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Help me pick my MH bulbs


Guest bferris01

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Guest bferris01

Hi,

 

I am going to upgrading my reef tank from 55 to 120RR.  I currently am running 2 x 250watt 12K sunbrust bulbs on a CSL ballast.

 

I would like to get everyones advise for the 120R.  I have already the Duel 250watt CSL Ballast and 1 PFO 400watt ballast and a Icecap 660 ballast I can use on the 120R.

 

What kinda bulbs and what temps should I run?  I want to be able to keep clams and acro's  and everything else.  What would be the optimal setup with what I have?

 

I was thinking  the 400watt in the middle and a 250 watt on either side?  

 

Any adivse would be great. Thanks everyone

 

Brian

 

Feel free to email me as well.

 

bferris01@hotmail.com :)

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Guest bferris01

SO I guess what I am asking is adivse on the 6.5K, 10K, 12k,ect...

 

Looking for nice color and good growth :)

 

Brian

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I guess you could use a 20K 400 in the middle with two 6500K on the sides and actinic VHO to max out the icecap. That is going to be a lot of light for a 120 tank and make sure you have that chiller ready to go because you will need it for sure regardless of how many fans and AC you have going. Geofloors have two 6500K 400 on his 120 with fans and an AC in the room and needed to get the chiller going due to the heat. I suspect you will ahve similar problems. I honestly don't think you need that much lighting to keep everything you mentioned here. You could just as well go with the 250 10K or 6500 and add VHO actinic for coloring. Will do just as well I think.

Good luck

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Guest bferris01

Hey thanks, for the info!

 

I wasn't thinking of using everything was hoping to maybe not use the icecap, but just wanted to list want I had to make the best possible combo of light.

 

I will have 2 Icecap fans as well as Central AC set at 76 for the house.

 

I currently have 2 250Watts running on the 55G with one Icecap fan and don't have any heat problems but that is something for me to take into account

 

Brian

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Hey Brian, many will disagree with me and I'm mostly LPS & softy with 1 SPS (Green slimer).  I'd go with 2 250W 10kk bulbs like the USHIO or Aqualine and use the Icecap to run 2 or 4 URI's.  If you used 4 URI actinics you could use Isaki 6.5kk bulbs which are a big bang for the buck.  Just some thoughts.
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In my 120g I use 2 250W 6500k's and an icecap 660 with 4 110w's.  2 50/50 and 2 actinic blue.  You can't run 3 MH's in a 120.  There's a brace across the center.  You'd end up melting it.  Right now I've only got a sebae anemone, a pagoda, and an ultra maxima, plus tons of star and button polyps, and loads of shrooms coming back.  If you really want an SPS tank, I'd trade in the 250's for 400's.  They'll do ok under the 250's but really grow under 400's.
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Guest bferris01

HI thanks, couple more questions

 

How do you fit 2 250's perpidicular with the tank( with the reflectors) and 4 110's, dosn't seem to e enough room?

 

The center brace in the 120 ocenanic is like 1/2 glass, would it be bad to but a MH above it?  

 

Also if I did your idea of 2-400 watts on either side of the brace, what k bulb would you run and would you still run the 4-VHO's? OR just 2 Actinic VHO's or some other combination?

 

 

Brian

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I don't currently have the spiderlight type reflectors.  I used the cheap metal flashing option.  The VHO's are on the dual bulb endcaps on either side of the MH's.  My MH's are parallel to the length of the tank.  Not sure why you'd want to put them perpendicular.

 

IMHO, if you went with two 400's, I'd use 6500k and two 110w actinics.  If you wanted to really light up the tank, keep all 4 VHO's and use all actinics.

 

Some folks use just the MH's with 20000k bulbs, but that doesn't allow you to simulate dawn and dusk.  I have my VHO's come on about 2 hours before the MH's and stay on for about 2 hours after the MH's go out.  The VHO's are on for about 12 hours and the MH's are on for about 8 hours.  Ideally, I would split the VHO's onto two 430's and have the actinics come on for an hour before the 50/50's then the MH's and reverse the order for shut down.  

 

I also run an icecap fan in my hood.  I love the variable speed and the noise is almost nothing.  Definitely worth the extra money.

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As Alberto said: I have 2X 400w 6.5K on a 120 and it puts out a ton of heat. All that lighting over that tank and you will need a chiller. I would definitely place the spider reflectors perpendicular to the front because these have a wider spread and will put more light into the tank rather than out the front and back glass panels. I can't fit more than 2 VHOs on my tank without placing them under the MHs.

 

I have used coralife 10000K german bulbs in the past and I'm currently using a 250w 10000K Aqualine Bushke bulb. These create great colors and give good growth. The down side is they only last 9-12 month max. Closer to 9 IMO. The 6.5K last a long time but don't give you the coloring that a 10K bulb does. I just saw 250w 10000K Ushios on Oliver tank today and I think they are as bright as an Iwasaki. I have no experience with the 20000K but I would throw away those sunburst bulbs before they burn your house down. I'll measure the lux of the Ushios next time I see Olivers tank.

 

 

George

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Well I will throw in here.

 

I am running 2 400w 20k's on Eballasts on my 120 and I love the color.  I was running an IC660 with 2 4' 10k bulbs but I like the radiums alone so I dont even run the vho's anymore.  

 

I guess it depends on what you like.  I have seen Georges tank and it is beautiful the way he has it setup.  His lighting is very bright, my 20k's give the tank a bluer look and it does not appear as bright to the naked eye.  In fact I was running 250w 10k's before I switch to radiums and I think the tank looked a little brighter under the 250 10k's.

 

As for coloration of corals I think lighting plays a part but it is not the only variable.  I have seen tanks with beautiful coral coloration under many different lighting setups.  So I would go with what is asthetically pleasing to you.

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Guest bferris01

Thanks,

 

Ok, after all this Bad sunburst talk, I woke up this morning to find one of my bulbs is out, not blow up just not working anymore.   Guess it heard me typing on the computer about its replacment :)

 

Anyone has a 250 Watt MH of any age and color I could borrow for a few weeks till I get my 120Rsetup and get new bulbs for it?   I would be happy to pay overnight shipping, shouldn't be more than $10 buck right?

 

I just don't know how long before I decide on the new lights and don't know how long shipping will be when I buy new ones?

 

Let me know

 

Brian

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