Lighting

[wbstyles]

Well, I have been in the FW tanks for about 15 yrs, but i am just now venturing into a SW. I currently do not have a SWT, however I am trying to research so that I may.

I thought about having two MH & two PC as one unit on one side & the same set up on the other side. These would be about 3 ft. Ea.

Do you have any suggestions as to what type of setup I should use?

 

[reedman]

A few questions first:

What dimentions are the tank you are thinking of having?

What inhabitants do you plan to keep?

How do you plan to cool the canopy & tank?

These are some critical questions to answer to determine what lighting you should strive for.

It is suggested that you have 1 MH per 2 square feet of surface area. The minimum wattage of the MH is usually determined by the depth of the tank. The temperature of the bulbs is both determined by the inhabitants requirements and personal preference (i.e. beauty is in the eye of the beholder).

The complement lighting (VHO or PC) is another that is determined by the inhabitants requirements for the blue spectrum (actinic) and by the viewers preference towards a bluer look to the tank. These also provide for a dusk to dawn transition that is not so harsh.

Finally, MH put out a large amount of heat that must be removed from the canopy and tank water. This can be done through evaporation (fans across the water's surface) and/or a chiller. If you get above 250W MH you should probably consider a chiller.

Good luck on the planning. It's the most important part of reefkeeping.

-Reed

 

[wbstyles]

i have a 150gal tank. I will probally use ps fans to eliminate the heat on ea. end.

I plan on having fish, LR, Corals, Clams, & such. Thanks for your help.

Feel free to offer any additional help.

William

 

[wbstyles]

LIghting

Sorry, the dims are 18X22X72 (close enough)