90g lighting ?
- Thread starter aquaguy24
- Start date
indyws6
Member
Greetings
I am a newbie - so fair warning
I bought a Current USA Outer-Orbit light system for my standard 90 Gallon tank and really like it. I can't speak to the ability to support specific corals yet (I just put my first rock with Mushrooms in the tank), but it looks like there would more than enough light power for anything I might want to try. At night it looks like someone is welding in my living room
2x 150w 10,000K HQI Metal Halide
2x 130w Actinics (4 tubes total - 2x420nm & 2x460nm)
6x Moon White Lunar Lights
All of the lights are on separate power cords (one for the Actinics, one for the Metal Halides and one for the Lunar lights). I have them connected to a ReefKeeper controller and use it for the timing functions. Works very well...
I am a newbie - so fair warning
I bought a Current USA Outer-Orbit light system for my standard 90 Gallon tank and really like it. I can't speak to the ability to support specific corals yet (I just put my first rock with Mushrooms in the tank), but it looks like there would more than enough light power for anything I might want to try. At night it looks like someone is welding in my living room
2x 150w 10,000K HQI Metal Halide
2x 130w Actinics (4 tubes total - 2x420nm & 2x460nm)
6x Moon White Lunar Lights
All of the lights are on separate power cords (one for the Actinics, one for the Metal Halides and one for the Lunar lights). I have them connected to a ReefKeeper controller and use it for the timing functions. Works very well...
jmesmcm
Member
Personally I would go straight for the halides. I had run 4*96watt PCs on my 58 which would keep some easier SPS corals alive but not up to tehir full colloration. Then I upgraded to 2*400W 20000K halides supplemented with 2*96watt true actinics, corals and clam are looking much happier. The 400Watts were a bit of overkill on the 58 but they were then used on my 90 and are now being used on my 120.
J
jrthomas40
Guest
Originally Posted by JmesMcM
Personally I would go straight for the halides. I had run 4*96watt PCs on my 58 which would keep some easier SPS corals alive but not up to tehir full colloration. Then I upgraded to 2*400W 20000K halides supplemented with 2*96watt true actinics, corals and clam are looking much happier. The 400Watts were a bit of overkill on the 58 but they were then used on my 90 and are now being used on my 120.
i agree...if you think you are going to keep anything with high light needs or even moderate needs...just go head a spend the extra cash now and get the halides...it will save you money in the long run...just be sure to acclimate the tank to the new lights
Personally I would go straight for the halides. I had run 4*96watt PCs on my 58 which would keep some easier SPS corals alive but not up to tehir full colloration. Then I upgraded to 2*400W 20000K halides supplemented with 2*96watt true actinics, corals and clam are looking much happier. The 400Watts were a bit of overkill on the 58 but they were then used on my 90 and are now being used on my 120.
i agree...if you think you are going to keep anything with high light needs or even moderate needs...just go head a spend the extra cash now and get the halides...it will save you money in the long run...just be sure to acclimate the tank to the new lights
C
cadillac swang
Guest
Originally Posted by fanker
id go t-5 6x54w will be plenty id get tek
id go with tek too as a matter of fact im am upgrading at the end of this week, im getting the 4x54 w t5 (my rock work ends an inch under water surface)on my 80 gallon because i bought a clam that needs higher watts than my pc allows. but the halides i feel too much trouble, i mean if you have to adjust your heater to accomidate your lamp. imo too risky
id go t-5 6x54w will be plenty id get tek
id go with tek too as a matter of fact im am upgrading at the end of this week, im getting the 4x54 w t5 (my rock work ends an inch under water surface)on my 80 gallon because i bought a clam that needs higher watts than my pc allows. but the halides i feel too much trouble, i mean if you have to adjust your heater to accomidate your lamp. imo too risky
jrang
Member
Hi,
Sorry to hijack onto your thread but I also have a 90 gallon tank and need to purchase lights as well. Any comments on choosing between an Aquactinic T-5 fixture or an Icecap 660 Retrofit kit with 4x54 T-5?
I heard that the ICECAP ballast will overdrive the bulbs to about 80+ watts a piece.
