Lighting Suggestions

[FarmerTy]

So, was curious as to everyone's opinion of a lighting setup. I was thinking of going with a 3- 250 watt metal halide setup with electronic ballasts. Kind of using this as a fragging tank and the ultimate goal is propagation.

Think I should just do 400 watts instead? Any suggestions on e-ballast brands? Good growth bulb brands (not necessarily concerned with coloration, just growth- i.e. 10ks)? Will 400 watt bulbs fit in a regular 250 watt pendant and socket? Should I be worried about wires for the socket not rated for 400watts? I have 2- 250 watt sockets connected to reflectors, was wondering if I could use it for the 400 watt assemblies.

Was thinking mixed tank of higher light corals at top, medium in the middle, and low at the bottom. Let me know what you think! Thanks in advance for all your expertise!

-Ty

[NonSequitur]

I don't know about the pendants/reflectors, but the wiring and sockets shouldn't have any problem running at 400w. Most mogul sockets are rated significantly above that.

As far as growth lamps go, you might also want to look at the iwasaki 6500k (MT400DL/BH and MT400DL/BUD) lamps, as I've heard good things about the PAR output from these lamps (though the color is significantly yellower than most people like)

[pbnj]

I keep debating between going with 250W or 400W bulbs. To solve the problem, I'm getting the new Lumatek dimmable 400W ballasts. With the turn of a knob, you can switch between 250W and 400W bulbs.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Lumatek_400W_120_240V_Dimmable_Multi_Wattage_(250W_400W)_Ballast_400_Watt_Metal_Halide_Ballasts-Lumatek-LK1235-FILTACBAMHFH-vi.html

Here's a link to a good thread on these ballasts:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1714811&highlight=Lumatek

[FarmerTy]

Wow! PBNJ, you hit the nail on the head with that one. Guess I know what I'm saving for! Lumatek, here I come! Let me know how they work out for you PBJN when you get them.

Thanks NonSequitur for the confirmation of the sockets. That'll save me a little money.

-Ty

[offroadodge]

ya i was thinking about the same thing PBNJ.... I have 2 homemade lumenarc reflector with 2 10k 250w SE bulbs and the old magnetic ballast laying around, dont know what im gonna do with them yet. Thought i may take my single 400 out and put 2 reflectors with 2 20k 400wtrs.

[+Hydro]

I'm very familiar with the the dimmable lumatek ballast which was originally designed for the gardening industry to acclimate new plants to intense lighting. I have heard that it does reduce the life of the bulb if used in the dimmable mode. I'm not sure if that matters to us since the bulbs are replaced so frequently, now on the other hand if it shortens the life of the bulb it is damaging it. Does this damage change the color/par of the bulb over time? If you are running the ballast in dimmable mode does it change the color/par of the light? Since these ballast are so new I think only the manufacturer has these answers yet.

I'm actually good friends with the owner and sales people over a lumatek, I will call them on Monday to discuss, they would be honest with me about it. Since they have been out on the market for 6 months now they should have some answers. If I were ordering a few of them I can get a great discount, I can buy dimmable 1000w ballasts for $175 each.

[+Hydro]

As far as what size to use...if you are running 6500-10k bulbs I WOULD NOT GO WITH 400s! If using a 12k-20k I would go with 400s. Lower kelvin bulbs are MUCH brighter than higher kelvin bulbs and you could easily cook everything in the tank. I have 2 250 10k bulbs that I tried over my 72 gallon and my corals started bleaching and losing color, even after being under my 400 watt 12k reeflux bulbs in another tank. The corals aren't near as enjoyable to look anything under 12k IMO

Personlly I would go with 2 or 3 400 watt fixtures with 12k reeflux SE bulbs, they are my favorite. Great color but they aren't that bright. I understand that you want to grow coral faster but I think going with a 6500-10k bulbs is not the way to go. I wanted to do the same thing that is why I have 2 nearly new 10k reeflux bulbs that I will never use again. After the corals did acclimate to the new lighting their color still changed. I had to put them back under 12k bulbs to get the proper color back.

My vote would be more lighting (2-3 400s) with a higher kelvin bulbs, you will get the same growth, the corals will look great in the tank, and they will maintain their color.

[polarbear]

Is there anything wrong with something like this? Also, do you have to have a ballast because i dont think this comes with one. this seemd to just plug into the wall

Sunlight Supply Reef Optix 2 Retrofit Reflector

Dimensions: 13"L x 9.5"W x 4.5"H

Weight: 1.2 lbs

• Retrofit Reflector
• 15ft detachable lamp cord with male plug
• Made of 95% reflective German aluminum
• Stainless steel socket assembly
• Leviton brand 5kv position oriented mogul socket
• No wiring required
• Chrome wire hangers
• Easy installs into any canopy with 4 small wood screws
• Accommodates mogul base metal halide lamps

Edited January 24, 2010 by polarbear

[pbnj]

Yes, it doesn't come with a ballast....and yes, you'll need to buy one separately.

[polarbear]

im new to the lighting thing so forgive me for the questions. Why do you need a ballast? and if it has a male plug on it why cant it just be pluged into the noraml socket?

