Metal Halide Help??

I'm sure you'll get responses from the MH folks. Here's my .02.
I've never used them because IMO they are inefficient compared with compact fluorescent. The ones I've seen created so much glare that I couldn't appreciate the tanks they were lighting. They spread the light out all over the room.
They also produced a great deal of heat.
Guess you can tell that I'm not a big MH fan.
What kind of lighting are you currently using? CF or No fluorescent or something else? Also, please be more specific as to why you find them 'cumbersome', and what is it about the look that you don't like?

Len

If you do go MH they only cover about 24" inches per bulb, so you may need 3 bulbs. Your total wattage should be about 3+ watts per gallon. Hang them about 9+ inches above tank. I would leave tank uncovered so does not overheat, but will have lots of evaporation. Be realy to add RO water daily.

SP2 said:

That was the plan, to go with an open top tank. I talked to a guy at the fish store and he said that the MH bulbs penatrate better into the tank and that I better be ready to inject CO2 like crazy and fertalize like crazy. He also said the watts per gallon rule really doesnt apply because of the better penatration. I dont know if I will switch, just investegating now. Thats for the input, Steve

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Watts per gallon rule is only a guideline b/c as tanks get bigger lees wattage is needed for the tank, that being said ,for a tank your size and high light plants ,Co2 and ferts, I would be aiming for 3-4 watts per gallon.Very true- MH bulbs penetrate better than ordinary bulbs, but this really only aplies on really high tanks eg 30" or more in height, So if I were you I would be trying to follow the rule pretty closely . As someone else already stated the light coverage with MH bulbs is not very even , being most strong in the center directly below the bulbs, but this can also be adjusted by moving the bulbs further away from the tank. But remember if you do this you will have to get more powerful bulbs and some of the light will be wasted. I prefer MH bulbs on big tanks, but for a tank your size either would be great.

MHs are pretty much standard issue for the hardcore reefing crowd and can blast your tank with a helluva lot of light and give you pretty shimmer lines. But if you're worried about heat and power issues, have you ever considered T5s?

Low heat, low wattage, fewer bulb changes (up to 18 months) and far more light per watt than PCs in the better units.

http://www.reefgeek.com/products/categories/lighting/104194.html