View Full Version : 800 Watts to much for a 55gallon?
PmAn2k3
12-02-2003, 1:17 AM
I was wondering if two 400w MH's wou;d be to much on a 55g?
I hope not because i found a sweet deal.
Do you have a chiller? http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/images/graemlins/lol.gif
mogurnda
12-02-2003, 9:21 AM
I have never heard of so much power in such a small space, but it may work. If you have livestock already, they will definitely need to be acclimated, or you'll see massive bleaching. One other problem is that free radicals are a byproduct of photosynthesis, and the corals may not be able to quench them fast enough with so much light.
This is defintely a case where knowing the PAR output of the light, and comparing it to the natural reef, would be useful.
slipknottin
12-02-2003, 10:40 AM
I had 2x400s plus 220 watts of T5s over my 90. I didnt need a heater... :D
I had a 175 watt MH over a 10 gallon tank too.
mogurnda
12-02-2003, 11:21 AM
I had a 175 watt MH over a 10 gallon tank too. Jeepers! What were you growing?
slipknottin
12-02-2003, 2:30 PM
Originally posted by mogurnda
Jeepers! What were you growing?
I got a 175 watt electronic ballast for free, so I setup the tank, never even started stocking it before I setup the 90. It would have been a pretty nice SPS reef, but probably would have been a pain with temp fluctuations and evaporation.
PmAn2k3
12-02-2003, 11:01 PM
So would 2 400 watt MH's be too much? Yes or no? the tank is 55g and a 5" DSB.
slipknottin
12-03-2003, 1:57 PM
depends on if you can keep the temp down and what you want to grow.
I have the perfect solution. Invest in a larger tank. Well that is what I would do anyway. :D
liquafaction
12-09-2003, 9:24 PM
better yet, buy them, send them to me, and I will let you know what I think
mogurnda
12-10-2003, 9:18 AM
Here's something else to consider. 800 watts is 0.8 kilowatts. By my calculations, that's almost 600 kwh/month. How much are you saving on those lights, and how much do you pay per kwh? In the long run, you might want to be more conservative.
true about cost of power. But the way things go with marine aquarists 95% chance one will upgrade anyway someday. Maybe another option would be to set it up with one MH light and being set up higher you will have a little more spread of light.
Just another thought. My wife uses the extra light from my aquarium to grow her starter plants in the spring. Seems to work well.
mogurnda
12-14-2003, 11:13 AM
forgot that the lights aren't on all the time. That brings it down to 200 kwh/month. All that to produce light the corals don't really need.
slipknottin
12-14-2003, 9:29 PM
A M59 ballast uses 455 watts while running.
So your lights would be using 910 watts.
Lets say your using them 10 hours a day, and your electricity costs $.10 a KwH.
That means your lights would cost you $28 a month or $336 a year.
mogurnda
12-16-2003, 11:04 AM
Forgot that ballasts weren't 100% efficient.
slipknottin
12-16-2003, 11:42 AM
Originally posted by mogurnda
Forgot that ballasts weren't 100% efficient.
The E-ballasts actually pull 399 watts when running. According to rumors from Sanjay, the E-ballasts have much less light output than the magnetic ballasts, but Ill wait for him to finish his study.
ereefic
12-20-2003, 2:23 PM
I think they would be fine as long as heat from them doesn't become an issue. SPS and clams would love them, wouldn't put any softies in there though, unless you can shade them well.
Plus, when you do get a bigger tank, and you will, your set for lighting.