[offroadodge]

its what makes the power to turn the bulb on!

[+Daniel]

Ty, I've heard of folks using 250w SE or 400w DE Radiums (beautiful color, in my opinion) over similar tanks along with MAGNETIC ballasts. Magnetic ballasts over-drive the bulb and in the case of radiums make the bulbs a little less blue, but noticeably more intense.

What will you do to regulate temps?

[FarmerTy]

Hydro,

I may run with your idea. I was contemplating the 250 watt 10k reeflux bulb just because of the higher par value for growth. Mainly because I run the 12k reeflux bulb in my show tank and it's a gorgeous color, but it is a lot dimmer than the 10k and I don't think that the dimmer bulb would really be as useful for growth in a grow-out tank.

So, moving everything to a 400-watt in the 12k would make sense... dimmer bulb... add more wattage... bam, nice growth and still nice color.

I will probably still go with three Lumatek e-ballasts to run the 400-watt 12k bulbs just in case I decide to switch to 250-watt instead, at least I still have the option without having to purchase additional ballasts.

Daniel, to keep the whole thing cool, I was planning on mounting very large fans to blow across the bulbs and the surface of the water and to have a large repository of RO water and an ATO system for all the ensuing evaporation. That is how the previous owner of the tank kept his temperatures in his tank to a tolerable level.

If it ends up being more cost effective to run a chiller, I may go that route as well.

Thanks for all the input everyone! I learn so much from this forum everyday!

-Ty

[GKarshens]

im new to the lighting thing so forgive me for the questions. Why do you need a ballast? and if it has a male plug on it why cant it just be pluged into the noraml socket?

Every light has a ballast. Some are smaller than others so they may be integrated into the light fixture. A MH ballast is at least the size of a brick.

[GKarshens]

I lit my old 125 with 3 250w MHs. It always seemed like I had plenty of light as I had good growth. I wouldn't waste the extra money on purchase or electricity on going with 400s. You would also have more heat to deal with.

[Mike M.]

Personal experience...I had 250W DE lamps. Sold them...moved to 400W with Lumen Brights and Coralvue Eballasts. Regret it. TOOOOOO MUCH HEAT! I run a 120 gallon system. Chiller and the works. I am currently planning a 6', 180 gallon system. I will run no more than one 400W lamp and 2-250's over it and will likely go with just 3-250W MH. I have fiddled with this stuff for a number of years now and firmly believe that water quality is far more important than wattage or color spectrum.

So I would fervently counsel you to resist the siren song of the 400's. Yes, lots of folks fun them. Yes, lots of folks keep their tank temp under control with fans, but at 4.6amps per ballast, these lamps require careful consideration of electrical infrastructure. If you are not putting in a dedicated circuit, you will only have 15amps to work with at your house in San Antonio. At 4.6amps a piece in the 400W flavor, that only leaves you less than 6 amps for circulation pumps, return pumps, calcium reactor pump, top off, and any other gadgets you decide to incorporate.

So bottom line for me is that there are tons of nice tanks out there that get great growth with 250W lamps. Do yourself a favor and spare your self a few amps of electricity on your circuit and go with the 250's.

That's what I've learned in eight years...

[FarmerTy]

Thanks Mike for sharing your personal experience. I keep going back and forth but the amount of amps required for the 400 watts combined with the heat has me concerned. I am not planning to run a chiller so that definetely gives me serious problems with maintaining a proper temperature. Add to the fact that I have an older home with an older electrical box and that pretty much pushes it out of the question.

I think I will go with everyone's suggestions of 3 250W lamps over the 125 gallon tank and in that case, may go for a cheaper e-ballast than the lumateks since I have no plans to run 400-watt bulbs.

Thanks again for everyone's input. I want to do this tank right the first time through since I have had 2 other times to get it right and have come so close.

-Ty

[Mike M.]

Okay, so now that you feel comfortable with that choice...reflectors! This is where the rubber meets the road. Put a good reflector over the tank and you can basically grow SPS with a flash light. No reflector of poorly constructed and you'll be thinking you needed those 400W lamps, which you don't. Since your tank is only 18" front to back, that will be the one sticky factor in constructing the lighting for the tank. You are going to have light spill with most reflectors since they are basically designed for 24-30-36" tanks. Consider a pendant style Lumen Bright and you won't have a problem in the world with growth and light intensity on the sand bed. There is a massive thread on Reef Central about these reflectors. I have run them for 18months now and am sold on how effective they are.

Mike

[pbnj]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Lumen Brights direct light more downward (i.e., like a cone) and have to be mounted more high up, where Lumenarcs have greater horizontal light dispersion, right?

[Mike M.]

You are not incorrect, but additional good info is that the LUmenArc's focus for I believe, a 36" spread of light. For this particular tank, that will not be as ideal as the 24" focus of the lumenbrights.

[pbnj]

With the Lumen Brights, what's the ideal distance between the bottom of the reflector and the water level?

[Mike M.]

14-16". If height is an issue, 14" is fine for a 24" spread. It may be more like 10-12" for the 18" width you have with your tank. That's the thing, they are kinda like a focusing type of reflector. Height off water affects the area flooded with light.