Halide Lamps at right height

mujtba · 05/28/2010, 07:42 AM

Hi!

I have a 150G size tank. It is about 6 foot long and 31 inches tall.

I have two 250w single ended halide lamps in my canopy. My lights are about 12 inches above the water surface.

So from the very bottom of the tank to the light, it is about 40+ inches.

Is the light good enough to penetrate to the bottom of the tank?

I don't see the growth Id like in my corals, but is it my water conditions or the lighting being so far up?

I was going to buy the phoenix single ended 250w lamp, and I saw this:
"This bulb is offered at an excellent price and is a great choice for reef tanks up to 24" deep. "

So which lamps are good for me if not the phoenix?

thanks

ERICinFL · 05/28/2010, 07:53 AM

Your 150 is 27in. tall, I have one sitting in my garage.

My current tank is 30in. tall and I have two, 250watt SEs (Plusrite 20ks) over mine, at about the same height as yours. All my corals have great color and grow well. I have SPS, LPS and softies. My SPS are at various heights in the tank, depending on lighting requirements. You should be fine, just move your corals around until they are in a "happy place". lol

As far as bulbs are concerned, you'll get a hundred different opinions. It's all going to come down to personal preference and how much you want to spend. I got tired of spending $50+ dollars on a bulb for name brands, so I tried the Plusrites at $15 a bulb. I couldn't be happier with them. Phoenix is a well known and respected brand, so give them a try. Look at other peoples tanks (in person) and inquire about what bulbs/ballasts they use. What looks good to your buddy, might not look good to you.

If your corals aren't growing how you'd like, there are many factors that come in to play. You need to make sure your Alk, Calc and Mag levels are good and your nutrients are low to zero. If you don't have enough flow, that could be an issue too.

mujtba · 05/28/2010, 08:08 AM

How do you feel abou the REEFLUX 20K?

Would plusrite work with electronic ballast? Most ballasts?

asmodeus · 05/28/2010, 08:44 AM

I am currently running the 20 K reef flux i hate them i bought them for the blue they are the same as the 12K reef flux

mujtba · 05/28/2010, 08:48 AM

What has a lot of blue for color, but still high PAR for growth?

ERICinFL · 05/28/2010, 12:30 PM

I've never used Reflux bulbs, so I can't give you an honest answer. Here are a list of the SE bulbs I've used and how I liked them. All of them were run on EVC, 250watt electronic ballasts.

I'll use a 1-10 scale.

EVC 10k: "6" Nice white light, with a hint of yellow. Good growth, moderate coloration.
EVC 14k: "7" Crisp blue/white light. Good growth and coloration.
Hamilton 14k: "7" Pretty much the same as the EVC 14k, but the blue was a bit deeper.
Ushio 14k: "5" For the money, I was expecting great things. Not as blue as the above 14ks and growth was okay.
Phoenix 14k: "6" Nice blue/white light. Good coloration, moderate growth.
Plusrite 20k: "8" Crisp, deep blue light with a hint of white. Great color, good growth.

mujtba · 06/01/2010, 07:14 AM

What is EVC bulbs?

Someone said their plusrite exploded in their frag tank and killed all frags... !!!

I dont want my corals dying by an explosion.

MR HONDA · 06/01/2010, 07:37 AM

ebay..

smariner · 06/07/2010, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mujtba

What is EVC bulbs?

Someone said their plusrite exploded in their frag tank and killed all frags... !!!

I dont want my corals dying by an explosion.

EVC bulbs are a brand of metal halide lamps. They have very high PAR ratings and many people here on RC are running them and have had great results in both growth and coloration of their corals.

