Im not happy with my lighting...

BBoley24 · 09/29/2006, 02:06 PM

Ok I have a 140G RR Oceanic tank. Im keeping everything from sps to lps to softies to a large range of zoanthids. My problem is that my tank is 31" tall. I started out using 4 48" T-5s with dual 250watt 20k hamilton MH. I got rid of the T5 setup because it wasn't doing anything to my tank. My problem with the T5s could have been a number of things such as I was using the reflection of the mh reflectors instead of individual reflectors for the t5s and the superwhite bulbs taht were mixed in there made my tank pink. Im so unhappy with my lighting. No great color is coming out of my tank. No vibrance. I don't know what to do. The only thing I can think of is going dual 400s instead of the 250s. I go over to other peoples houses with 21-24 inch heights and they use 175watt 14ks with pure actinic supplement... although the tank is unusally blue... their coral stands way out of the tank! What can you suggest that I add to my tank to make it out of this world/.

dc_909 · 09/29/2006, 03:44 PM

I would personally get individual reflectors on the T5's and play around with bulb combos until you get what you want.

BLANKENSHIP76 · 09/29/2006, 03:58 PM

I use dual 250W halides with 14K with 4 55w PC acintics, I love the colors and my corals pop!

BLANKENSHIP76 · 09/29/2006, 03:59 PM

The picture is from a bad camera, but the color is pretty accurate

papagimp · 09/29/2006, 04:10 PM

I use a 4 x 54 watt T-5 fixture w/ individual reflectors and have to keep the fixture 8-10 inches off the tank to keep from burning the frogspawn with too much light intesity.

bklynmet · 09/29/2006, 05:25 PM

I think if you're looking for the 'pop' effect of color, you're going to need some actnics.. my colors show more 'pop' of color when the light is more blue - but from reading what you wrote, I'm under the impression you do not like it too blue.

I have a 250 W 10k MH that'll be going over my 20 g that is about 20" deep once I get a skimmer for it. But in my research on MH, I thought that as you get close to 30" depth range, you'd need 400W of MH (rule of thumb) - I could be off by a few inches. The hight that the MH is above the tank also plays a little role... again as a general rule it should be about 8" from the water surface...

09/29/2006, 02:06 PM	#1
BBoley24 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Greensburg PA Posts: 917	Im not happy with my lighting... Ok I have a 140G RR Oceanic tank. Im keeping everything from sps to lps to softies to a large range of zoanthids. My problem is that my tank is 31" tall. I started out using 4 48" T-5s with dual 250watt 20k hamilton MH. I got rid of the T5 setup because it wasn't doing anything to my tank. My problem with the T5s could have been a number of things such as I was using the reflection of the mh reflectors instead of individual reflectors for the t5s and the superwhite bulbs taht were mixed in there made my tank pink. Im so unhappy with my lighting. No great color is coming out of my tank. No vibrance. I don't know what to do. The only thing I can think of is going dual 400s instead of the 250s. I go over to other peoples houses with 21-24 inch heights and they use 175watt 14ks with pure actinic supplement... although the tank is unusally blue... their coral stands way out of the tank! What can you suggest that I add to my tank to make it out of this world/.

09/29/2006, 04:10 PM	#5
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	I use a 4 x 54 watt T-5 fixture w/ individual reflectors and have to keep the fixture 8-10 inches off the tank to keep from burning the frogspawn with too much light intesity. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

09/29/2006, 05:25 PM	#6
bklynmet Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Elkhart Posts: 527	I think if you're looking for the 'pop' effect of color, you're going to need some actnics.. my colors show more 'pop' of color when the light is more blue - but from reading what you wrote, I'm under the impression you do not like it too blue. I have a 250 W 10k MH that'll be going over my 20 g that is about 20" deep once I get a skimmer for it. But in my research on MH, I thought that as you get close to 30" depth range, you'd need 400W of MH (rule of thumb) - I could be off by a few inches. The hight that the MH is above the tank also plays a little role... again as a general rule it should be about 8" from the water surface... __________________ PBITAWA!!! Removing skimmate, scraping algae, now changing a new set of baby diapers... will the crap ever end? Current Tank Info: 75g, 16g Lifereef sump w/ Lifereef VS2-24 mag 7 return, 6x54w T5, Separate 20g RR Oceanic w/ 10g Sump, Separate 4g office pico tank

09/29/2006, 03:44 PM	#2
dc_909 Moved On Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Murrieta, CA Posts: 3,260	I would personally get individual reflectors on the T5's and play around with bulb combos until you get what you want.

09/29/2006, 03:58 PM	#3
BLANKENSHIP76 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 827	I use dual 250W halides with 14K with 4 55w PC acintics, I love the colors and my corals pop!

09/29/2006, 03:59 PM	#4
BLANKENSHIP76 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 827	The picture is from a bad camera, but the color is pretty accurate