Halide Q & A

[rguyler]

Is your 150 the "typical" size with a footprint of 72" x 18"? If so I'm not sure I would go with a 400w in the middle. That seems like a lot with that depth. I think some corals would struggle with that much light unless they were at the bottom.

Whether to add T5s or not is generally determined by the type of MH lighting you like. Also the bulb and ballast manufacturers make a huge difference in the output you get. Even different combinations of the same products will give different results.

You can plan on T5s for now, at least until you decide on what MH setup you want for sure. I don't think the T5s will hurt much, especially if you are just thinking about Actinic supplementation.

I would read some of the excellent MH threads here on RC:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=624185

And here's another one: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1451643

[lordofthereef]

No, it is 24 inches deep. It is 48 wide by 24 deeps

[lordofthereef]

Forgot to say, thanks for the links. I got some reading to do

[rguyler]

Okay so you have the same 150 that I do, which is 30" tall. In that case, I would consider 2-250w or 2-400w depending on the bulb/ballast combo you choose and how much PAR you want towards the bottom of the tank. The general rule of thumb is 1 bulb per 24" of tank length.

I use 2 bulbs over mine and I don't have any dark areas. I did build some DIY Lumenbrites however so I have very good reflectors. I can't comment on how it looks without them since I haven't tried the MH bulbs without the reflectors but I'm sure they make a pretty big diference.

Welcome for the links too. They helped me decide to go with MH.

[lordofthereef]

Is there a DIY lumenbrites thread you could link me to as well?
How much did it end up costing you DIY per reflector?

[lordofthereef]

I suppose it is also worth asking, since you have the same size tank as I do, how far from water level are your 400w halides hung? Do you run a closed top? Any other lighting or just the two halides?

[lordofthereef]

still waiting for those FTS

[rguyler]

Sorry Lord...I posted them in the wrong thread!

Here they are: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...4#post15739424

Like I said, I didn't think the pics did the lights justice but a couple of other members on that thread thought they looked good so...

I use 175W lights since mine is FO (fish-only). In my case I have a custom canopy that is fully enclosed although I do use four PC fans on the back (always install them to blow in to avoid salt air from destroying them) and breather holes in the top. My lights are behind 1/4" glass splash shields and sit around 12" off the water surface.

Here is a good thread on the reflectors:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...t=diy+lumenarc

The link to the CAD file: http://thebrian.net/reflector/

You'll be able to find many more threads on building your own reflectors with a search of the archives. I already had polished aluminum sheets so my cost was basically zero but the results are awesome as you will see in the thread.

[kevoglass]

i have a 110gl corner tank acrylic. just got a 600 wt mh. is this to much light? I've noticed alot of algae growing and starting to get fuzzy green algae is this bad?

[rguyler]

That's a lot of concentrated light for sure. Wattage is really determined by tank height and how much the water column will filter the light down to the bottom. I bet you have pretty strong PAR all the way down. Corals on the top probably need sunglasses.

Lighting is essential for algae to grow but nutrients in the water, such as nitrates and phosphates are what makes it take off. Undersized skimmer (10g sump...that's tiny), tap water, overfeeding, poor maintenance habits can all contribute to algae growth due to excess nutrients. High intensity lighting will not likely change this condition much and you will need strong lighting for your photosynthetic inverts.

[lordofthereef]

Hey that definitely doesn't look bad. In your opinion, though, is it bluer than in the picture? I am just trying to figure out which to get as I don;t want them TOO blue but I want then a little bluer than they look in that picture. I saw a picture of a plusright 14k 250w burning and it looked pretty blue so I would think it would make the tank look bluer than yours, but like you said, the pics don;t do it justice so that is why I ask!
Any idea on how the PAR compares? Not only does she have to look nice but she needs to keep the SPS happy!

[lordofthereef]

Originally posted by kevoglass
i have a 110gl corner tank acrylic. just got a 600 wt mh. is this to much light? I've noticed alot of algae growing and starting to get fuzzy green algae is this bad?

I am just starting in the halides field myself, so I am by no means an expert, but how long is your lighting cycle? From what I hear here most people will only run strong halides for about 7 hours a day (where I see a lot of people doing 10-12 hours cycles with other lighting). I assume this is a strength reason, however I have never really asked. Maybe someone will chime in! Also what are your parameters like. Phosphates, nitrates, etc. can contribute to algae growth, so it may not be strictly your lighting. Do you use 0 TDS topoff water only?

