Lighting heat output question MH/PC/T5

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nato2k

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Dec 16, 2007
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I have a 72 gallon bowfront and I wanna switch to MH, I am not sure if I want to get the current usa 2x150 14k or the 2x250 14k.

What is the heat output compared to the 4x 65w PC or the 6xT5HO? Would I be able to run the 2x250 without a chiller? Would I be able to run the 2x150 without a chiller? During the summer the temp in the house is controlled to 75 but in reality it probably gets closer to 78.

one other question. would 14k have enough blue in it for keeping clams/sps? would 2x150 be enough to keep clams and sps?

Thanks.
 
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forgot to add that i use top glass and the mounting legs, i cannot hang the fixture. last summer i had the 4x65 watt pc current usa fixture so that would be a good comparison, if the heat output is much more than that im gonna have problems.
 
Well, the efficiency ratio is about the same for all of them in terms of energy converted to heat and light (except for PCs, which have a slightly higher heat:light ratio).. You can expect the heat to be the same watt for watt. In other words, if you have a 150w halide and 150w worth of fluorescent tubes, the overall heat will be the same. The distribution, however, will be different for each type. In MH, the distribution is very compact, making a very hot point source, whereas it is much more evenly distributed in fluorescents. So basically, you are getting roughly the same amounts of heat per watt, just distributed differently (or with more efficient lighting, less wattage = less heat).

If you are already experiencing problems, then the addition of added wattage will heat your water more substantially. You may want to consider more energy efficient pumps, since pumps actually tend to influence tank temperatures much more than the lighting.
 
thanks. do you think 2x150 MH would work in a 72 bow for hard corals? i am looking for them to flourish rather than just barely get by. will the 14k bulbs be ok? the tank isnt wide enough to do one of the mh/pc or mh/t5 combo's.
 
That is difficult to say. It will depend upon too many factors, including bulb, ballast, and reflector choices. Your best bet as far as high light and lower wattage is concerned is to get a couple of 175w Iwasaki 15K bulbs with some nice reflectors, like lumenarcs or lumenbrights or a T5 system--something like Aquactinics, Tek, or IceCap. It won't necessarily be cheap, but it will save you from having to cool the tank and save your electric bill, all the while allowing you to keep whatever you want.
 
Thanks, unfortunately I'm stuck with current usa, i currently have a 6x54 t5 fixture, its the second one in a month, both blew out the actinic bulbs within two weeks so i am returning it. the wholesaler the lfs gets his current usa stuff from only deals current usa and will only give him a credit. i wish i could just keep the t5 fixture i have but its getting annoying and i dont wanna waste my time with another one.

the other problem with pendants is that i will not be able to hang anything
 
Fortunately, you really won't have the same issues with the above mentioned T5 fixtures. If you still don't want to go that route, then there are some 250w current fixtures available. Again, depending upon what pumps you use, you may want to consider more energy efficient ones, like Hydor Koralias and Tunze Nanostreams.
 
Thanks for all of your help! I am going to get the 2x250w hqi sunpod unit. I do use koralia powerheads already cept for one aquaclear 402 which i plan on switching to a koralia 4. i am considering switching my sump pump from a rio 2500 down to a 2100 or 1400. thanks again!
 
Consider the Eheim pumps for your return. You won't need a huge one and they are very energy efficient--compare the wattages to the pumps you are proposing. The only downside is their price.
 
do you think the compact plus 3000 would be enough? 20 gallon sump and about 4.5 feet from the pump to the return.
 
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