My 150 gal is 30H so I am going with 400 watters.

Maui

 

[mojoreef]

Tough tank to light, being so long and wide. I would say 400 hqi 20K radiums mixed with 250 watt hqi ushios. I would not go DE as the pendant creates a narrow light field and thats is not what you want on a tank of this size and with blending colors. Look into light reflectors from Giesman (sp?) they give a much wider reflection and are top end. Do a search on Richard Harkers tank,he is usuing them. If you used them I would say 6 lights in total two rows of 3. stagger them as below

20 10 20
10 20 10


Mike

 

[AquariumObsesse]

thanks for the reply's

So do not use pendants...but use HQI ballasts to run SE bulbs is that what
you mean?


Where do I search for Richards tank??

thanks

 

[mojoreef]

Yea single ended on hqi ballasts. Thier is very little if any gain with the DE and with the E glass shields you loss that anyway. With the small pendant the light reflected is to narrow and will not blend well. Using the geiseman reflectors and the single ended bulbs should give you the ability to have a 4 foot square lighted from a single bulb, where as a standard reflector does 2 foot square and a hqi pendant does 1 foot


Mike

 

[AquariumObsesse]

Where do I search for Richards tank??

Any idea who sells those reflectors?

 

[AquariumObsesse]

Still cant find Richards tank or the reflectors anyone have any ideas?

thanks

 

[kimoyo]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/aquarium.htm
Paul

 

[mojoreef]

Sorry the article on his tank was in a FAMA magasine. Also Giessman is not shipping them to the US anymore. Here is a link to a simular reflector with a wide distribution. The reflectors are called luminarcs and are available at PacificGardenSuppy.com

Mike

 

[dgasmd]

Mother of christ. I guess you know you have made it when you become a reference LOL......................

By the way, I always found it pathetic that as good of an online magazine as the RDO magazine is, they did the most pathetic lay out of one tank that should have been photographed to death. Same goes for pictures of Schiemer's tank. You can hardly find pictures showing the entire thing like they do for TOM in RC or in other places.

 

[Scooterman]

lol, yep that is awesome!

 

[mojoreef]

Yea Alberto you are the man!!!!!!!!


Mike

 

[AquariumObsesse]

hey Alberto what lighting do you have over your tank??

What do you recommend in my situation..please include ballasts, reflectors, bulbs in your responses.

thanks!!

 

[dgasmd]

Ballast:
PFO HQI 400 watt
Bulbs:
Combination of XM 10000K and radium 20000K
Reflectors:
Lumenarcs3 as above in the pictures
How many:
Depends on what you are trying to keep. If stricly SPS, I would recommend 10 total with 2 rows of 5 spread like this

10K 20K 10K 20K 10K
20K 10K 20K 10K 20K

You will need at least a 2 HP chiller if not much more to get rid of all the heat from this many lamps. Looks into the Aqualogic units or have a 2 part custom unit made.

With this much light you will be able to grow rock out of sand. This is what I would use myself given your tank's dimensions. Just an opinion.

 

[AquariumObsesse]

I was looking on pacifics site...each reflector is $269.95 ?? or do you get other stuff with it?

thanks

 

[dgasmd]

That is lieky the reflector/ballast combo. Call and ask for the reflector and sicket/bracket only. At the very least half the cost.

 

[AquariumObsesse]

thanks alot for all your help. I appreciate it!

 

[dgasmd]

You better be able to completely walk around that tank because I can't possibly see how you will reach inside the middle portion. Even then, I hope you plan to manufacture some sort of a plank to put over the tank to allow you to crawl on top and get to the middle. Also, get a snorkel mask. I already did and mine is not as big as yours.

 

[AquariumObsesse]

I know its not going to be easy!

I have alot of thinking to do yet.

 

[AquariumObsesse]

That Geo reactor you got is very nice. How do you like it? I am getting one soon just not sure how big I want it.