Metal Halide lighting

[mling]

My LFS guy tells me that MH is too hot for a small tank like the 45 Gallon tank I have; that many of their customers return their MH lighting to them due to heat.  They say all I need is compact flourescents.  

I am only planing to have a few anemones, clown fishes and jaw fishes and bunch of invertebrates.  

 

Is this just a sales pitch to sell JBJ compact flourescents they specialize in ?

[Guest reeffoto]

If you are going to go with Bubble top anenome I would go with VHO lighting with a icecap ballast.  I had a 75 gallon tank with 2 VHO's and 4 GE aquarium bulbs run by 2 icecap 660 ballast.  I had sps that did grew VERY well.  I'm sure that would be enough light for bubble tips and whatever else you wanted to keep.  MH does create a heat problem but it can be done.  The times I have seen it work the sump has been in a basement with tank upstairs.

[krish]

You can install a radio shack fan if you have a hood.

The Ranco single stage temperature controller - $60 can

be used to turn on/off the fan.

You can also buy the icecap fans that come with the

temperature controller built in.

With a MH lighting, your choices are unlimited, should you

plan to change your livestock, which is what usually happens

with time. Moreover, if you upgrade your tank, the light just

transfers to your new tank.

My 2 cents

-krish

[michaelg]

A pendant MH would be the way to go.  You can run the top open and not worry about the heat issue.  Jawfish are jumpers though...  So that is a consideration.  AFA anenomes- really really do some research on this one- many of the hosting anenomes are impossible to keep.  Carpet anenomes are known fish killers outside of the clowns they host.  They are not the easiest of animals to keep and you should really have an idea as to what you are in for before purchase- as well as how to identify a healthy one from a store.  Club members have some splits on a regular basis in need of new homes for e. quadracolor (aka bubble tip).    If you go another route- might want to check other places for lighting.  See our links page for suppliers- to make your own descision.

 

Michael

[ErikS]

Is this just a sales pitch to sell JBJ compact flourescents they specialize in ?

Exactly, check any of the nano forums...lots of folks using MH on small tanks (w/ & w/o hoods). Requires ventilation but it's definately do-able.

[pez]

Your LFS is giving you a line of bull.  You can get a small pendant with a 150W DE lamp that will not overheat your tank.

 

If you want to keep anemones, they generally require intense lighting (pacific anemones vice atlantic) - far more that FL lamps can deliver.  See Phil Henderson's article:

 

http://fins.actwin.com/articles/choosinganemone.php

 

Also, heed Micheal's advice.  All anemones are not created equal.

 

-Tom

[Guest greatwit]

MH too hot for a 45? maybe i should take my 150 hqi off my 15g  .  rk

[ErikS]

MH too hot for a 45? maybe i should take my 150 hqi off my 15g

:D  :D