Question about Metal Halide under canopy

AlBunch · 10/21/2006, 12:51 PM

Got an Oceanic 105g reef tank with matching stand and canopy, currently it has the Coralife Lunar Aqualight deluxe - 4x65w PC.

We're looking at metal halides to supplement because we've heard that PC has a tough time penetrating through to the bottom of the aquarium and it's starting to fill up with corals.

I think 2x150w MH would be good, but I'm looking for advice as to the types of fixtures. We also want to mount these in the canopy, so that's something to take into consideration.

Please give me some suggestions.

Thanks!

hopper · 10/21/2006, 01:34 PM

It all depends on what types of corals you are wanting to keep and also on how deep your tank is. I have a tank that is very similar to yours. It is a 110 Oceanic with the matching canopy and stand. I had dual 175 watt MH's mounted in the canopy and these worked very well. Then the SPS bug hit and I had to upgrade to 400 watt. If you are going with SPS, I would go with at least 250 watt MH's. Anything other than SPS and you can get away with 175 watt. Also remember, that with the MH's enclosed in a canopy, you are going to start having to deal with heat issues caused by the MH's. You can control the heat to an extent with fans. I went ahead and got a chiller so I wouldn't have to worry about it. You could also look into T5's instead of MH's and not have the heat issues. You will not have the shimmer look that the MH's give off though. IMO MH's look better, but T5's have their advantages. Hope this helps.

AlBunch · 10/21/2006, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hopper
It all depends on what types of corals you are wanting to keep and also on how deep your tank is. I have a tank that is very similar to yours. It is a 110 Oceanic with the matching canopy and stand. I had dual 175 watt MH's mounted in the canopy and these worked very well. Then the SPS bug hit and I had to upgrade to 400 watt. If you are going with SPS, I would go with at least 250 watt MH's. Anything other than SPS and you can get away with 175 watt. Also remember, that with the MH's enclosed in a canopy, you are going to start having to deal with heat issues caused by the MH's. You can control the heat to an extent with fans. I went ahead and got a chiller so I wouldn't have to worry about it. You could also look into T5's instead of MH's and not have the heat issues. You will not have the shimmer look that the MH's give off though. IMO MH's look better, but T5's have their advantages. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply!

So far, my girlfriend has amassed the following corals: 1 torch, 1 frogspawn, 1 hammer, 2 flowerpots, 1 colt, 1 tiny xenia, 1 plate coral, 1 rock with zoas, she's going to get more zoas (different colors), and is looking at some mushrooms and other things to color up the tank. She doesn't particularly care for the sps because they don't move with the current, but she does like the color on some of them. She also has two anemones and three clowns - surprisingly they're all doing very well together (2 true percs - mated pair and 1 maroon).

I'll pass on the info about the 250w lights. I think we're going to end up supplementing the pc by turning these on for 4-6 hours in the middle of the day. She runs a 12 hour photoperiod with her power compact right now.

I heard you on the chiller issue - we're already in need of one, living in Houston, we've seen the tank creep up to 87 on occasion. Right now it's steady at 84 with the top up which, we think, is high. Any opinions on chillers?

Oh, tank depth is 29" - which is a bit deep we're starting to find out.

hopper · 10/21/2006, 08:37 PM

If you have a 29" deep tank, I would opt for the 250's. That way you will have it covered if you decide to eventually go with some of the more light demanding corals. For what you have right now, 175's would be fine. If your tank is hitting temps that high already, I would also consider T5's. You are going to have really bad heat problems if MH's are used. If you do go for a chiller, I would recommend you get one with a Copeland or Tecumshe (spelling?) compressor. I have a 1/3 hp Delta Cyclone drop-in chiller and it works very well. It is overkill, but I got it used for a very good price. A 1/4 hp would be all you need though IMO.

Wolfmann81 · 10/22/2006, 04:40 PM

IMO from your description(s), there are some things that you definitely need to be aware of.

First, by where you live (especially) you definitely need to be aware of how much heat MH's can add to your tank. If you tank is already at around 84, that is pretty high for many tanks already. If you are to add MH's, that might jump it up to an average of 85+. That is a problem, for sure. You should be able to keep your tank below 80 if need be. I used to have a colt coral that was gorgeous. During a hot summer day in Eastern Washington, my tank crept over 90 degrees for one hour. My colt coral died, completely my fault. You should consider a chiller mandatory for what you are looking at doing.

Also, I would definitely go with at least the 250W MH's. You might be kicking yourself later on down the road if you didn't, especially just to have the option of keeping things on the sandbed.

I hope your searches go well!

AlBunch · 10/22/2006, 09:02 PM

Thanks, Hopper and Wolfmann!

We ordered a chiller from champion but they didn't send us the model we ordered - sent a less efficient one than we ordered. (3000 btu vs the 4000 btu)... but we have to go through the return process before we can get another one. I'm well aware of the heat those lights are going to add to the tank and I'd be willing to bet that it'd be more than one degree.

