Yay!!!!! Upgrading!!!!!

[SaltwaterTeen]

Hey guys, im gonna upgrade my lights in the next month likely. Heres what i'm gonna do, Ill be buying a CoralVue 400 Watt HQI Metal Halide Pendant. Includes 400 Watt Electronic Ballast, CoralVue 20K HQI Bulb and tempered glass lense. and Im gonna take off the two white VHO bulbs of my system, and take off the top of the hood, mount the VHO's on the side and have the 400watt MH mounted on one of those rail systems that blue sierra have and have it run back and forth throughout the tank

 

[DonW]

What size tank and how deep?

Don

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

55gal, total depth (Top To Glass Bottom 18in) 16in to the sandbed

 

[DonW]

55gal, total depth (Top To Glass Bottom 18in) 16in to the sandbed

Your going to need one really tall hood. I'd do some more research. Two 250's are plenty and alot cheaper.

Don

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

Its a pendant don, I can move it as high or close as I want LOL, the VHO's are going to be on the hood. The 250's arent alot cheaper than 1 400watt pendant.

 

[DonW]

Its a pendant don, I can move it as high or close as I want LOL, the VHO's are going to be on the hood. The 250's arent alot cheaper than 1 400watt pendant.

I'm talking se 250's. 400w is overkill you'll have to move it up to high. In turn you will be lighting the room.

Don

 

[nbd13]

plus the sides of yuor tank wont get optimal light.

Nick

 

[Illusion]

You are Also going to have some MAJOR heat issues... I had 2x250w Mh bulbs on my 55g and it was a PITA to keep the temp down in the summer time... Putting a 400w is EXTREME overkill... IMO you will FRY your corals pretty badly Unless as said before the light is Up high but then you are lighting the room up as well.. Go with 2x250w Single Ended bulbs and save the heat and corals

James

 

[mattseattle]

poor kid - we always rain on his parade.

but they are right - 400w is overkill on a 55. i went with 2x250 on my 55. it lights the entire tank with only a few dim spots on each end. even with my 250w being 9 - 10" off the water it still lights the room.

 

[Illusion]

poor kid - we always rain on his parade.

thanks what I was thinking... Dont mean too but trying to save the problems that will happen later If he went ahead and purchased the 400w... Check on RC and get a used dual 250w setup and save some $$$

James

 

[coralseas]

swt please listen to these guys they know they have fatty tanks and they have had up and down so the they know, and if you want to master reefing u need to stop getting live stock and get testing equitment for ammonia nitrate nitrite phosphate ph ka temp salinty iodine trace dissolved org cal adn more and then you will be able to controle you system and then know what up and could fix it and the 400w would be alot

 

[Angelscrx]

I am going to 150g and will probably use three 250w MH. My new tank isn't that deep (24 inches). How high up should my lights be? I will have acros up top and other SPS and softies down below around the sandbed. Thanks

 

[mattseattle]

well my view now is he's going to do what he wants to do.

a 400w will scorch your sofites most likely unless you put it really high then what's the point of having a 400w light? it's just wasted......

 

[nbd13]

angel- i have mine about 8 inches off the water on my 180 24 inches deep.

and i would nto put softies in with SPS although it can be done, they will haev chemical warfare, and stunt the SPS growth. running carbon will help but if you want alot fo SPS ditch the SPS maybe put some clams or LPS on the bottom,

slatwater teen, sorry to rain on your parade through those PMs but it seems like its best to go with 2 250w setup with only 1 400w setup you will have drak spots where it will look bad. plus again you will have temp issues and haev to rasie that high off the water!

if money is any issuse just get a dual 250w setup from RC.

again listne to people trust me through experince do it right the first time and save in the long run! these people have been at it longer than us even though i haev been at it 3 years i learn something new ever day! keep that in mind!

Nick

 

[DonW]

I am going to 150g and will probably use three 250w MH. My new tank isn't that deep (24 inches). How high up should my lights be? I will have acros up top and other SPS and softies down below around the sandbed. Thanks

8" is a good starting point. Just make sure when you design your hood you can shim or move them up if needed.

Don

 

[gobie]

Salteen,
I Only Have One Question, Did You Ever Get A Good Skimmer For Your Tank?
Here Is A Thought For You If You Didn't You Should Before You Increase The Lighting Intensity On Your Tank. With All That Is Going To Happen Metabolic Rates ( Digestion,growth) Will Increase. Look At Anybody Who Has A Hi Tech System. Including Lighting. If You Don't Take Our Word For It Contact Bill Robertson @ Seattle Aquarium. Give Him 10 Min. And Explain What It Is That You Want To Do. He Is Not The Head Biologist For Nothing.
He Taught Me More Than Any Book Could.

 

[reefer]

I had a 400 and a 250 on my 55 and never had a problem. Corals hard and soft did fine. I got my lights for free and that seemed to be the way to go. I now have two 400's and one 250 on my 125. If I were buying lights I'd probably go with three 250's on my 125 just for energy savings.

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

I agree, the 400watt wont do good. Could I get 1 250watt DE and have it on the rail cart and have it light up the tank? Its cheaper to go 1 250watt DE and the Cart instead of 2 250watt DE

 

[mattseattle]

what is the cost of a rail cart?

the cheapest i could find online was on a plant site. it was a 3.5hp motor and rail for about 175.00 dollars.

You can get a 250w Metal halide retrofit kit without bulb for 85.00. That is for a magnetic ballast though. You can get an electronic ballast with reflector for 145.00. That is new stuff of course.

You could just buy a used ballast and save quite a bit of money. If I were able I'd just go with 2 x 250w with VHO supplements. I wouldn't even bother with the light rail.

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

I dont want to buy a new hood, i want to use pendants, also I want the DE 250watt MH.