Upgrading lights?

e-dog · 03/01/2006, 10:54 PM

I am going to upgrade to MH. My system is:

65 gal 36Lx18Wx24H

corals:

assorted mushrooms
cup coral
open brain green
tree coral
leather coral
brown polyps
yellow star polyps

fish:

royal gramma
longnose hawk
flasher wrasse
algea blennie

I'm thinking of running 1 MH bulb and two 96 watt pc's. I would like to start keeping clams and sps. What wattage MH should I start with 175 or 250? And what kelvin MH would be best with the pc's being 50/50 or all actinic?

thanx Erik

Blown 346 · 03/01/2006, 11:34 PM

I would use a 250 watt halide, since you are going with actinic supplementation, I would use a 14 K bulb depending on what brand you choose. different brands will have differnt colorations with kelvin.

Blazer88 · 03/01/2006, 11:45 PM

Do you have a center brace? If so, one MH is going to give you a shadow. I cut my brace out and replaced with a clear acrylic one so I could go with a single 250W MH.

j0tca · 03/01/2006, 11:49 PM

I agree with Blown on the 250W, better to go bigger with light IMHO.

I would go with 10K lights though. I currently run 14K Hamiltons but I had to add VHO 10Ks to get the color back to white. 14Ks are pretty blue to run with actinic, I find you need white light to balance them out. So my suggestion, 10K with actinics ( I ran this for a while) or 14K with 10K (or 6500K) pc. I currently run 2X250W Hamilton 14K with 2X165W 10K VHO and 2X110W VHOactinic on my 6' 125.

Good luck with the upgrade.

Will

e-dog · 03/02/2006, 12:32 AM

I should have mentioned my current lighting:

220 watts 50/50 pc's.

Would 250 be too bright or would a little acclimating be alright?

e-dog · 03/02/2006, 12:35 AM

Oh yeah my center brace is not a big piece of glass it is only a thin strip of plastic so I'll be alright there.

j0tca · 03/02/2006, 12:39 AM

Since your tank is mostly softies you'de have to find out if your mushrooms could handle the light. I would say yes but it depends on what mushrooms you have and their placement. A lighting upgrade changes the system so could have unforseen results but I think you'de be O.K. I added 315W VHO and just turned them on without any acclimatisation period and everything was fine.

Will

e-dog · 03/02/2006, 01:10 AM

I have mostly red but there are also purple and green striped. But they can be moved lower in the if need be. I am anticipating a tank reconstruction for acclimation because I have been keeping them under pc's for years. And besides I could always sell some of the mushrooms and help pay for the lights, I have alot of them.

03/01/2006, 10:54 PM	#1
e-dog Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Hughson,ca Posts: 127	Upgrading lights? I am going to upgrade to MH. My system is: 65 gal 36Lx18Wx24H corals: assorted mushrooms cup coral open brain green tree coral leather coral brown polyps yellow star polyps fish: royal gramma longnose hawk flasher wrasse algea blennie I'm thinking of running 1 MH bulb and two 96 watt pc's. I would like to start keeping clams and sps. What wattage MH should I start with 175 or 250? And what kelvin MH would be best with the pc's being 50/50 or all actinic? thanx Erik

03/01/2006, 11:34 PM	#2
Blown 346 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Rockford, Illinois Posts: 6,596	I would use a 250 watt halide, since you are going with actinic supplementation, I would use a 14 K bulb depending on what brand you choose. different brands will have differnt colorations with kelvin.

03/01/2006, 11:45 PM	#3
Blazer88 Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,415	Do you have a center brace? If so, one MH is going to give you a shadow. I cut my brace out and replaced with a clear acrylic one so I could go with a single 250W MH.

03/01/2006, 11:49 PM	#4
j0tca Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Montreal Posts: 916	I agree with Blown on the 250W, better to go bigger with light IMHO. I would go with 10K lights though. I currently run 14K Hamiltons but I had to add VHO 10Ks to get the color back to white. 14Ks are pretty blue to run with actinic, I find you need white light to balance them out. So my suggestion, 10K with actinics ( I ran this for a while) or 14K with 10K (or 6500K) pc. I currently run 2X250W Hamilton 14K with 2X165W 10K VHO and 2X110W VHOactinic on my 6' 125. Good luck with the upgrade. Will

03/02/2006, 12:32 AM	#5
e-dog Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Hughson,ca Posts: 127	I should have mentioned my current lighting: 220 watts 50/50 pc's. Would 250 be too bright or would a little acclimating be alright?

03/02/2006, 12:35 AM	#6
e-dog Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Hughson,ca Posts: 127	Oh yeah my center brace is not a big piece of glass it is only a thin strip of plastic so I'll be alright there.

03/02/2006, 12:39 AM	#7
j0tca Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Montreal Posts: 916	Since your tank is mostly softies you'de have to find out if your mushrooms could handle the light. I would say yes but it depends on what mushrooms you have and their placement. A lighting upgrade changes the system so could have unforseen results but I think you'de be O.K. I added 315W VHO and just turned them on without any acclimatisation period and everything was fine. Will

03/02/2006, 01:10 AM	#8
e-dog Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Hughson,ca Posts: 127	I have mostly red but there are also purple and green striped. But they can be moved lower in the if need be. I am anticipating a tank reconstruction for acclimation because I have been keeping them under pc's for years. And besides I could always sell some of the mushrooms and help pay for the lights, I have alot of them.