Mh Lights For A 12 Gal?

[bigpete]

im looking to upgrade my lighting on my nano 12 gal to metal halides. any suggestions on how many watts, what kind, how expensive, and how much water will evaporate? haha basically if anyone can fill me in thatd be great

 

[fanker]

a 70w should be fine. go to *Link Removed* they might have something

 

[zanoshanox]

Perhaps something of this nature...

 

[fanker]

ya he has what im talking about i was just to lazy to look around. they also come in retro (much cheaper)

 

[zanoshanox]

Really? Whats different about the retro's?

 

[fanker]

they are just the lamp without the case around the light and the ballast is in a box not the case. and you make a hood for it instead of having a hanger

 

[zanoshanox]

Oh that sounds cool...I think I actually would rather have the whoel hood, just me though. Thanks.

 

[bigpete]

so 70 watts...something that looks similar to that that already has a hang on for a hood? does that makes sense?...like it has two arms that hold itself above the tank?

 

[pclown]

I would stay with the 70w for the 12g tank. I have the Sunpod 20" 150w HQI MH and I know they make one that is 70w.
Here are some pics.

 

[dingo0722]

I have a 175 MH DIY setup on my 15.

 

[pclown]

Wow, that is some light. Do you have any heat problems? Do you have any pictures that you can post? I would like to see it.

 

[dingo0722]

My set up is all DIY. The lights are about 12 inches from the surface of the tank. I have a cooling fan in the canopy. I will post a few pics tonight

 

[bigpete]

what does the grid do at the top of the tank? would i need one of those? do you have any problems with heat/evaporation?

 

[pclown]

Originally Posted by bigpete
what does the grid do at the top of the tank? would I need one of those? do you have any problems with heat/evaporation?
That is called eggcrate and you can get it at Lowes or Home depot. It keeps the fish from jumping out and for better gas exchange. I dont recommend using a glass top because of heat. I have no problem with heat. My temp stays between 79.5 and 80. 6 degrees and that is not bad at all.

 

[pclown]

Oh, also evaporation is not a bad thing. I do replace about two cups of water a day but that is a good thing as far as I am concerned.

 

[bigpete]

ok sounds good. i am thinking about the 70 watt sunpod, so i guess i should expect exaporation either way with MH right? thanks for all the advice by the way

 

[ck_503]

get the new K-2 Viper which is made by JBJ and specifically designed for the nano tanks they make. It produces 70 watts and it's AMAZING. I'm very happy with mine.

 

[bigpete]

yea i saw one of those. its cheaper too. will the sunpod even fit on a 12 gal?

 

[pclown]

Yes, the Sunpod will fit the 12g tank. I would research the two and buy the one that you think is best for you.

 

[bigpete]

do you know what kinds of bulbs are in the 12 gal DLX? are they acintic? i might just wanna switch up my bulbs so they can bring out the colors a bit more.