wizardx322 Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 So right now i am looking around and trying to figure out what is the best options for me is as far as replacing my current lighting systems. Currently i have a fixture with 2x 150w 14k pheonix and 4 x 54w t5 totaling 516watts i am wanting to upgrade to 250w mh but was also considering 400 w mh too. would the 400 watt be too much for my tank and corals? or should i stick would 250w mh be better? and anyone heard of the odessea fixtures? good? bad? also trying to figure out if i should get a fixture or a canopy and retro fit it. whats yall opinion on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 I think the difference between the 250W and 400W would come down to what you plan on keeping in the tank. There are members here who would say you can never have enough light. I would suspect if you plan on keeping SPS, the higher wattage might be advisable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 Along with what James said, temp control will be a factor. Do I use fans or chiller? Also an auto-top is a necessity as more water will evaporate quickly. just some thing to keep in mind. . . I have 2 x 250W 14k MH and 2 x 54 T5 actinics on my 150. I have three fans mounted in my hood and one over the sump. I go through about 3 gallons of top off water a day. Dave- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 I vote for 250's as 400's can really cause heat issues. Of course you won't know till you add the 400's so once you've invested in them, you might have to go buy a chiller ($$$$ and loud) to combat the heat issues. Why not get a switchable ballast and start with 250's, see what you get, then get some used 400 bulbs to see how much they heat up your tank? Here are some nice Lumatek switchable ballast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 I have the switchable 250W ballast by the same company. Very helpful when acclimating the tank mates to the new lighting/bulbs. You might even check into LEDs. Dave- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 I love my 250s that I have on my 90gal. They dont cause much heat issue and I also have 2 icecap fans that create a current for air so there is no heat issues at all if you use fans... and the fans are built into the top of my canopy.... good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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