40 Breeder Reef Log

For zoos, you definitely don't need that much light. Your tank is pretty short, too.

You obviously have some skills in 'DIY', so you really could/should go that route.

For example:

http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=900032&cat=768&page=1

That's a dual 150 watt HQI ballast for $65.

Look around and find a good deal on some bulbs and pendants, or reflectors and sockets, and you could have your full metal halide system for under $200 (with shipping and stuff).

Even a few 175s would be enough light.

And, since you do want to do mainly zoos, actinic support is in order. Get a vho or t5 or even cf setup and call it good.

Anyway, rambling advice main point: Build yourself a hood and DIY your lights...
 
Subliminal said:
For zoos, you definitely don't need that much light. Your tank is pretty short, too.

You obviously have some skills in 'DIY', so you really could/should go that route.

For example:

http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=900032&cat=768&page=1

That's a dual 150 watt HQI ballast for $65.

Look around and find a good deal on some bulbs and pendants, or reflectors and sockets, and you could have your full metal halide system for under $200 (with shipping and stuff).

Even a few 175s would be enough light.

And, since you do want to do mainly zoos, actinic support is in order. Get a vho or t5 or even cf setup and call it good.

Anyway, rambling advice main point: Build yourself a hood and DIY your lights...
Click to expand...


Great advice, and he is right Pete, the actinics will help make the zoos pop with color versus the washed out brown they get under 10ks.
 
Nolapete said:
Would 1 250w MH DE and 2 96w CF actinics be enough?
Click to expand...

I have one MH bulb on my 30 inch 29g and the ends definitely don't get as much light as the middle.

I believe you said your tank was 36 inches, so I would say one bulb would really be pushing it.

With something like 2x150, you would have a nice super bright area in the middle, a normally bright area everywhere else.

They say the peak output radius of a single bulb is 2 ft. So, with 1 bulb you're pretty shy and with 2 you're overlapping.

Plus, remember you're going to be running this 250 watt, 300 watt, 350 watt or 500 watt (plus another 100 for actinic) around 10+ hrs a day, and eventually you're going to start noticing that on the ol' electric bill.
 
If you saw my fish room, you'd tell me I better find alternative power source or win the lottery. Fortunately, the extra electric falls into the entertainment budget.

The tank is 36x18, so my reef is going to have a small footprint. It'll probably only be 24x12. I know it takes a lot of discipline to keep from filling a tank with rock and frags. With 20+ other tanks, I need to just have one little slice that is really nice instead of a packed tank. I hear you all saying, good luck with sticking to only a little bit.

I'm thinking that I want to go with a ready-made fixture instead of a DIY, since everything else with the tank is pretty much DIY except the skimmer.
 
ahh the good old budget comment!

My friend we have all been there, lord knows I have blown my budget on more than one occassion!

But seriously, good advice here Pete, the PC or flourescents help bring out the color in the zoos, BIG TIME! Either that or go to 14k bulbs on your MH.

I have 10k bulbs on my MH and actinics on my PC's and I still wish I had 14k bulbs.

Live and learn.
 
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