[rguyler]

I don't consider the "real" look to be any more blue but I definitely have more color overall for sure. My tank looks nowhere near as blue as most of the pics of 20ks that I've seen, which is why I went with 14ks instead. I think there might be some trial and error involved no matter what you do. Camera deficiencies, bulb/ballast combinations and subjective opinion will make it difficult to make an accurate choice without first-hand experience. At least with the Plusrites you don't have to spend $120 on a pair of bulbs to discover that you picked wrong.

Sundancer from another thread said he would send an extra bulb he has to Sanjay for testing so I guess we'll have to wait for PAR values until then unless somebody has found PAR tests somewhere else. I haven't seen any numbers for the Plusrites myself.

[lordofthereef]

Fair enough. I think I will just try the 14ks and hope for the best. I really would rather have less blue than too much... I really dislike the looks of tanks where it looks like you are going cosmic bowling, except with blue light! LOL I think a couple pages back there were people that said they used these on their sps/lps tanks with no problems. Being that this is a new setup I will have some leeway, I just hate to drop money on "junk" but it sounds like you stand behind it and there are much worse bulbs out there anyway!

[rguyler]

I was the same way but figured for the price what the heck, let's give 'em a try.

[ReefPug]

How close to the water should MH be mounted? I only have a 10" high canopy and am afraid that I will have to go with T5. I really like the look of the 250W Radiums 20K.

[lordofthereef]

I am no expert, so take this with a grain of salt...

I have done a ton of reading since I started posting here and think I have a grasp (all be it a small one) on MHs. Distance is going to be based on a number of things, including tank depth (how deep your water is), strength of your halides, and quality of your reflectors. Something like lumenarcs or lumenbrights actually allow (and require) your lights to be higher away since they pump THAT MUCH MORE light into your system. As a guideline, I am looking at doing some DIY lumenarcs and am fairly certain that I can get at LEAST 95% of the "real thing" recreated. Honestly I am betting I can practically match it. I will end up mounting 2x 400w halides 16" above the water in a 24" tall (water depth) tank.

I don;t think there is any misinformation here, but anyone else who knows more than me, please do chime in.

[rguyler]

Well, I didn't use any real formula as such but rather common sense. Since I have DIY Lumenarcs (or brights...I forget which style I made ;-) I wanted to just be sure I had plenty of space to get under them for feeding, maintenance, etc.. Some people have gone all out and made tracks to slide their canopies back out of the way but I didn't feel like going through all that. I have around 11-12" under my glass splash shield (1/4" plate glass) and that seems to be a pretty good height. Over the shield I have about a 1/2" gap for air flow and then the bottom edge of the reflectors.

[lordofthereef]

I would be interested to see par reading of your tank in various spots. The info I got was from melev's reef. He used to go 12" and went 16" when he switched to the lumenbrights based on PAR. Maybe someday I will splurge and spend the cash on a cheaper PAR meter...

By the way, if you crafted your reflectors with the template you linked, those are lumenarcs The difference is that the brights keep a hexagonal shape throughout, whereas the arcs "turn into" a square at the bottom. The brights reflect 16% more light (supposedly), but with the INSANE amount of light increase we already get from these things I doubt it matters too much unless you are using really low wattage lights and just want more out of them. If I could find a lumenbright template though I would be game for giving it a shot. A few more bends and rivets is the only build difference. Maybe I will try to see if there is a CAD program at ISU that I can go and use >.>

[rguyler]

Yeah, arcs, brights...I get them confused as I didn't care too much either way since I don't have a reef. Mine are square at the bottom so mine are arcs I guess. I've only seen templates and threads for the style I have. I've read some who say the hammered metal really makes a big difference over the mirrored aluminum in terms of a more even light dispersion so maybe that would be an option to check out as well.

[lordofthereef]

I honestly think that is just preference. I only say this because based on people's PAR rating, lumenbright has been the best model of reflector, and that has no hammered metal whatsoever. I just got the materials to make two large reflectors. Only cost 44 bucks at menard's plus 5 bucks in rivets. Gonna make some and post them up here when I get a chance/

[lordofthereef]

Here are my reflectors. Turned out really nice. Still need to remove the blue protective film and fit the sockets in

[lordofthereef]

Just got my plusright bulbs in. Testing them out now. First impression is... I just saved a ton of cash and I am liking what I see

[rguyler]

Yeah! Finally something in this hobby that doesn't break the bank!

[lordofthereef]

Pics here for anyone that wants to see just the bulbs in their first few minutes of life

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...1703568&page=5