Sorry to hijack onto your thread but I also have a 90 gallon tank and need to purchase lights as well. Any comments on choosing between an Aquactinic T-5 fixture or an Icecap 660 Retrofit kit with 4x54 T-5?
I heard that the ICECAP ballast will overdrive the bulbs to about 80+ watts a piece.
C
cadillac swang
Guest
Originally Posted by JRANG
Hi,
Sorry to hijack onto your thread but I also have a 90 gallon tank and need to purchase lights as well. Any comments on choosing between an Aquactinic T-5 fixture or an Icecap 660 Retrofit kit with 4x54 T-5?
I heard that the ICECAP ballast will overdrive the bulbs to about 80+ watts a piece.
didnt know that was possible with the overdrive thing, is this true somebody, if so ill just do what your doing. i was kinda thinking about going with the 8 fixture but thought ill just place corals higher up in tank
Hi,
Sorry to hijack onto your thread but I also have a 90 gallon tank and need to purchase lights as well. Any comments on choosing between an Aquactinic T-5 fixture or an Icecap 660 Retrofit kit with 4x54 T-5?
I heard that the ICECAP ballast will overdrive the bulbs to about 80+ watts a piece.
didnt know that was possible with the overdrive thing, is this true somebody, if so ill just do what your doing. i was kinda thinking about going with the 8 fixture but thought ill just place corals higher up in tank
cgrant
Active Member
I have never heard that before about icecap so not sure? from what i have read they are very good ballasts. You dont want to overdrive a bulb, everything i have read says it wont last as long if you do, they are expensive so i would run them as recommended by the manufacturer.
I am by far no expert but i would rather be safe than sorry...MH bulbs are way too expensive to be replacing all the time.
I am by far no expert but i would rather be safe than sorry...MH bulbs are way too expensive to be replacing all the time.
wangotango
Active Member
aquactinics just released their 48" constellation fixture that has 7 bulbs if you're interested. personally id go T5, you get a lot of bulb versatility, and they're cheaper and cooler to run.
-Justin
-Justin
jrang
Member
Hi,
I was looking at the Constellation fixture but thought it might be overkill since I will not be keeping any SPS or Clams.
I did a little search online and came up with a lot of different posts about overdriving the 48" 54 Watt T-5 lamps to 80+ Watts w/ th ICECAp 660 Ballast.
I just found this on an ICECAP message board:
Also, I've read contradicting statements concerning the 660. A few statements saying that an IC660 will not overdrive the bulbs, yet statements from IC themselves stating that the 660 will overdrive the 54w bulbs to 85w.
I assume the 660 overdrives the 54 as IC has stated. Any clarification on this?
The bulbs are overdriven without you doing anything to them, closer to 80 is the norm...
Also found this which relates to the life of the bulbs when overdriven:
All have an individual reflector and are powered by an IceCap 660 VHO ballast. The reason being that this ballast overdrives the T5 bulbs from 54 W to something around 80 W. Yes it does shorten the life of the bulb to approx 10-12 months instead of the 16-20 month that seems to be common with regular T5 ballasts. By being overdriven they kick more par, or so it seems.
I was looking at the Constellation fixture but thought it might be overkill since I will not be keeping any SPS or Clams.
I did a little search online and came up with a lot of different posts about overdriving the 48" 54 Watt T-5 lamps to 80+ Watts w/ th ICECAp 660 Ballast.
I just found this on an ICECAP message board:
Also, I've read contradicting statements concerning the 660. A few statements saying that an IC660 will not overdrive the bulbs, yet statements from IC themselves stating that the 660 will overdrive the 54w bulbs to 85w.
I assume the 660 overdrives the 54 as IC has stated. Any clarification on this?
The bulbs are overdriven without you doing anything to them, closer to 80 is the norm...
Also found this which relates to the life of the bulbs when overdriven:
All have an individual reflector and are powered by an IceCap 660 VHO ballast. The reason being that this ballast overdrives the T5 bulbs from 54 W to something around 80 W. Yes it does shorten the life of the bulb to approx 10-12 months instead of the 16-20 month that seems to be common with regular T5 ballasts. By being overdriven they kick more par, or so it seems.
