Will this light work for SPS?

[rjarnold]

I have a 15 3/4" tall ~20G tank that I want to keep SPS and perhaps a clam in (sand bed 1 1/2" deep). I was thinking about doing the 150 watt Aqua Medic Ocean Light. I am concerned about heating, and this one has an external ballast so that's a plus... Do you think this will work? Am I still looking at needing a chiller? Other suggestions for lights?

 

[gary shandling]

SPS perfer good water flow over high lights. THese lights would be fine and give better placement ability. Just place it high above the water surface.

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
If the ambient temperature is kept at 75F or lower you should not need a chiller with the light 6" or so off the water.

HTH,
Kevin

 

[rjarnold]

Darn, well apparently they discontinued the 150 watt version. I think 250 watts is overkill (literally). Any other suggestions on lights for this type of tank?

 

[rjarnold]

Hello,
If the ambient temperature is kept at 75F or lower you should not need a chiller with the light 6" or so off the water.

HTH,
Kevin

Yay, I did manage to find the light I wanted, the 150 watt ocean light by aqua medic.

I was thinking about the ambient temperature being at 75F or lower... and I think that might be hard to obtain during the summer. As today is one of the hot days, and my fan is going full blast, it still must be 80 some degrees in here on the second floor in an apartment, and we have no AC. I think that means we might need a chiller no matter what because of the ambient temp :\

 

[adampw]

Yay, I did manage to find the light I wanted, the 150 watt ocean light by aqua medic.

I was thinking about the ambient temperature being at 75F or lower... and I think that might be hard to obtain during the summer. As today is one of the hot days, and my fan is going full blast, it still must be 80 some degrees in here on the second floor in an apartment, and we have no AC. I think that means we might need a chiller no matter what because of the ambient temp :\

I use a fan to cool my water. It blows air directly onto the water between the lights. i have a 150w MH for lighting and it can really heat up the water. If you have a sump, one of those fans with a spring clamp blowing on your water in your return section seems to help as well. They also make those fans that look like computer fans. Putting a couple of those on there could help too...Chillers are just soo expensive! :eek2:

 

[rjarnold]

Chillers are just soo expensive! :eek2:

Yeah, they are I'll try fans first, thanks

 

[Skimmy]

with that amount of light penetration(16") i would suggest you look at a t5ho fixture, you can grow any sps you want with it at that depth, like oregon blue tort, or rainbow/superman monti's, as well as not overcook nicer lps like acans/micros/blastos. and it doesnt produce as much heat as the mh's.
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28_128_57&products_id=477

for flow, look at 4 nano koralias(265gph each).
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idProduct~HD19501.html

and skimmer? check out the new warner marine H1 hang on, skimming is going to be important if you want colorful sps in that small of a tank,
dont think a remora/prism/bakpak is going to get you sps quality water
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=34_452&products_id=2691
unless of coarse you have a sump and larger skimmer...

 

[Skimmy]

oh, and clamp on fans too...
http://item.express.ebay.com/_Pet-S...dnZPetQ20SuppliesQQptdiZ1012QQcmdZExpressItem

 

[rjarnold]

Thanks for the suggestions Mark... I already ordered the MH though :\

As far as skimmers go... it's the Elos Mini, so I hope the skimmer with it is good

with that amount of light penetration(16") i would suggest you look at a t5ho fixture, you can grow any sps you want with it at that depth, like oregon blue tort, or rainbow/superman monti's, as well as not overcook nicer lps like acans/micros/blastos. and it doesnt produce as much heat as the mh's.
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28_128_57&products_id=477

for flow, look at 4 nano koralias(265gph each).
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idProduct~HD19501.html

and skimmer? check out the new warner marine H1 hang on, skimming is going to be important if you want colorful sps in that small of a tank,
dont think a remora/prism/bakpak is going to get you sps quality water
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=34_452&products_id=2691
unless of coarse you have a sump and larger skimmer...

 

[rjarnold]

oh, and clamp on fans too...
http://item.express.ebay.com/_Pet-S...dnZPetQ20SuppliesQQptdiZ1012QQcmdZExpressItem

Nice... I love the look of these fans.

Btw - do you think the extra koralias are necessary? Maybe just one? It's a pretty tiny tank!

 

[Skimmy]

mkay, so you just blew 1600 on a nano??...wow!!
(jealous!!!)

well, it's gotta be the coolest nano you can buy!!
but, your planning on changing out that led light??
good!!! because im afraid it wouldnt be nearly enought for sps...

and the skimmer?? well, sady i cant say they are any good...that little nano skimmer i crafted for you for the 45 is waay better if you still have it. but the up side is that you would be able to sell that little led light and skimmer for a pretty penny, scince they will be new, and elos brand.
the skimmer is powered by a 250gph eheim pump that is connected to a standard post pump venturi...i can get a meshmodded maxijet to outperform that, so getting a better skimmer for cheap will be easy (or i could just mod the elos skimmer for you)

also, in my 15g sps nano, i have 4 koralia nano pumps for a total of 1000 gph of flow, it was perfect!

 

[rjarnold]

mkay, so you just blew 1600 on a nano??...wow!!
(jealous!!!)

well, it's gotta be the coolest nano you can buy!!
but, your planning on changing out that led light??
good!!! because im afraid it wouldnt be nearly enought for sps...

and the skimmer?? well, sady i cant say they are any good...that little nano skimmer i crafted for you for the 45 is waay better if you still have it. but the up side is that you would be able to sell that little led light and skimmer for a pretty penny, scince they will be new, and elos brand.
the skimmer is powered by a 250gph eheim pump that is connected to a standard post pump venturi...i can get a meshmodded maxijet to outperform that, so getting a better skimmer for cheap will be easy (or i could just mod the elos skimmer for you)

also, in my 15g sps nano, i have 4 koralia nano pumps for a total of 1000 gph of flow, it was perfect!

I did, but with full intention on selling the light! Deduct the price of the light, and to get the set up I wanted (drilled and high quality rimless style), this was a good deal. It wasn't really for me though, Greg had been wanting one for awhile so I surprised him with this one =D

I do have the skimmer for the 40G still (and the actual tank has become my new frogfish tank at work!) but the pump no longer works... could just buy a new one I suppose It was also mesh modded wasn't it?

 

[Skimmy]

I did, but with full intention on selling the light! Deduct the price of the light, and to get the set up I wanted (drilled and high quality rimless style), this was a good deal. It wasn't really for me though, Greg had been wanting one for awhile so I surprised him with this one =D

I do have the skimmer for the 40G still (and the actual tank has become my new frogfish tank at work!) but the pump no longer works... could just buy a new one I suppose It was also mesh modded wasn't it?

yes, it was a mesh modded sedra 2500 needle wheel pump:
http://www.reefgeek.com/filtration/...s/Sedra_2500_Pump_Assembly_for_ASM_G-1_by_ASM

 

[gary shandling]

MH lighting will be much better for a reef tank. T-5 lighting can give great results and work well under the right setup but are only PC lighting on steriods.
A T-5 duel antic strip would be very usefull though.