A lighting Question...

fishy_fishy

fishy_fishy

Member
when i buy my Metal Halides im gonna buy one 175w MH and two 20 watt Antics 03. My tank is a 20gal High one and it is about 16inches in height. Now when i buy my MH it has these options, could you please tell me what they are and which is better for my tank?
5,500K
6,500K
10,000K
20,000K
what are these numbers? :confused:
Here is an exact description of my new hood:
* Manufactured by Coralife.
* UV-absorbing acrylic lens
* Corrosion-resistant Acrylic paint
* Remote ballasts with 15' cords
* Unit contains 1 fan only. We cannot add another fan since this is made by Coralife, and not us.
* Seperate control for halides and fluorescents.
* Available in aluminum(13" x 6 3/8")with black or white exterior finish, or solid oak (10 1/2" x 7 1/2")
* Aluminum hoods have white powder coat reflective ******** finish; Oak hoods have a polished aluminum reflector
* All bulbs are made by Coralife, and cannot be substituted with other brands.
* Metal halide bulbs/ballasts are not upgradeable to higher wattages.
System Details:
* No. of MH Lamps: 1
* Wattage of MH: 175W
* No. of Fluorescent Lamps: 2 (Actinic 03).
* Wattage of Fluorescent: 20W
* Length of Fluorescent: 24"
then after this it gives u the option but i dont know which to pick cuz i dont know what the hell they mean.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
For your specific tank and setup I would recommend the 10,000K. I believe it will give good color in combination with the Actinics and good growth.
The 20,000K bulb will give great coral color but might be too blue when used with the Actinics.
 
josh

josh

Active Member
Hi,
Why not just go with a retro and save yourself a ton of cash? You will want a 10K, I like the Ushio lamp. That will a great light setup for that 20, keeping sps?
Check into a retro and put the extra cash toward a calcium reactor :)
I am pretty sure I know the place you are getting your lights from, good choice. When you call to order regardless if you go with the hood and retro, ask them to center your MH lamp in the setup since you are only getting one MH. They will do this no charge.
The K ratings are spectral ratings. A 10K is a nice crisp white, 6500K is closer to full spec sunlight and is yellow and the 20K is generally blue. Getting a 10K and the two actinics will look great.
 
fishy_fishy

fishy_fishy

Member
damn u guys/gals are quick to reply lol.. thanx :D
..i will look into a retro josh, and thanx for the detailed response
i was looking at retros but im not too handy with things and i dont wanna put it 2gether wrong and end up electrifying my fishes or worse myself... but i will give them another look if they will help me save some money.
thanx again
 
josh

josh

Active Member
Some of the retro setups are plug n play, meaning no wiring at all. You just plug it in a go. PFO jumps to mind, do some more checking around and ask some more questions if you want. I take it you already have a custom canopy to house the MH?
 
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