Overkill on lighting ???

dcathey

dcathey

Member
I currently have 2 150 HQI MH and 2 75 W Act. I have a slightly darker area in the mcenter of my 5 foot 80 gallon tank.I am thinging of adding another MH in the center. Is this overkill and of ot os not would a 250 or 150 be the better fit? I currently have all LPS and a clam and an anemone.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
If you have a glass tank there is likely one center brace, and you shouldn't put a halide lamp over a brace, so the center bulb would be out of the question here.
If your animals are currently doing fine, then I'd leave it the way it is. Having darker areas can help with flexibility for lower light stuff like Tube Anemones, sun corals, etc.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by dcathey
Even if it is glass? What about some sort of Power Compact Fixture?

Well I don't know of any tanks with glass center braces. I'm talking about the cross brace, not the lid...
PCs don't throw off the heat that halides do, so they won't cause a problem.
 
dcathey

dcathey

Member
My tank has a piece of 3/8 or 1/2 inch glass spanning the center of the tank. It is siliconed in very well. I bought this tank used so I think that the guy I got it from did this mod. It has no braces other than the outer brace on top and bottom. The glass seems to be very sturdy.....hopefully. Do I need to post a pic. It is about a foot wide.
 
dcathey

dcathey

Member
Ok since we established that I can put another fixture in the center. What wattage would be recommended. I want the maximum wattage that would be allowed. So can i put a 400 watt in the center with 2 150s on the side? Is that stupid or should I stick with the 150 MH HQI in the center to match my current setup.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
If it's an 80 gallon tank, I'd personally use three 250s. That will get you about 9wpg of halide, which will be more than enough to keep anything you want. If you want to supplement with a couple VHOs, that will push you to over 900 watts, so you're on easy street.
The "maximum allowed" is really kind of moot, as you can put anything you want over the tank... technically, you could put (3) 400's up there, but you have to strike a balance between your lighting and your electric bill to run those lights and the inevitable chillers.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Originally Posted by SCSInet
Well I don't know of any tanks with glass center braces. I'm talking about the cross brace, not the lid...
PCs don't throw off the heat that halides do, so they won't cause a problem.
Oceanics make tanks with glass center braces and so do several custom tank manufactures......I would opt to bump either to 175W MH's or try a different reflector style to give you more light spread
 
emonemo

emonemo

Member
so ive heard a few different things about maximum light. some say 9wpg, and then SCSI, you said that 3 400's would be ok except for the electricity bill. thats 15wpg!!!
Im trying for a 175MH to go along with my 130PC, thats a total of 15.25wpg...
is this acceptable?
 
emonemo

emonemo

Member
wow thanks for the link.
After reading that I think Ill be ok with the lighting I have. Ive got 14 inches to the bottom, AND i was planning on trying to have some SPS on the sandy bottom. So ill need the MH to reach the bottom.
And since the PC dont reach the bottom as well I might just run two actinic bulbs in my pc ficture for the morning and evening...
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by EmoNemo
so ive heard a few different things about maximum light. some say 9wpg, and then SCSI, you said that 3 400's would be ok except for the electricity bill. thats 15wpg!!!
Im trying for a 175MH to go along with my 130PC, thats a total of 15.25wpg...
is this acceptable?
Yeah sorry about that... somehow I completely said the wrong thing. My head musta been somewhere else. Unfortuantely I can no longer edit the post as this thread is pretty old. Still, (3) 250s would work as long as it's not over a plastic center brace.
 
azaintcold

azaintcold

Member
Originally Posted by SCSInet
Yeah sorry about that... somehow I completely said the wrong thing. My head musta been somewhere else. Unfortuantely I can no longer edit the post as this thread is pretty old. Still, (3) 250s would work as long as it's not over a plastic center brace.

Not to hijack, but I have the 150 with a plastic center brace. I have 3 250w MH's going in. How do I arrange them with out putting it over the brace?!
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
You can't. You'd only use 3 halides when you have two center braces. If you put a halide over the center brace, the least it will do is create an ugly shadow.
 
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