MH lighting

[lradlbeck]

I have a 55 gallon reef tank that I am considering upgrading my POS compact flourescet hood to a MH retro in the canopy - would 1 250 watt be good with 2 PC atinics and my moonlights? or should I go with more MH lighting? I would like to make this my last lighting purchase until I get a larger tank but I don't want to spend a fortune. I was hoping to be able to use the moonlights and PC's from the assembly that I already have...
Thanks in advance!
Liz

 

[thegrog]

A MH light can effectively cover a 2'x2' area so having a single, powerful bulb would not be the way to go.
I would go with either two 175W bulbs or two 150W HQI bulbs. I had two 175s on my old 55 and my corals thrived. Along with the PCs that you have, that should be plenty.
Keep in mind that you need to keep the bulbs 8-10 inches above the water surface when designing the retrofit hood. You will want plenty of air circulation as well to keep things cool so plan on two or three fans.
Hope this helps!

 

[lradlbeck]

it certinately does! Thank You. I have a canopy that was built for the tank - the "lid" is a good
10" from the top of the tank, then there is another inch or so to the top of the water. - the back of the canopy is open - would I still need the fans?
Now I just have to come up with a way to wire all of this (god help me for I am no electrician)
I think that I will have to get help on this one.
Another question - do I really need 1 ballast per lamp?

 

[thegrog]

Even with the open back, you will want some sort of fan(s) for air circulation as MH lights get REALLY hot.
Plenty of wiring help in the equipment/DIY forum. Also, if you can get a kit that is "plug n play", that helps out a lot. MAny kits have everything pre wired so you just mount everything, plug the wires into the right sockets, and go.
Yes, each bulb needs it's own ballast and the ballast wattage must equal that of the bulb else you will blow one or both of them.

 

[lradlbeck]

Great -
Thanks so much for your advice!
Liz

 

[lepete]

Originally Posted by TheGrog
Keep in mind that you need to keep the bulbs 8-10 inches above the water surface when designing the retrofit hood.
Just to clarify... you want the bulb to sit 8-10 inches above the water. The bulb is probably 2" in diameter. And, the mongul drops about another inch. So, does this mean that your hood should be around 11-13" from tank to lid (mongul mount)?

 

[lradlbeck]

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Then I would add my PC atinics and my moonlights from my old fixture...
Thanks!