Robb in Austin Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Sure is. Plenty of people run MH with fans blowing across the tank surface. It will increase your evaporation rate, so if you don't have an ATO it will be beneficial to get one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 PO4 at .5 is way too high and this would be the cause for browned out sps. Do you have a skimmer? No skimmer, had read that for a tank that size that water changes would be sufficient. Is this incorrect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLS Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 Sure is. Plenty of people run MH with fans blowing across the tank surface.It will increase your evaporation rate, so if you don't have an ATO it will be beneficial to get one. wahts an ATO robb? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 First, a skimmer is pretty much a necessity on any tank, IMO. But, there are instances of folks running skimmerless so it can be done. If I was going skimmerless, I'd do 10-20% water changes daily. Smaller tanks mean changes happen faster and have a bigger impact. ATO=auto top off. It's an automated evap replacement system. It's a float, rigged to a pump that supplies fresh RODI or kalkwasser to the sump/tank to replace the evaporated water. See: Tunze osmolator, Autotopoff.com, JBJ ATO, aquahub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLS Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 heyy robb, i jsut talked to my friend in houston and he said he has a light he could sell me... its one of these... http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.asp...p;child=ES53504 would it work for my tank which is a 75 gal tank, 48" long but his light is only 36...he also said i wouldnt need a chiller if i had fans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I'm no MH expert but, I think it would work but would not be optimal. If it was a 250w or more I'd say you would fare better because you could raise it up to overcome the length limit. With a 150w I think you would have to keep it low in order to get good penetration, but that would limit how much of the tank you would cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Daniel Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I have kept the bio wheels on there (though I probably shouldn't) because the water jet makes a lot of noise if something isn't there to deflect it from hitting the plastic underneath where the wheels sit. I used silicone on all the holes to address this issue. I let it dry/cure, and that was the end of those little wheels. Daniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Daniel Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 heyy robb, i jsut talked to my friend in houston and he said he has a light he could sell me...its one of these... http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.asp...p;child=ES53504 would it work for my tank which is a 75 gal tank, 48" long but his light is only 36...he also said i wouldnt need a chiller if i had fans If you have a center brace, I would recommend against using a smaller fixture with just a single mh fixture. A mh can be used without a chiller, but the success of that hinges on other factors outside your aquarium-- what is the ambient temperature? Do you have fans blowing away the heat? Daniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Good point Daniel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLS Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 If you have a center brace, I would recommend against using a smaller fixture with just a single mh fixture. A mh can be used without a chiller, but the success of that hinges on other factors outside your aquarium-- what is the ambient temperature? Do you have fans blowing away the heat? Daniel thanks for the recommendation sir...i do have a center brace... the temperature in my house is always at 76 degrees...and currently i have no fans at all... would i neeed fans if i went t5 route? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Daniel Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 thanks for the recommendation sir...i do have a center brace... the temperature in my house is always at 76 degrees...and currently i have no fans at all... would i neeed fans if i went t5 route? Many T5 fixtures have a fan built-in. A fan to cool your fixture and whisk away heat is never a bad thing. You may or may not need a fan with a T5 setup, but the lighting will be far more intense than your current setup (assuming you use individual reflectors). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLS Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 Many T5 fixtures have a fan built-in. A fan to cool your fixture and whisk away heat is never a bad thing. You may or may not need a fan with a T5 setup, but the lighting will be far more intense than your current setup (assuming you use individual reflectors). what do you mean by individual reflectors...i found another guy selling a light... " custom T5 HO 48 inch 4 bulb " he also said it had reflectors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Individual reflectors(IR) means each lamp has 1 reflector that partially wraps around the lamp. Some fixtures use a flat piece of reflective material, some like the Nova Extreme Pro(NEP) have a single reflector that has bends in it to act like a IR, and then there are the good units that have the IR. You want a unit with IR. The NEP gets good reviews, but is almost the cost of a good unit with IR. A 4 bulb unit will be an improvement, but more lamps=more light=can keep higher light demanding animals= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLS Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 Individual reflectors(IR) means each lamp has 1 reflector that partially wraps around the lamp. Some fixtures use a flat piece of reflective material, some like the Nova Extreme Pro(NEP) have a single reflector that has bends in it to act like a IR, and then there are the good units that have the IR. You want a unit with IR. The NEP gets good reviews, but is almost the cost of a good unit with IR. A 4 bulb unit will be an improvement, but more lamps=more light=can keep higher light demanding animals= what about a 5 bulb? LOL how much bulbs would you recommend me going robb? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustint21 Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Read up! Nice lighting article, with great info! http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/3/aafeature1/view Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 heyy robb, i jsut talked to my friend in houston and he said he has a light he could sell me... its one of these... http://www.marinedep...p;child=ES53504 would it work for my tank which is a 75 gal tank, 48" long but his light is only 36...he also said i wouldnt need a chiller if i had fans Lils, i have that light, well i have the 24" 250watt version on my 42g and it being on 8 hrs only raises my temp 1 degree. i have no fans across my tank and i keep my apartment at 76. this fixture also has 3 big fans on top that pulls the heat off the fixture and the HQI ballast is down by the plug not around the fixture. i like this light alot it has great color it really makes me colors pop. i would tske s pic but my camera is in the shop and my cell pics a horrible. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I might be biased towards a 5 lamp unit. Although, someone on RC posted PAR readings from a Tek unit and a TX5 and the Tek blew my TX5 out of the water. I was bummed. # of bulbs is dependent on what you want to keep and tank size. If money is no object, grab a 10 lamp ATI Powermodule, go barebottom, and keep SPS in the sump. Heck, maybe the other room too! I'd say 4-6 at least, but it depends on how much you want to spend, what you want to keep and where in the tank, how much room you have/can spare, canopy, etc. See, too many variables. In the end, it's your call. If you like the shimmer, MH is the only real option. If you decide on T5, then you have to look at DIY in a canopy vs a fixture(sure, you can run a fixture inside a canopy but why hide what you pay for). DIY will be a little bit cheaper, maybe. The only fixtures I would consider are ATI(Powermodule & Sunpower), Aquactinincs (TX5, Constellation, Solarflare), and Tek. Also, consider used setups because there are some good deals out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLS Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 yeah im lookin at used set ups cause i cant afford much right now, tuition and books is owning me...not to mention i need to look for a new car... this is the unit i was lookin at used... http://www.saltycritter.com/lighting/aquactinics/aquactinics-tx5-t5.htm the tx5! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Have you looked around the want to sell section? their mite be something their. you can also check (cringe) MAAST. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Daniel Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I might be biased towards a 5 lamp unit. Although, someone on RC posted PAR readings from a Tek unit and a TX5 and the Tek blew my TX5 out of the water. I was bummed. I saw that thread. I suspect most, if not all, of the PAR difference is due to the acrylic shield. I suppose you could go without the shield if you replaced the end caps and didn't mind the higher maintenance associated with exposed reflectors. I think this really only becomes a pronounced issue when you have some of the highest light-demanding corals, like your purple acroporas, or blue tort corals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_t Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I replaced my CF with T5's because I couldn't find a premium brand in the CF. Looks like retailers are turning to T5's over CF’s. I was resistant at first because everyone was bragging so hard about them, I mean really, how much better could they be!?! I couldn't believe they were that good. But once I got mine in, I became a T5 convert. I think the 39 watt T5’s out performed my cheap 250 watt MH and definitely outperformed my 96watt CFs! I've been wanting to upgrade my MH light and ballast, but I might just go with two more T5's instead. Oh, and don't go cheap on your T5's and reflectors. Stick with the crap you have now until you can afford something good. You don’t want to spend half a fortune and still get crappy lighting and then spend a small fortune to upgrade, because you still get ugly corals. There is a remarkable difference in reflectors, ballasts, and bulbs when you go premium. Your corals will thank you and in the long run, you will save money. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rjohn Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Drs Smith and Foster have a nice 48" T5 light with individual reflectors for a little of $200 - Nova Extreme SLR. Why do you never see the typos until AFTER you hit submit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishypets Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Oh, and don't go cheap on your T5's and reflectors. Stick with the crap you have now until you can afford something good. There is a remarkable difference in reflectors, ballasts, and bulbs when you go premium. Your corals will thank you and in the long run, you will save money. Michael Well said Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 So what would you class as a "cheap" t5 and what would you recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 That Nova unit is the one with the single flat reflector. It might be better than the CF unit he's currently using but I'd wait and get a decent unit. I scored my 4ft TX5 off RC, lightly used, for $350. Keep searching, something will come up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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