Carrie Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Now that my RO/DI system is on it's way to fix my silicate issue, on to the lighting. I have a 75 gallon with softies and I would like to add SPS eventually. (Mark - this is your fault. I was perfectly happy with my zoas and leather corals. You just HAD to go and show off your tank!) Before I buy the light fixture that I fell in love with, would eight 54 watt T5 bulbs be enough to support the SPS lighting requirement? Or an I going to have to go MH. Tank is approx 4'X2'X2' I realize there is a similar question, but I wasn't sure if the answer would be the same, as my system is 1/3 of the volume. As always, thank you for the advice! I couldn't do it without the ARCers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Carrie...carrie...carrie...are you going to blame me for everything if I come work for you? I've never owned T5's as I've always enjoyed the shimmer of metal halides and SPS love the high light. That being said, there are some reefers (ARC members included) who have great success with T5's and the only complaint I hear is the price of the fixtures and having to replace 8+ bulbs every year. Personally, I like the MH better for the shimmer and the consistent growth I've seen from SPS keepers who have MH's. Since you have a 75G, I'd go 2x175, or 2x250 if you went MH. 250's might push you into chiller mode depending on how ventilated the tank/room is. 175's would be safer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Another thing to consider when keeping SPS is flow. They like a lot of it I hear.* * This is coming from a non-SPS expert in any way. I have one dinky one in my 75g tank, with no plans to keep more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 Carrie...carrie...carrie...are you going to blame me for everything if I come work for you? My employees would say 'absolutely!' Nah, I will just blame you for a fish habit that rivals the cost of an average movie stars illegal substance budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Nah, I will just blame you for a fish habit that rivals the cost of an average movie stars illegal substance budget. Fair enough, where/when do I show up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 On a tank that deep, you should go with two 250 watt halides (Reeflux 10k OR 12k depending on your tastes) with Lumenbrite reflectors at a minimum, along with some kind of actinic supplimentation either VHO or a quality T5 settup. I prefer the UVL VHO actinic O-3's. Ive been doing the sps thing for many years and I always find myself coming back to this settup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 truly to get the PAR rating at lower depths like lets see if the fixture is hanging 12" above the water then the light has to penitrate 3' feet to the bottom. If it were me id go with a home made fixture single mogul base 400w MH 14k and use 2-24"inch VHO super actinics. If the tank is 4'x2'x2' then its a 120gallon tank. Same as mine. I have an 8x54w T5, 400wMH, and 2x110w VHO Superactinics. If youd like to see the color you are more than welcome to come see my tank, i can turn the lights off/on one at a time so you can see what the difference in each bulb looks like. Hopefully this helps some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I have a 90g, similar in size to yours (48x18x26" tall). I'm running (2)250w MH and (2)54w actinics. I might add another (2)54w, but for now I'm more than happy with the light. I was able to score the complete MH setup for $60 not counting getting new bulbs. T5 setups can be had for $100-150. At your 2' depth a pair of 250s should give you more than enough light. Are you planning to go open top or with a canopy? The main issue you'll want to deal with is dispersing the heat and dealing with increased evaporation. If you don't currently have an auto-topoff you'll want to look into getting one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Carrie- Talk to fishypets about his T5 if you are thinking of going that route. He has great SPS growth with a T5 setup. A couple of ?s for you: 1. Do you have a budget in mind for lights/fixtures/other things that might come along with it? 2. What are you hoping for in terms of long-term corals with your tank? Heavy SPS? mixed reef? 3. Can you tell me a little about your reef keeping style? E.g. You like having the tank and you'll do what ever it takes to have the best one? Or, you have a tank, and a life outside of it, Or, you want the tank to look nice, and you're interested in how you can do that w/out being married to it? Once I have an idea of the above, which MH route will be easy to nail down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefman Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 All good points so the only thing I would add (and this comes from someone that currently runs 2-400W MH and 2-54W T5s, and is building a new light rack to run 3-400W and 4-140W VHO Super Actinics) is it really comes down to personal preference, and as Mark said, what your goals are. I would love to have a strictly T5 tank (I'm about half or maybe a little more SPS) for the colors it will bring you, but I can't give up the shimmer affect. One possible alternative would be to do T5s, and add some of the LED bars to give you the shimmer. offroaddodge, how do you get all those bulbs over your tank? I am amazed... Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caferacermike Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Keep in mind that T5 can be just as expensive if not more than MH. Many people just ignore this fact. On your tank you will probably need 6-8 T5's pressed together as tightly as possible. You can count on spending some serious coin on all those fixtures, bulbs, and ballasts. Then every year you will bleed money on all those bulb replacements. I noticed that Don Duncan mentioned in a recent thread that he was thinking about switching back to halides. I believe he had about 14 bulbs over his 135g tank. I've only seen it once, so I may be incorrect. But it was a lot of bulbs and fixtures for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisfowler99 Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I noticed that Don Duncan mentioned in a recent thread that he was thinking about switching back to halides. I believe he had about 14 bulbs over his 135g tank. I've only seen it once, so I may be incorrect. But it was a lot of bulbs and fixtures for sure. You are correct. It's a 72" Aquatinics Constellation that he has. 14 36" bulbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 14 36" bulbs. Holy poopers! 