lighting suggestion

[cmpowell]

Hello friends.I need some help.I know this topic has been asked a ton.but i'm going crazy at this point.Here is what i want.I am going to put halides on a 6' tank most likley there will be 3 mh lights.I'm looking for a crisp bright white with a blue cast to it and get that beautiful shimmer.Is this possible without supplimenting actinic or if i added actinic i don't want it to be too blue.What watt of bulb and ballast should i get and would hqi de be better or should they be mogul,In the end i don't want to look back and say i wish i had put this or that light on so in time i could keep whatever i wanted as far as sps,lps or perhaps clams and lighting not be an issue.Maybe if some of you folks wouldn't mind you could toss some pics up with the various lighting and tell me the stats of your lights.Like i said all i want to have to do is replace bulbs when needed.Thanks Chris.

 

[cmpowell]

any thoughts:notsure:

 

[robchuck]

Any MH bulb in the 13,000K-15,000K range will offer the look that you desire. Three bulbs on a 6' tank will be fine.
As far as SE vs. DE HQI, if you have the money, I would go with HQI. The advantages of DE MH seem to outweigh SE MH, and at 250W, would allow you to keep nearly anything.

 

[nm reef]

I don't have a lot of hands on experience with various types of lighting...but I do run a pair of 400 watt Ushio 10K lamps & 2x110 URI super actinics over a 100 gal display(5').
The 10K's are basically a crisp white by themselves(matbe just a tinge of yellowish) & with the actinics the effect is like high noon. I set my actinics to come on 1 hr before the MH's and they stay on 1 hr after the MH's shut down. Actinics alone is a very deep blue...which I sort of like. Plus it simulates dawn/dusk...at least to my eye.
I have been curious about either 14K or possibly 20K lamps. At some point I may try 14K's because I do like a bluish tint over a white high noon appearence.
With your length I'd consider 3x250 de hqi's ... maybe 10K's or 14K's along with a couple of 6' VHO's for actinics. Thats where I'd start at least...that type configuration should be plenty for any future coral additions.
Just to compare ...below is a pic of mine from a few days ago with 2x400 10K MH's & 2x110 YRI VHO's...

 

[sebae0]

here is a pic of my 180gal 6' with 2 250w mogul on the ends and one 175w in the center. the 250ws are 6500k iwasakis and the 175 is a 10k ushio. in the future my 250ws will be 10k with 2 6' vho actinics.

 

[reefer44]

if your going on sps......I have been researching this topic myself and have found that for an sps tank of 6' long and 24 inches wide to go with 6 250 de hgi lights
in this pattern ll ll ll
alternate each one 20k and 10k..this gives you a bluish white crispy light that is very bright and is almost perfectly replicating a reef 5-15 feet below the serface at the equator (right at the equator cause that is where this intense of light is)
although a lot of heat is cause i am cutting right between the pendants in my canopy (so it looks like this l0l l0l l0l ) and installing 4" fans
Brad

 

[reefer44]

oh and if it a softy do 6 150w's
Brad

 

[cmpowell]

Thanks for the info. .NM I must say your system has changed from your lil 55 (which by the way i thought was awesome).Is your current tank 100 gal?Absolutely beautiful. Sebea0.Your tanks is stunning as well:yes reefer44 thanks for the info. What is the evap like with 6 bulbs compared to 3. Ok if i go with the 3 14k mh and 2 110 for actinics what is the recommended ballast that i need to get to fire each?Thanks again.Chris

 

[sebae0]

in the summer my evap is less but its still about 2-3 gallons a day. in the winter its an easy 5 gals a day because it is so dry during that time.

 

[cmpowell]

I plan i putting all this together so what is the easiest way to build this.Could some one give me a list on parts.I'm not very experienced in electical.I guess what i'm trying to say is if you where putting this together what would you order to complete a lighting system with 3 14k mh and then 2 vho actinic as detailed as possible.Thanks all.:joy: