Questions about 250W MH over 20 gallon and PAR

mooch1982 · 07/20/2011, 09:07 PM

So everyone always talks about PAR for lighting, but I was sitting here thinking today, is it that important if the light is over sized for the tank it is being used for?

For example I am setting up a 20 gallon nano currently. The light fixture is a Reef Optix 3 DE pedant with a icecap ballast. I have two bulbs i which I can use. One is a Geisemann 14.5K and the other is a EVC 20K. This tank will be 100% SPS, possible some zoas, and some LPS.

The light is already over sized for the tank. People always talk about not getting any growth with a 20K bulb, but in my case would the EVC 20K not provide enough PAR, given the fact that am using a 250 watt pendant as opposed to a proper wattage such as a 150w? Please not, the light is placed 11 inches above the water surface, but the tank is only 16 inches high.

The geisemann does give double the PAR, but it seems like overkill for my tank, and plus I like the EVC color better.

Thoughts on this would be great.

mooch1982 · 07/21/2011, 06:34 AM

Any thoughts?

Chris27 · 07/21/2011, 09:33 AM

You're worrying too much, either bulb will surely be just fine for the 20L. PAR is a non issue for you given the power of the bulb, and the depth of the tank. I would venture to guess that you could put that bulb 6' above the tank and it will still be useful. And while folks may say they don't get growth with 20,000K, I assure you that isn't the case....all the tanks you see these days are blue, and most have plenty of growth....

smariner · 08/04/2011, 09:21 PM

+1 evc 20k

mooch1982 · 08/04/2011, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris27

You're worrying too much, either bulb will surely be just fine for the 20L. PAR is a non issue for you given the power of the bulb, and the depth of the tank. I would venture to guess that you could put that bulb 6' above the tank and it will still be useful. And while folks may say they don't get growth with 20,000K, I assure you that isn't the case....all the tanks you see these days are blue, and most have plenty of growth....

That's exactly what I figured. It just makes logical sense, but just wanted to see if anyone else was on the same page.

Oh, and yeah, EVC 20K rocks!

07/20/2011, 09:07 PM	#1
mooch1982 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 435	Questions about 250W MH over 20 gallon and PAR So everyone always talks about PAR for lighting, but I was sitting here thinking today, is it that important if the light is over sized for the tank it is being used for? For example I am setting up a 20 gallon nano currently. The light fixture is a Reef Optix 3 DE pedant with a icecap ballast. I have two bulbs i which I can use. One is a Geisemann 14.5K and the other is a EVC 20K. This tank will be 100% SPS, possible some zoas, and some LPS. The light is already over sized for the tank. People always talk about not getting any growth with a 20K bulb, but in my case would the EVC 20K not provide enough PAR, given the fact that am using a 250 watt pendant as opposed to a proper wattage such as a 150w? Please not, the light is placed 11 inches above the water surface, but the tank is only 16 inches high. The geisemann does give double the PAR, but it seems like overkill for my tank, and plus I like the EVC color better. Thoughts on this would be great.

07/21/2011, 09:33 AM	#3
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	You're worrying too much, either bulb will surely be just fine for the 20L. PAR is a non issue for you given the power of the bulb, and the depth of the tank. I would venture to guess that you could put that bulb 6' above the tank and it will still be useful. And while folks may say they don't get growth with 20,000K, I assure you that isn't the case....all the tanks you see these days are blue, and most have plenty of growth.... __________________ Fill your tank with $5 bills, add gasoline and light it on fire.....only then will you know the real cost of reefing. Current Tank Info: 180 Mixed Reef

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07/21/2011, 06:34 AM	#2
mooch1982 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 435	Any thoughts?

08/04/2011, 09:21 PM	#4
smariner Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 900	+1 evc 20k