24" Marineland Series Pro Metal Halide--Is this an ideal light fixture for all corals

[ashley84]

Just purchased this light fixture and was wondering if this is ideal for ANY type of coral...heres the specs/features
The Marineland Marine Series Pro Metal Halide 1X150W HQI & 4X24W T5, 24 inch Fixture is a sophisticated 24 hour lighting system with HQI metal halide lamps, T5 High Output lamps and LEDs for night lighting. This high end fixture is the perfect light for reef aquariums. The built in timer gives you independent control over the HQI, T5 and LED lights, and the single cord and internal ballasts minimize the clutter.
Features:
Every light is thoroughly tested and Marineland's product support is unmatched (see Inspection Record example). Marineland will repair your light under warranty even if it means they need to send a technician to your home!
Dimensions: 23.5" X 16" X 4" (the legs raise the fixture off the tank 2.5")
Single 12 ft. cord for easiest installation and maintenance
One High intensity 14,000K HQI metal halide lamp
Four 24W HO T5 actinic lamps to intensify the blue wavelengths
Two 1 Watt LED accent lights to replicate moonlight and help coral reproduction and nighttime viewing and feeding
Internal electronic ballasts
Interchangeable accent strips

 

[nyc joe]

Id buy it if it wasnt a million dollars.
Had everything i wanted.
Should be ideal for almost anything,
depth may be an issue depending on how deep you tank is.
also another thing to consider is heat. def. do an open top.
but on a normal tank, that is an awesome light.

 

[nissan577]

this looks well has kinda the same features the
Outer Orbit fixture:
24" Current USA Outer
Orbit 1x150W 10,000K
HQI-MH w/ 4x24W T5 HO
& 12 Lunar Lights*

 

[scsinet]

I'm not familiar with the pricing, but always take support into consideration when making your purchases. If they really do perform onsite repairs, that's a big plus compared to having to do without a lighting system while you send it in and wait for it come back. I'm not saying it's worth it for sure, but I am saying it's worth consideration.
As far as your question, I guess it depends on what kind of tank you are placing it over.

 

[ashley84]

our tanks a 56 gallon tank..the top is 30" wide and about 18" front to back and 23" tall..we were planning on just putting the legs on fixture and lay it on top of glass, it'll be like 2.5 " away from glass...a couple of LFS claimed that would be ok as long as I don' lay the actual light flushed to the glass...would this be ok?
And is there anyway I can just buy a 250watt metal halide to replace the 150watt just in case the 150 is sufficient in future?
And BTW I got the light on sale for $424 w/ free shipping..not bad considering in most sites they go for like $600+

 

[scsinet]

I personally would not use the glass tops on the tank. Stories abound of the glass breaking from the intensity of the halide, plus the glass tends to trap heat making the tank too warm.
You can probably keep anything except anemones. If it were me I'd have used a 250w fixture over this tank to keep anything I wanted. Since you only have 150, you can put the high light stuff near the top (SPS, clams, etc). Anemones however can move to the bottom on their own where the light is going to be insufficient for them.
No, you cannot put a 250w lamp into a 150w fixture. Halide lamps must match the fixture they are designed for. Besides, 250w lamps take a different socket than 150w.

 

[valgae]

There's also the aqualight pro they make a 24" 250mh for around $450. i've had mine for over four years and it's still running great. they even replaced a pc ballast a year after the warranty was up.

 

[reef ridster]

Originally Posted by ashley84
http:///forum/post/3208912
BTW I got the light on sale for $424 w/ free shipping..not bad considering in most sites they go for like $600+
Hey ashley, where did you get the light on sale at? I have a Marineland 70g Cube and think this woudl be a nice addition.