14 bulbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 1. Do you have a budget in mind for lights/fixtures/other things that might come along with it? I was hoping to stay under $300, if possible on start up cost. 2. What are you hoping for in terms of long-term corals with your tank? Heavy SPS? mixed reef? Mixed reef. Leathers, Zoas, SPS, Acropora, a clam, and an anemone. I'm a typical woman... I want it all! 3. Can you tell me a little about your reef keeping style? E.g. You like having the tank and you'll do what ever it takes to have the best one? Or, you have a tank, and a life outside of it, Or, you want the tank to look nice, and you're interested in how you can do that w/out being married to it? I like to keep maintenance to the weekends. I try to limit water changes to bi-weekly or monthly. I have a water quality issue right now, that I think will be fixed by switching from tap water to the RODI system I just bought (hurry up FedEX!.) I am completely non-technical. If it takes programing, mechanical or computer skills, I have to call someone. My tank is completely open, not covered and no hood. I don't mind spending time to make my tank look good, but I also have a life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Ok, based on your responses above, I'd recommend: a 2x175 MH fixture. Why... 1. 175's will let you keep your list of corals w/out running into a large heat issue which might warrant a chiller/fans. A chiller means more money, more noise and plumbing it into your tank. With 175's you probably won't need fans and if you do, they can be bought for cheap w/built in controllers. 2x250W would be an option for you down the road if you upgrade to a controller, which could monitor temp and turn on fans, but for now, 175's will do. Plus, if you get the right fixture, it is easy to upgrade to 250's from 175's. (I've done it, took me 10 mins). 2. The fixture will be an all-in-one setup vs. pendants/reflectors which will require mounting/running wires, etc. In other words, its like a Mac...plug it in, turn it on, it works! There are plenty of good used fixtures out there for sale that I can help you find in the $300 range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzobob Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Just a quick thought. Anytime I look at budgeting for my tanks I add one factor that hasn't been mentioned. Timeframe. The longer I have to make a change / upgrade / add the more time I have to find the right item at a good or even great price. Planning far enough ahead for a couple of projects has easily saved me a fortune. I have a couple of tanks where I've bought just what I needed then taken the time to find what I wanted later. Managed to save quite a bit of $$ along the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 ok REEFMAN, here is a pic of above my tank. in the rear is the 8x54 (black),the silver fixture is the homemade 400wMH and the right of the picture is the canopy door that hinges closed to make it look like the tank is in the wall. There are 2 24" VHO superactinics. Eventually to the right and left of the 400wMH there will be a 250wMH on each side. Im making the lumenarc reflectors right now. they will be 12"x12" so hopoefully this clears it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefman Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Yes it does, thanks! So another question, what are you using for the pattern for the luminarc reflectors? Since I have been riveting together the aluminum frame for my rack, I've realized how easy (or at least not very difficult) it would be to build that style of reflector. I have the real ones already, but if I could get the pattern and size it down to around 17" or 18" instead of the 19.5", it would make what I want to do (like add a 2xt5 to the 4xVHO's) much easier. Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefman Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Sorry Carrie and everyone. Posted the last before I realized I was hijacking the thread. My apologies. Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don duncan Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Sorry for the hijack, but i have to ask. Reefman do you have any diagrams of your rack? I think that I will need to build one also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 SORRY Carrie, didnt mean to infringe either. But you can see my lighting set-up now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefman Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 No diagrams, as I'm building it as I go. But you are welcome to come by and take a look at it. I have the top completed and the cross members to hold the luminarcs. Now I have to add the sides and the parts to mount the VHOs. I'm also likely to have some 1/8x1 and 1/2 aluminum angle and 1/8x3/4 aluminum flat stock left over. Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 Alright, I broke down and bought a used 48" Hamilton 2X175 Metal Halide with matching ballasts. Now I am confused again. <shocker> What maker and wattage mogul base bulbs should I buy? Are they the same? I want to do some SPS and a clam, and some softies. My tank is a standard 75 gallon. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddybluewater Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 You need to match the wattage of the ballasts (175w). You will get better growth from 10k bulbs but better color from 20k. I think most people go with 12-15k to split the diff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 I've run 14K Hamiltons and had a great mix of color and growth. In the past I've had 10K Coralife's and the light was too yellow...made everything look brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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