please help with couple light upgrade questions

gerry45 · 01/24/2006, 09:12 PM

I would like to upgrade my 260 watt pc lighting to something in an enclosed canopy.

I have a 75 gallon reef. would 2x150 or 175 halide with actinics get real hot if I put fans in top of canopy or I also am considering 2 2x56 watt t5 fixtures,one actinic and one 10,000k daylite so I can use timers.
or is one fixture with 1x 56 watt actinic and one 10,000k enough?

Saaack · 01/24/2006, 10:23 PM

Hard to answer without a picture of your canopy. You need fans for sure no matter what lighting you choose. A taller canopy (12+ inches) can accomodate MH lighting with good ventilation. A low profile canopy (like my Oceanic) won't work with MH. I scapped my canopy with a 4x96 + 2x65 PC retrofit kit and replaced it with a Current USA Outer Orbit. What a difference Metal Halide lighting makes. Looks awsome. My chiller doesn't run any more often with the Halides than it did with PC lighting. I think getting rid of the canopy helped alot.

gerry45 · 01/24/2006, 10:33 PM

using a light with halides like the outer orbit,do you get a lot of glare in the room if it is in your main living area?

01/24/2006, 09:12 PM	#1
gerry45 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: winnipeg, canada Posts: 46	please help with couple light upgrade questions I would like to upgrade my 260 watt pc lighting to something in an enclosed canopy. I have a 75 gallon reef. would 2x150 or 175 halide with actinics get real hot if I put fans in top of canopy or I also am considering 2 2x56 watt t5 fixtures,one actinic and one 10,000k daylite so I can use timers. or is one fixture with 1x 56 watt actinic and one 10,000k enough?

01/24/2006, 10:23 PM	#2
Saaack Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 57	Hard to answer without a picture of your canopy. You need fans for sure no matter what lighting you choose. A taller canopy (12+ inches) can accomodate MH lighting with good ventilation. A low profile canopy (like my Oceanic) won't work with MH. I scapped my canopy with a 4x96 + 2x65 PC retrofit kit and replaced it with a Current USA Outer Orbit. What a difference Metal Halide lighting makes. Looks awsome. My chiller doesn't run any more often with the Halides than it did with PC lighting. I think getting rid of the canopy helped alot.

01/24/2006, 10:33 PM	#3
gerry45 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: winnipeg, canada Posts: 46	using a light with halides like the outer orbit,do you get a lot of glare in the room if it is in your main living area?