Halide heat..more or less?

[spanky]

I have a 150 gallon tank with a just arrived 12" tall canopy. The tank is 24 inches deep.
The canopy back is completely open to facilitate heat dissipation, and I'm going to Home Depot this morning to look at fans.
My current lighting is a pair of Coralife 260 watt "Moonglow" fixtures, and I am about to upgrade by adding halides.
1) If all other things are equal, is heat proportionate to wattage? If so, what is the approximate mathmatical relationship? (I'm asking, because two 250 watt lights would be adequate, but going to two 400 watt lights would only cost a few bucke more...) :notsure: :notsure:
2) I have read several advertisements claiming that the halides generate LESS heat than the compacts like my Coralife units. True?

 

[bang guy]

1 - Yes. But also is the type of bulb. Some bulbs put out more Infrared than others.
2 - Yes that's true. the difference in heat output watt for watt between the two is fairly insignicant though.

 

[spanky]

This afternoon I bought two 6" clip=on fans at the home improvement store for $6.99 each. I removed the clips and installed the pair inside my canopy. It works great.
Now I'm ready to go to the famous auction site and take my punishment.
What Halide bulbs would you recommend Bang Guy?

 

[bang guy]

250 watt HQI DE of the kelvin of your choice.

 

[pooch1]

Please let me know what you find. I have a similar size tank but mine is 29 inches high. I was debating between the 400 & 250's. I was also under the impression. that you needed about 24 inches from the lights to the top of the water. Does this make any sense? I was told that this is due to heat. Please help since I am having my canopy made and must give specifics in the next week,
Thanks!
Kristen :notsure:

 

[spanky]

Kristin, the furniture builder who made my canopy asked if I was installing halide lights when I placed the order - because he has a "halide canopy" and "regular". The halide canopy is 12" tall.
Heat is a significant concern - but there is nothing magical about the 24" inch distance for heat dissipation. There is another thread running right now on fan installation for cooling...
There may be some reflectors which are designed to be a greater distance from the water to get the desired dispersal, but I'm just installing a simple 6" X 48" reflector down the center of my canopy. The question for me is whether I need the 400 watt lights of the 250s... I'm leaning towards the 400s, but I'm still uncertain - because of the heat concerns. I wish I had a better feel for how much more heat the 400 watt bulbs produce as compared with the 250s.
By the way, my canopy, which is very well made, is completely open on the back, so it is very easy to ventilate the area between the bulbs and the water.

 

[pooch1]

It's funny that the back of your hood is open because that is exactly what I drew up for the cabinet maker. I was even thinking about drilling holes in the top to remove some heat that way. The cabinet guy said he could install fans too. So, once you install your lights, they will only be about 5 inches off of the top of your tank. For some reason I think the people at tenacor recommended the 24 inch height due to the acrylic tank. I currently have 4(110) vho's but can't keep much of what I want with that. My cousin is desperate for my lights so I will get a little $ for them even though they are custom sea life lights.
I'm sure the 400's are better but can they be too much for certain things? Have you actually found your lights yet?
Kristen

 

[spanky]

Kristin, I'm reading voraciously and teetering on the brink of purchase... I actually have the auction site up on another page.
On the heat front: My compacts have been sitting on my acrylic tank for the last five weeks or so - and they apparently generate more heat. From what I have read I expect to be okay...but I have yet to hear from somebody who has done exactly what I'm proposing, but several folks have done something pretty similar with good results.

 

[spanky]

Well, I did it. I bit on a pretty good package deal: $259 for a "satisfaction guaranteed", "plug-n-play", retro-fit, halide pair with two 400 watt bulbs. I specified the 10,000s unless they will substitute one of the new wiz-bang 14,000 bulbs.
My tank is 60" long, and I've only got 48" of intense light, so there should be some shady/darker spots for my critters who need less light.
I wanted to follow Bang Guy's advice and go with the 250s, but all the packages I saw with those were in small hoods or they came in systems with three or four lights.
I'm still nervous. I hope I made the right choice...

 

[pooch1]

Congrats on being able to push the purchase key! Are you going to be adding any other light source (VHOS) or are you going to ba able to use the lights you already have and add these?

 

[spanky]

When I did the installation in my canopy I put one Coralife "Lunar Light" (260 watt) in front with about a 5% cant towards the back, and one in back, with a 5% cant towards the front. That leaves me a strip about 10" wide down the center of my canopy. That's where the halides will go so I'll have a new 800 watts and retain the old 520 watts.

 

[pooch1]

:cheer: Ok, I made up my mind 2(250mh) 14k and 2vho's 1 white actinic and 1 50;50. I am goint to press the button soon. Good luck with your lights!

 

[spanky]

If you're doing the flea-bay drill on the lights, make sure ALL the parts are included. There were some auctions with nice, complete systems pictured - and notes at the bottom saying that the reflectors ($30 per bulb) and bulbs ($50 each) were NOT included. That turned their great $199 deal into a lousy $360 deal :yes:

 

[pooch1]

That seems to be the huge issue. I searched everywhere and every deal that seemed good had no bulbs etc. This is going to cost more than I was hoping for but I don't want to do it again. I already have 4(110)vho's. I guess that I could use that with the MH but my cousin wants to buy them. Unfortunately I paid alot for them and won't recoup much. I bet for the same price that he wants to buy my lights for he could get 2(175) mh...hmmm that may be a thought!
if I did that, I could put my 4 vho's in the back where my live rock goes all the way up the back of the tank and put my mh up front to go down to the dsb...you have me thinking again!

 

[spanky]

I think some wonderful things can be achieved by mixing lighting. For example, you may need the halide lighting for the health of your corals, clams and anemones, but you may prefer the colors when you supplement with other - maybe bluer - lighting. So why not blend a bit?
There's an interesting, and very eccentric old guy about fifty miles from my home - says he's been raising fish since the early sixties. He's very knowledgable, and sort of counter-culture on many fish-subjects. He thinks the watts per gallon stuff is a bunch of hooey. He showed me a large display tank (240?) with beautiful, mature hard corals throughout. When he raised the canopy he had a halide on one side and VHOs on the other. If there was a differnce, it was in favor of the side with the VHOs. He really had me thinking.
You have to read a lot and take all the opinions, including mine, with a pound of salt. There are some brilliant, experienced people who are very generous with their knowledge, but it can be difficult to distinguish them from the opinionated monkeys who throw out baseless blather just to see their words in print.

 

[pooch1]

Thanks for the reply. I have definitely decided on the 2(250) and the 2(110) I feel that way I also won't be frying anything either. I too am going the flea bay way. I hope you get everything and that it works well for you. Good Luck!! :happyfish

 

[whaler]

Pooch, think hard about the color bulb you order too. I ended up with a !)K on one side and a 12K on the other. There is a BIG difference. I think the 10K bulb makes the colors look all bleached and washed out. If I had my druthers, I'd get a pair of 12Ks or 14Ks. (I have not seen the 20K bulbs.)