T5's aren't really an option, girlfriend says she wants the shimmer and since it's really her tank, well...you get the picture.

I think we'll go ahead and get the 2x250w MH, now we're looking for brand recommendations - they'll have to be low profile to fit under the hood - haven't measured the exact dimensions yet though. I've been doing some reading and it sounds like double ended bulbs are more efficient and less constricting on space, so that's high on the list.

I'm also a DIY'er, so if you know of any kits, or sources for the parts that would be less expensive then a ready-made setup, that'd be great!

Thanks again for the help, we both really appreciate it.

Wolfmann81 · 10/22/2006, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AlBunch
T5's aren't really an option, girlfriend says she wants the shimmer and since it's really her tank, well...you get the picture.

THEREFORE YOU ARE ALREADY SO MUCH FURTHER AHEAD THAN MOST OF US! BLESS HER! HAHA.

10/21/2006, 12:51 PM	#1
AlBunch Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 41	Question about Metal Halide under canopy Got an Oceanic 105g reef tank with matching stand and canopy, currently it has the Coralife Lunar Aqualight deluxe - 4x65w PC. We're looking at metal halides to supplement because we've heard that PC has a tough time penetrating through to the bottom of the aquarium and it's starting to fill up with corals. I think 2x150w MH would be good, but I'm looking for advice as to the types of fixtures. We also want to mount these in the canopy, so that's something to take into consideration. Please give me some suggestions. Thanks!

10/22/2006, 04:40 PM	#5
Wolfmann81 Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Monroe, Washington State Posts: 363	IMO from your description(s), there are some things that you definitely need to be aware of. First, by where you live (especially) you definitely need to be aware of how much heat MH's can add to your tank. If you tank is already at around 84, that is pretty high for many tanks already. If you are to add MH's, that might jump it up to an average of 85+. That is a problem, for sure. You should be able to keep your tank below 80 if need be. I used to have a colt coral that was gorgeous. During a hot summer day in Eastern Washington, my tank crept over 90 degrees for one hour. My colt coral died, completely my fault. You should consider a chiller mandatory for what you are looking at doing. Also, I would definitely go with at least the 250W MH's. You might be kicking yourself later on down the road if you didn't, especially just to have the option of keeping things on the sandbed. I hope your searches go well! __________________ Clayton aka "Wolfmann81" Current Tank Info: 180G Display Acrylic, 200+ Pounds Fiji & Tonga - LPS/SPS Mix

10/21/2006, 01:34 PM	#2
hopper Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bossier City, La. Posts: 623	It all depends on what types of corals you are wanting to keep and also on how deep your tank is. I have a tank that is very similar to yours. It is a 110 Oceanic with the matching canopy and stand. I had dual 175 watt MH's mounted in the canopy and these worked very well. Then the SPS bug hit and I had to upgrade to 400 watt. If you are going with SPS, I would go with at least 250 watt MH's. Anything other than SPS and you can get away with 175 watt. Also remember, that with the MH's enclosed in a canopy, you are going to start having to deal with heat issues caused by the MH's. You can control the heat to an extent with fans. I went ahead and got a chiller so I wouldn't have to worry about it. You could also look into T5's instead of MH's and not have the heat issues. You will not have the shimmer look that the MH's give off though. IMO MH's look better, but T5's have their advantages. Hope this helps.

10/21/2006, 08:37 PM	#4
hopper Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bossier City, La. Posts: 623	If you have a 29" deep tank, I would opt for the 250's. That way you will have it covered if you decide to eventually go with some of the more light demanding corals. For what you have right now, 175's would be fine. If your tank is hitting temps that high already, I would also consider T5's. You are going to have really bad heat problems if MH's are used. If you do go for a chiller, I would recommend you get one with a Copeland or Tecumshe (spelling?) compressor. I have a 1/3 hp Delta Cyclone drop-in chiller and it works very well. It is overkill, but I got it used for a very good price. A 1/4 hp would be all you need though IMO.

10/22/2006, 09:02 PM	#6
AlBunch Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 41	Thanks, Hopper and Wolfmann! We ordered a chiller from champion but they didn't send us the model we ordered - sent a less efficient one than we ordered. (3000 btu vs the 4000 btu)... but we have to go through the return process before we can get another one. I'm well aware of the heat those lights are going to add to the tank and I'd be willing to bet that it'd be more than one degree. T5's aren't really an option, girlfriend says she wants the shimmer and since it's really her tank, well...you get the picture. I think we'll go ahead and get the 2x250w MH, now we're looking for brand recommendations - they'll have to be low profile to fit under the hood - haven't measured the exact dimensions yet though. I've been doing some reading and it sounds like double ended bulbs are more efficient and less constricting on space, so that's high on the list. I'm also a DIY'er, so if you know of any kits, or sources for the parts that would be less expensive then a ready-made setup, that'd be great! Thanks again for the help, we both really appreciate it.