New MH Lighting

drew2005

drew2005

Active Member
Whats the best way to introduce my MH lighting? I have PC right now and was wondering if the idea i had would be ok. I can just about fit both fixtures on top of the tank. If i start with the actinic then the halides for 4 hours would that be ok? Heres the schedule i plan on to start with....
Actinic on 2pm
Halide on 3pm
Actinic off 3:30pm
Actinic on 6:30pm
Halide off 7pm
Actinic off 8pm
This will only be temporary and i will increase the halide 1 hour per week. I dont plan on keeping the actinic. Im most likely going to run just the halide without them.
 
drew2005

drew2005

Active Member
Originally Posted by wax32
Sounds fine, but why turn off the actinic in the middle of the day?
I dunno i figured the halides would drown them out.
 
farslayer

farslayer

Active Member
Na, the actinic makes it look cool :) I just bought an Aqua Medic 72" set for my 125G tank. It has four 250W HQI MH and four 39W T5 actinics.
 
drew2005

drew2005

Active Member
Ok here we go....before and after...first pic is under 192w of PC...second is under 300w metal halide and 96w actinic. Best pics i can get. My camera sucks.

 
drew2005

drew2005

Active Member
Its ok. Looks much better in person. The pic doesnt do any justice. Plus the halides are set back further cuz i squeezed my pc fixture in there for the actinic. Eventually itll just be the halides. No actinic supplement.
 
fisherson

fisherson

Member
my plan was what your saying...squeeze in the pc's hopefully not because i ordered 14k lighting. What K rating are your lamps?
Nothing is ever as nice as it is in person i'm sure it's real nice.
 
drew2005

drew2005

Active Member
Originally Posted by fisherson
my plan was what your saying...squeeze in the pc's hopefully not because i ordered 14k lighting. What K rating are your lamps?
Nothing is ever as nice as it is in person i'm sure it's real nice.
2 14k 150w HQI Im going to get a better camera so i can take higher quality pics.
 
nanocube24

nanocube24

Member
drew, It's obvious that your subject matter is beautiful!!
I added a 150 w halide to my tank today and tried to take pics. I couldn't get any of them to look like the pics I took under the old PC's. It seems that with standard settings on my camera, Halide stinks!! However when viewed by the

[hr]
eye, it is an unbelievable difference. I feel your pain. I did manage a few pics under the actinic's that came with the fixture tonight, I posted them in the photo forum. If you figure out a good setting on your camera for MH, please let me know!!!!
 
drew2005

drew2005

Active Member
I tried to play around with the settings but they all come out the same. Damm i gotta get a new camera.
 
crzyfshygy

crzyfshygy

Member
farslayer...can you post a pic of the lights on the tank????? I just bought some and have not seen them in action!!!
 
farslayer

farslayer

Active Member
I don't have it set up yet, but I did start a thread which will chronicle the creation of my 125G. I posted pics of the light albeit they are off. I'll keep updating the thread, I am planning on having the entire tank ready to roll next week. I'm adding live sand and live reef substrate as well as fully cured and matured live rock, so I should not experience a cycle.
 
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