Distance between lights & water????

[t316]

Distance between lights & water?
How far are your lights from the water surface? and how deep is your tank?
My lights are 23" from the water, and I'm wondering if this is too high. Most all corals seem fine, but everything I read says anywhere from 6" to 12". Just wondering what the real folks have in their setups

 

[travis89]

Depends on the lights, T5 I have read should be 4-6" above the water, halides more like 8-10". My PCs are about 4-5" above the water surface.

 

[tizzo]

before I broke down my tank the bulbs were 10 inches above the water and the water was 22 inches deep

 

[t316]

Originally Posted by Travis89
Depends on the lights, T5 I have read should be 4-6" above the water, halides more like 8-10". My PCs are about 4-5" above the water surface.
Sorry, I should have posted...I have (2) T12 super actinic 6' long & (3) 250 watt MH's

 

[t316]

Originally Posted by Tizzo
before I broke down my tank the bulbs were 10 inches above the water and the water was 22 inches deep

Did I miss a thread or something? I thought you had been doing this since '03 or '04. Did you break down your tank recently?

 

[t316]

Bump...surely some more of you can give me your measurements

 

[jrthomas40]

mine are 10-12in and that is 2x 250s....i think at 23 inches you are losing a lot of light and it should be lowered some unless you are using like 1000w bulbs

 

[t316]

Originally Posted by jrthomas40
mine are 10-12in and that is 2x 250s....i think at 23 inches you are losing a lot of light and it should be lowered some unless you are using like 1000w bulbs
thanks jrthomas....this is my fear, but just trying to get a feel for what everyone else is doing

 

[jrthomas40]

what kind of lights do you have??

 

[geoj]

1x150mh and 2x65 compacts
Light 10” from top
Tank 25” tall
Monit and Pocillopora up top
Frogspawn and GSP down on the bottom

 

[acrylic51]

10-12" good height for MH's.....but style of reflectors can allow you to go higher mounting as well, reducing heat transfer......

 

[azfishgal]

I have two 250W 14K MHs with Mini-Luminarc Reflectors. The bulbs are 14" above the water and my tank is 22" tall.

 

[t316]

Originally Posted by jrthomas40
what kind of lights do you have??

(2) T12 super actinic 6' long & (3) 250 watt MH's
But tank is 25" deep. I have a clam all the way down on the bottom, in the sand, and he seems fine. The only thing questionable is a monticap. I have moved him all over, up/down, and never has had good coloring.

 

[t316]

Very nice setup azfishgal

 

[fatboyjoe]

I have mine right on top of the tank,4/130watt pc. I have a clam and 2 anemones for 3 years.

 

[groupergenius]

120 gallon-2x250 SE MH 15" above w/ 2-110w VHO actinic---24" deep
75 gallon- 2x250 SE MH 15" above w/ no actinics---18" deep
90 gallon- 2x250HQI 6" above w/ 4-54w T5 actinics---24" deep
15 gallon- 1x150HQI 6" above w/ no actinics---15" deep I think??
I just last week moved my Outer Orbit on the 90 up so it's about 12" off the water. I think it was too close and stunting the growth and color of some of my upper SPS.

 

[alexmir]

I have 2 96 watt compact flourescent bulbs 4 inches above the water, no heat seems to be interfeering with the tank