GaryL July 31, 2009 Share July 31, 2009 ok so i'm setting up a 40g breeder and was planning on putting a 250w MH with a radium 20K in it. would the 250w be to much light? would i need to supplement any other light in your opinions? would i need actinics and if so go VHO or T5? thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind July 31, 2009 Share July 31, 2009 Since the 40g is shallow I think you would be fine with a less wattage light like a 150 or 175. I would go with a 4 or 6 bulb T5 setup. If you do go with the 250w 20k you will want some T5 lights also so you have some kind of dawn/dusk effect instead of the tank going from full 250 watts to nothing. It also gives you more viewing time instead of the 6 hours your MH would be on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k July 31, 2009 Share July 31, 2009 I've got a 400w 14k with 2) 32w pc's. Light is suspended 12" above surface. Still needs a heater otherwise it runs cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhcorals July 31, 2009 Share July 31, 2009 (edited) I think i would go with a 150 watt MH. The tank is shallow and a 250 watt would be to much. It would also cause a little more temp. problems. A couple T-5's would not be a bad thing to give some color and also like stated in the post above ( Coralhind). Edited July 31, 2009 by lhcorals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhcorals July 31, 2009 Share July 31, 2009 I've got a 400w 14k with 2) 32w pc's. Light is suspended 12" above surface. Still needs a heater otherwise it runs cold. How many hours a day are you running your MH? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL July 31, 2009 Author Share July 31, 2009 Since the 40g is shallow I think you would be fine with a less wattage light like a 150 or 175. I would go with a 4 or 6 bulb T5 setup. If you do go with the 250w 20k you will want some T5 lights also so you have some kind of dawn/dusk effect instead of the tank going from full 250 watts to nothing. It also gives you more viewing time instead of the 6 hours your MH would be on. I've got a 400w 14k with 2) 32w pc's. Light is suspended 12" above surface. Still needs a heater otherwise it runs cold. i guess one issue for me is that i already have the 250wMH and i also have some retro pc ballasts and lights..but need new bulbs for...but i think i would prefer the t5s. i think the way i measured it the bulb would be a little over 12" from the water and i have a chiller if i have heat issues..... coralhind, do you have any ballasts that would fire some 24" or 36" t5 bulbs for sale? i think we talked about it at frag fest. I think i would go with a 150 watt MH. The tank is shallow and a 250 watt would be to much. It would also cause a little more temp. problems. A couple T-5's would not be a bad thing to give some color and also like stated in the post above ( Coralhind). well there are options i see on ebay with 150w MH and t5 combos that are inexpensive....but i never used DE bulbs before. thanks for the replies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind July 31, 2009 Share July 31, 2009 Yeah, I have some that do the 39w 34" T5HO. Sending you a PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k July 31, 2009 Share July 31, 2009 I think i would go with a 150 watt MH. The tank is shallow and a 250 watt would be to much. It would also cause a little more temp. problems. A couple T-5's would not be a bad thing to give some color and also like stated in the post above ( Coralhind). Why is 250 too much? The 400 is perfect for a 40. If you already have a 250, it will be fine. 150's are kind of weak and are best used as a book light. I grow zoas, shrooms, softies, LPS, SPS, and clams with great results. I use the pc's because they come in various combinations. I like the 10k/460nm smartpaq bulbs in particular. PC's and fans run about 12 hours and halide runs abot 8 hours. I keep the condo at 74 degrees and use a 50w heater to keep the temp around 80 in the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL July 31, 2009 Author Share July 31, 2009 Why is 250 too much? The 400 is perfect for a 40. If you already have a 250, it will be fine. 150's are kind of weak and are best used as a book light. I grow zoas, shrooms, softies, LPS, SPS, and clams with great results. I use the pc's because they come in various combinations. I like the 10k/460nm smartpaq bulbs in particular. PC's and fans run about 12 hours and halide runs abot 8 hours. I keep the condo at 74 degrees and use a 50w heater to keep the temp around 80 in the tank. my diy has the smartpaq bulbs...i was actualy loosing a ric and it was shrinking...when i moved stuff over from the 150 i placed the ric high up closer to the PC and it actualy is rebounding. which is making me happy. i have the 2x65w ballast that marine scene sells or used to sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate July 31, 2009 Share July 31, 2009 I think i would go with a 150 watt MH. The tank is shallow and a 250 watt would be to much. It would also cause a little more temp. problems. A couple T-5's would not be a bad thing to give some color and also like stated in the post above ( Coralhind). First off, a 250w halide is definitely not too much. I have a 250w 10k in a lumenarc reflector above one of my 40 gallon breeders and it is fine. Only thing I would do differently is use a 14k bulb. I also have a Tek light above my other 40 gallon breeder. Haven't had the t5's for that long so I am not to sure about growth, but it deffinitely looks better than any single halide pendant could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw July 31, 2009 Share July 31, 2009 I currently have a 250w Current Outer Orbit with 4 24w T5s running over my 40g breeder. I haven't had any problems. If you are going to go with suppplementation, I would go with VHOs, not T5s. I wish the Outer Orbit had a VHO option and not just T5s or PCs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now