Hope this helps,
Chad D. Bryant

mujtba · 07/13/2010, 08:01 AM

could anyone tell me where i can get plusrite 20k from? i have electronic ballast 250w

05/28/2010, 07:42 AM	#1
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	Halide Lamps at right height Hi! I have a 150G size tank. It is about 6 foot long and 31 inches tall. I have two 250w single ended halide lamps in my canopy. My lights are about 12 inches above the water surface. So from the very bottom of the tank to the light, it is about 40+ inches. Is the light good enough to penetrate to the bottom of the tank? I don't see the growth Id like in my corals, but is it my water conditions or the lighting being so far up? I was going to buy the phoenix single ended 250w lamp, and I saw this: "This bulb is offered at an excellent price and is a great choice for reef tanks up to 24" deep. " So which lamps are good for me if not the phoenix? thanks

05/28/2010, 07:53 AM	#2
ERICinFL Rejisturd Mimbur Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Brevard County, FL Posts: 1,346	Your 150 is 27in. tall, I have one sitting in my garage. My current tank is 30in. tall and I have two, 250watt SEs (Plusrite 20ks) over mine, at about the same height as yours. All my corals have great color and grow well. I have SPS, LPS and softies. My SPS are at various heights in the tank, depending on lighting requirements. You should be fine, just move your corals around until they are in a "happy place". lol As far as bulbs are concerned, you'll get a hundred different opinions. It's all going to come down to personal preference and how much you want to spend. I got tired of spending $50+ dollars on a bulb for name brands, so I tried the Plusrites at $15 a bulb. I couldn't be happier with them. Phoenix is a well known and respected brand, so give them a try. Look at other peoples tanks (in person) and inquire about what bulbs/ballasts they use. What looks good to your buddy, might not look good to you. If your corals aren't growing how you'd like, there are many factors that come in to play. You need to make sure your Alk, Calc and Mag levels are good and your nutrients are low to zero. If you don't have enough flow, that could be an issue too. __________________ Ummmm... yeah... don't touch the Mag Float. Sorry kids, your college fund is gone, but the tank looks SWEET right? Current Tank Info: 150gal mixed reef. ER CS135, 65gal sump/fuge with a Mag12 return. (2) Korillia 4s, (1) modded MJ1200, two SunSun 3200gph powerheads. 250+lbs LR. Last edited by ERICinFL; 05/28/2010 at 08:03 AM.

05/28/2010, 08:08 AM	#3
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	How do you feel abou the REEFLUX 20K? Would plusrite work with electronic ballast? Most ballasts? Last edited by mujtba; 05/28/2010 at 08:36 AM.

05/28/2010, 08:44 AM	#4
asmodeus SKIMMER WHORE Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Fredericton, NB, Canada Posts: 1,564	I am currently running the 20 K reef flux i hate them i bought them for the blue they are the same as the 12K reef flux __________________ Doesn't matter how much you have been reading, until you take the plunge. You don't know as much as you think. Moved from the WEST to the EAST

05/28/2010, 12:30 PM	#6
ERICinFL Rejisturd Mimbur Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Brevard County, FL Posts: 1,346	I've never used Reflux bulbs, so I can't give you an honest answer. Here are a list of the SE bulbs I've used and how I liked them. All of them were run on EVC, 250watt electronic ballasts. I'll use a 1-10 scale. EVC 10k: "6" Nice white light, with a hint of yellow. Good growth, moderate coloration. EVC 14k: "7" Crisp blue/white light. Good growth and coloration. Hamilton 14k: "7" Pretty much the same as the EVC 14k, but the blue was a bit deeper. Ushio 14k: "5" For the money, I was expecting great things. Not as blue as the above 14ks and growth was okay. Phoenix 14k: "6" Nice blue/white light. Good coloration, moderate growth. Plusrite 20k: "8" Crisp, deep blue light with a hint of white. Great color, good growth. __________________ Ummmm... yeah... don't touch the Mag Float. Sorry kids, your college fund is gone, but the tank looks SWEET right? Current Tank Info: 150gal mixed reef. ER CS135, 65gal sump/fuge with a Mag12 return. (2) Korillia 4s, (1) modded MJ1200, two SunSun 3200gph powerheads. 250+lbs LR.

05/28/2010, 08:48 AM	#5
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	What has a lot of blue for color, but still high PAR for growth?

06/01/2010, 07:14 AM	#7
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	What is EVC bulbs? Someone said their plusrite exploded in their frag tank and killed all frags... !!! I dont want my corals dying by an explosion. Last edited by mujtba; 06/01/2010 at 07:45 AM.

06/01/2010, 07:37 AM	#8
MR HONDA Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 130	ebay..

07/13/2010, 08:01 AM	#10
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	could anyone tell me where i can get plusrite 20k from? i have electronic ballast 250w

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