Lets talk about ~Lighting~
- Thread starter mojoreef
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Scooterman
Well-known member
Nooo Not the DSB again, I though we left that behind two forums ago LOL!
I'm looking at your typical glass tank around 240 to 300g, not sure what exactly will fit into the wall. I will try and keep the dept around 30 inches. I would like to keep an air gap that would help in cooling but not exceed the Lighting installed. I'm guessing the tank will be around 5 or 6 feel long, maybe installing three 250w MH DE 10k, or 15k XM, I would then supplement with 4 to 8 T5's splitting them on either side of the MH. I plan on using the 100g I have now for the sump, the 30g for something also. Not sure if big is the way to go, maybe I would use the 100g for a sps only tank, & use the new in wall set-up for the type of mixed set-up I have now? In that case the 100g is 5ft long and 19" deep, so I was thinking two DE's would do the trick, adding T5's for supplementation.
I'm looking at your typical glass tank around 240 to 300g, not sure what exactly will fit into the wall. I will try and keep the dept around 30 inches. I would like to keep an air gap that would help in cooling but not exceed the Lighting installed. I'm guessing the tank will be around 5 or 6 feel long, maybe installing three 250w MH DE 10k, or 15k XM, I would then supplement with 4 to 8 T5's splitting them on either side of the MH. I plan on using the 100g I have now for the sump, the 30g for something also. Not sure if big is the way to go, maybe I would use the 100g for a sps only tank, & use the new in wall set-up for the type of mixed set-up I have now? In that case the 100g is 5ft long and 19" deep, so I was thinking two DE's would do the trick, adding T5's for supplementation.
Wow, that is a lot of great info to swallow. There has been alot of talk about MH lamps and there color ranges, but I currently run actinic PC's. I am rather new to the hobby, so I am not going to kill a bunch of SPS in my tank!!! But I am planning on staring with polyps, zo's, leathers, ricordia, shrooms, etc. I have a 50g with 2x 96w PC's - 1 03 blue and 1 10k. I have room in my hood to supplement this lighting, but want to avoid MH until I have more experience and more $ 
. What would you supplement this system with? 67k blub? 13w red? How much of a difference would it make?
. What would you supplement this system with? 67k blub? 13w red? How much of a difference would it make?in addition... What about the use of moonlights? There are a lot of DIY moonlights that employ a variety of LED configurations. Some appear to lean towards the LED's that are closest to the correct light spectrum produced by the moon. Others seem to use them merely to see there nocturnal species. Any thoughts?
Scooterman
Well-known member
Thoughts, humm LOL I'm leaning towards T5 lighting for several reasons, in my first choice of florescent lights as supplementing MH.
I've been reading on & off about T5 for the past year, in Europe they seem to be bigger but slowly trickling in here. From what I know, they need a good reflector they are said to run cooler than any other PC, & fall in PAR somewhere between the PC & VHO lamps. If you look at PC vrs VHO, the PC produces a tight pattern of higher intensity light as the VHO is a broader pattern not quite so intense. They also claim the last longer the its counterparts.
Now moon lighting, LED's are awesome, IMO, anything that produces as close to natural environment in most cases is a good thing. I can't much more about moon lighting.
I've been reading on & off about T5 for the past year, in Europe they seem to be bigger but slowly trickling in here. From what I know, they need a good reflector they are said to run cooler than any other PC, & fall in PAR somewhere between the PC & VHO lamps. If you look at PC vrs VHO, the PC produces a tight pattern of higher intensity light as the VHO is a broader pattern not quite so intense. They also claim the last longer the its counterparts.
Now moon lighting, LED's are awesome, IMO, anything that produces as close to natural environment in most cases is a good thing. I can't much more about moon lighting.
Scooterman
Well-known member
Montanarocknreefer
New Sheriff In Town
Well I have decided to go with the Ushio's 10,000k MH's and 2-VHO actinics since my PC 96's are to long for the canopy that will go over my new tank. After reading all this and seeing the difference K's and how they affect corals it always brings me back to the 10,000k bulb so that is where I will stay!
Scooterman
Well-known member
10k all the way!
