Lighting a 600GAL

jayybird · 08/21/2007, 11:13 AM

I'm looking for some opinions on lighting my new tank it's 96x48x30 my original thought was t5 but after discussing it with grim it was way to many bulbs and to much maintenance.So I have decided to go with halides no atinics if possible with lumenarcs 400watters just can't decide on spectrum or how many it's going to be primarily sps opinions welcome

SlowCobra · 08/21/2007, 12:54 PM

For starters what color do you prefer seeing in the tank? Do you like a whitish look or a bluish look? Then it will depend on who's bulb you buy as 1 manufacturers 10k or 20k doesnt look like another manufacturers 10k or 20k.

Note:10k and 20k just used as an example to illustrate a point.

jayybird · 08/21/2007, 01:05 PM

I kind of want a bluish look I understand were your coming from in regards to manufacturer's that's why I'm having trouble.

SlowCobra · 08/21/2007, 01:11 PM

If you want a kind of blue look then my opinion would be that you can pretty much rule out 20ks in your quest for the perfect blue as they tend to be really blue. I have a 10k AB bulb and a 20k AB bulb. I put them on opposite ends of the tank and the 20k was really blue and the 10k really white. At least to me.

I prefer kind of blue as well. I have 2 14k Phoenix 250's and 2 12k Reeflux 400's on my 210 and I like the color of it. Not to white and not to blue. At least in my eyes. A fellow reefer also likes the color.

jayybird · 08/21/2007, 01:49 PM

What ballasts do you have them on?

SlowCobra · 08/21/2007, 01:52 PM

The 250's are HQI Aquamedic Pendant setups. The 400's are retros on Advance magnetic ballasts.

08/21/2007, 11:13 AM	#1
jayybird Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: east atlantic beach ny Posts: 140	Lighting a 600GAL I'm looking for some opinions on lighting my new tank it's 96x48x30 my original thought was t5 but after discussing it with grim it was way to many bulbs and to much maintenance.So I have decided to go with halides no atinics if possible with lumenarcs 400watters just can't decide on spectrum or how many it's going to be primarily sps opinions welcome

08/21/2007, 12:54 PM	#2
SlowCobra Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Joliet, IL Posts: 3,079	For starters what color do you prefer seeing in the tank? Do you like a whitish look or a bluish look? Then it will depend on who's bulb you buy as 1 manufacturers 10k or 20k doesnt look like another manufacturers 10k or 20k. Note:10k and 20k just used as an example to illustrate a point.

08/21/2007, 01:05 PM	#3
jayybird Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: east atlantic beach ny Posts: 140	I kind of want a bluish look I understand were your coming from in regards to manufacturer's that's why I'm having trouble.

08/21/2007, 01:11 PM	#4
SlowCobra Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Joliet, IL Posts: 3,079	If you want a kind of blue look then my opinion would be that you can pretty much rule out 20ks in your quest for the perfect blue as they tend to be really blue. I have a 10k AB bulb and a 20k AB bulb. I put them on opposite ends of the tank and the 20k was really blue and the 10k really white. At least to me. I prefer kind of blue as well. I have 2 14k Phoenix 250's and 2 12k Reeflux 400's on my 210 and I like the color of it. Not to white and not to blue. At least in my eyes. A fellow reefer also likes the color.

08/21/2007, 01:49 PM	#5
jayybird Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: east atlantic beach ny Posts: 140	What ballasts do you have them on?

08/21/2007, 01:52 PM	#6
SlowCobra Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Joliet, IL Posts: 3,079	The 250's are HQI Aquamedic Pendant setups. The 400's are retros on Advance magnetic ballasts.