MH Question

Doolin · 06/05/2009, 12:17 PM

Hey guys,

I've got a 29Gal standard tank and am looking to get a 150W MH pendent light.

If i hang it over my tank 9 inches or so would I have to worry about it heating my tank, house stays at 75. Before I kept the house that low I had a fan that can bring the tank from 84 to ~77. Would I need actinic bulbs if I run a 14K MH? Thanks.

cfw1199 · 06/05/2009, 12:19 PM

I have a 150 over a 12 gallon nano and it's fine. Almost 10 inches above the water line but never gets above 82 or so.....I think you will be fine. Just get a small fan and position it so that it blows across the area between the Mh and the water....

Doolin · 06/05/2009, 12:44 PM

Thanks cfw1199, this will be my first foray into MH

power boat jim · 06/05/2009, 01:11 PM

You dont "need" any more lighting then what you are planning on. The actinic is nice for a dawn-dusk effect, but again its not needed.

Tswifty · 06/05/2009, 01:15 PM

I don't run any actinic supplementation (due to restrictions), and run 2 - 250w Pheonix 14k bulbs over my 40g tank. It's nice to have a dawn/dusk cycle, but certainly not necessary. Also, I really like the color the Pheonix bulbs give off.

Doolin · 06/05/2009, 01:25 PM

Thanks guys. I've got a t5 fixture now and was wondering if I needed to rig it in to run with the MH. Looks like I have a new frag tank light

lucas73 · 06/05/2009, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tswifty
I don't run any actinic supplementation (due to restrictions), and run 2 - 250w Pheonix 14k bulbs over my 40g tank. It's nice to have a dawn/dusk cycle, but certainly not necessary. Also, I really like the color the Pheonix bulbs give off.

Same here no actinic supplementation,I really like the color of the 14k Phoenix.

Doolin · 06/05/2009, 01:51 PM

Ah, one more question. The lamp I am getting is used and doesn't have the glass over the reflector. Do i have to have it?

stingythingy45 · 06/05/2009, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Doolin
Ah, one more question. The lamp I am getting is used and doesn't have the glass over the reflector. Do i have to have it?

If it's a DE or(double ended)you do to protect the creatures and yourself from UV rays.
If it's a mogul then your ok.

Doolin · 06/05/2009, 02:02 PM

Gah, its a DE fixture...

I assume plate glass won't do?

stingythingy45 · 06/05/2009, 02:06 PM

It has to be tempered.
What kind of fixture is it?

Tswifty · 06/05/2009, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Doolin
Gah, its a DE fixture...

I assume plate glass won't do?

No, It's a UV resistant glass.

Doolin · 06/05/2009, 02:43 PM

I don't know the fixture yet... heres the pics.

Doolin · 06/05/2009, 05:11 PM

Will I got blind if a run it for a few days before I find some new glass?

qfrisco · 06/06/2009, 07:51 AM

You could, but more importantly, it can take only a few seconds of exposure to bleach your corals. A member of my local reef club ran one of his 3x250w lights without a shield just for a couple seconds, and it had devastating effects on his corals - and his tank is filled with huge colonies of beautiful and rare SPS. Roughly 6 months later, his corals are still recovering.

Regarding the kind of glass you need - do some googling. I was under the impression that regular plate glass is all you need. I always thought that all types of glass filtered UV, and there's really no such thing as "UV glass". Maybe someone knows definitively and can post a response.

06/05/2009, 12:17 PM	#1
Doolin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 260	MH Question Hey guys, I've got a 29Gal standard tank and am looking to get a 150W MH pendent light. If i hang it over my tank 9 inches or so would I have to worry about it heating my tank, house stays at 75. Before I kept the house that low I had a fan that can bring the tank from 84 to ~77. Would I need actinic bulbs if I run a 14K MH? Thanks.

06/05/2009, 12:44 PM	#3
Doolin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 260	Thanks cfw1199, this will be my first foray into MH __________________ Treasurer of WORC, a reef club in Western Ohio. www.worcreef.org

06/05/2009, 01:15 PM	#5
Tswifty Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 14,022	I don't run any actinic supplementation (due to restrictions), and run 2 - 250w Pheonix 14k bulbs over my 40g tank. It's nice to have a dawn/dusk cycle, but certainly not necessary. Also, I really like the color the Pheonix bulbs give off. __________________ "Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover

06/05/2009, 01:25 PM	#6
Doolin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 260	Thanks guys. I've got a t5 fixture now and was wondering if I needed to rig it in to run with the MH. Looks like I have a new frag tank light __________________ Treasurer of WORC, a reef club in Western Ohio. www.worcreef.org

06/05/2009, 01:51 PM	#8
Doolin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 260	Ah, one more question. The lamp I am getting is used and doesn't have the glass over the reflector. Do i have to have it? __________________ Treasurer of WORC, a reef club in Western Ohio. www.worcreef.org

06/05/2009, 12:19 PM	#2
cfw1199 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Colonial Heights, Virginia Posts: 560	I have a 150 over a 12 gallon nano and it's fine. Almost 10 inches above the water line but never gets above 82 or so.....I think you will be fine. Just get a small fan and position it so that it blows across the area between the Mh and the water....

06/05/2009, 01:11 PM	#4
power boat jim Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Wisconsin, The big peninsula Posts: 2,100	You dont "need" any more lighting then what you are planning on. The actinic is nice for a dawn-dusk effect, but again its not needed.

06/05/2009, 02:02 PM	#10
Doolin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 260	Gah, its a DE fixture... I assume plate glass won't do? __________________ Treasurer of WORC, a reef club in Western Ohio. www.worcreef.org

06/05/2009, 02:06 PM	#11
stingythingy45 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: MA Posts: 3,296	It has to be tempered. What kind of fixture is it? __________________ Bob Current Tank Info: 90 gallon,mixed Reef,2-250 watt Optix 3 pendants(Phoenix 14K)2-54 watt T5 Super actnics ,ASM G-2 Gate/recirc mods,70 gal. basement sump,20L ref

06/05/2009, 02:43 PM	#13
Doolin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 260	I don't know the fixture yet... heres the pics. __________________ Treasurer of WORC, a reef club in Western Ohio. www.worcreef.org

06/05/2009, 05:11 PM	#14
Doolin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 260	Will I got blind if a run it for a few days before I find some new glass? __________________ Treasurer of WORC, a reef club in Western Ohio. www.worcreef.org

06/06/2009, 07:51 AM	#15
qfrisco Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dallas, TX Area Posts: 1,389	You could, but more importantly, it can take only a few seconds of exposure to bleach your corals. A member of my local reef club ran one of his 3x250w lights without a shield just for a couple seconds, and it had devastating effects on his corals - and his tank is filled with huge colonies of beautiful and rare SPS. Roughly 6 months later, his corals are still recovering. Regarding the kind of glass you need - do some googling. I was under the impression that regular plate glass is all you need. I always thought that all types of glass filtered UV, and there's really no such thing as "UV glass". Maybe someone knows definitively and can post a response.