Which lumen bright do I choose?

Hurdicuss · 03/31/2010, 11:44 AM

My new tank will have a foot print of 34" x 34" and I will be using a single 250w lumen bright (finished) pendant but I am unsure about which pendant to go with... Should it be the mini, mini wide or large pendant? Which one will provide the best light spread on this foot print? Open to suggestions and input. Thanks.

AcroporAddict · 03/31/2010, 01:06 PM

LB Large and raise it up some.

huskysglare1 · 03/31/2010, 01:07 PM

I would say the large.

PSU REEFER · 03/31/2010, 02:30 PM

LB IMO, but post in the Reef Specialty forum for an expert opinion

skanderson · 03/31/2010, 03:29 PM

you would want to go with the lumenbright large but you will need to raise it up alot over the tank. i use lbs on my tank and get good coverage over a 24x24 area or a little wider than that with the bulbs 18 inches over the tank. also how deep is the tank. if the tank isnt too deep i would consider getting a lumenarc instead to get better spread in a square pattern. there are a couple articles by sanjay ( in reef frontiers i think) that show the coverage pattern really well. how much light you need is related to alot of factors like depth and how much light the corals you are keeping need and how tolerant you are of a tank with dim edges.

Rickyrooz1 · 04/01/2010, 09:12 AM

LB mini wide will have higher PAR values and better spread than the large at the same height.

eskymick · 04/01/2010, 11:31 AM

Last fall, I set up a 36" x 36" reef and I tried to light it with a large LumenBright reflector. Even though I love that reflector, I found that it was not "wide" enough to illuminate the total area of the tank. After some shopping around, I found the Hamiliton Cozumel Sun reflector. It's 20" square and is perfect for fully illuminating a tank of that size.

r-balljunkie · 04/01/2010, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eskymick

Last fall, I set up a 36" x 36" reef and I tried to light it with a large LumenBright reflector. Even though I love that reflector, I found that it was not "wide" enough to illuminate the total area of the tank. After some shopping around, I found the Hamiliton Cozumel Sun reflector. It's 20" square and is perfect for fully illuminating a tank of that size.

1) how deep is your tank?
2) what height did you find covered the edges nicely, without too much spill?

thx
c

03/31/2010, 11:44 AM	#1
Hurdicuss Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 171	Which lumen bright do I choose? My new tank will have a foot print of 34" x 34" and I will be using a single 250w lumen bright (finished) pendant but I am unsure about which pendant to go with... Should it be the mini, mini wide or large pendant? Which one will provide the best light spread on this foot print? Open to suggestions and input. Thanks. __________________ This world is a great sculptor's shop. We are the statues and there is a rumor going round the shop that some of us are some day going to come to life. ~C.S. Lewis~

03/31/2010, 01:07 PM	#3
huskysglare1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Jose Posts: 1,406	I would say the large. __________________ Since Jan 2008 Current system: 170G+50g Sump/Bio-Pellet Reactor. 2x400w Radium+2x110w VHO. 2 x HYDRO Magnum 8 + 1xMP60w (removed 2 x Koralia 4). SWC 300A Cone (had SWC 200 w/ Red Demon); it's AWESOME! BRS DOSER(Cal, Alk, and Mag). Current Tank Info: 170g+50g sump

03/31/2010, 02:30 PM	#4
PSU REEFER Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Midlothian, VA Posts: 713	LB IMO, but post in the Reef Specialty forum for an expert opinion __________________ Rob __________ __________________ Current Tank Info: 500g w/ a few fish & little coral, but that will change. 4 MH(400w-2-10K & 2-20k), 4-6' VHO, CL thru eurobracing, 2-Tunze's, OCT 5000ext., RKE, 2-550's LFR(GFO & Carbon), 2-part, and more equipment to add down the road.

04/01/2010, 09:12 AM	#6
Rickyrooz1 Acropora Nut Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newtown, PA Posts: 2,453	LB mini wide will have higher PAR values and better spread than the large at the same height. __________________ 120 Gallon Acropora dominated tank, barebottom, APEX Controller, ATI Sunpower 8x54w, Skimz SM163, Jebao DCT 6000 return pump & two Jebao OW-40. Current Tank Info: SPS Dominated

04/01/2010, 11:31 AM	#7
eskymick Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pulaski, WI Posts: 1,368	Last fall, I set up a 36" x 36" reef and I tried to light it with a large LumenBright reflector. Even though I love that reflector, I found that it was not "wide" enough to illuminate the total area of the tank. After some shopping around, I found the Hamiliton Cozumel Sun reflector. It's 20" square and is perfect for fully illuminating a tank of that size. __________________ SG - 1.025 pH - 8.1 NH4/NH3 - 0 mg/L NO2 - .003 mg/L NO3 - .2 mg/L Calc. - 420 dKH - 8.0 Flow ~ 80x Current Tank Info: 24" cube SPS Reef, 15 gal sump, 1- LumenBright Pendant with 250w 20K Phoenix lamp, 1 - Vortech MP40, ATB 840 v1.5 skimmer.

03/31/2010, 01:06 PM	#2
AcroporAddict There is no substitute. Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Southeast Posts: 2,269	LB Large and raise it up some.

03/31/2010, 03:29 PM	#5
skanderson Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: baraboo,wi Posts: 428	you would want to go with the lumenbright large but you will need to raise it up alot over the tank. i use lbs on my tank and get good coverage over a 24x24 area or a little wider than that with the bulbs 18 inches over the tank. also how deep is the tank. if the tank isnt too deep i would consider getting a lumenarc instead to get better spread in a square pattern. there are a couple articles by sanjay ( in reef frontiers i think) that show the coverage pattern really well. how much light you need is related to alot of factors like depth and how much light the corals you are keeping need and how tolerant you are of a tank with dim edges.