Lighting for 46 gallon bowfront

[icefish]

You are not going to have any room for that fixture on your 46 gallon, the T5 fixture I mentioned from Aquactinics is only 9.5" Wide, leaving you with just 2 inches of clearance on the back (I have even measured on my own tank and it is true). I think the 13.75" Fixture will not sit right on the tank and will overhang the back or the front depending on what you will like. If you are looking at a Metal Halide Setup the the Aquactinics Metal Halide Fixture is even smaller at 8.5" depth and utilizes 2 halide bulbs on each side suplimented with 2 T-5 bulbs, not the single halide in the middle that most 36" fixtures use. Good Luck

K,

I'm not sure why you think the fixture won't sit right. By my estimation using the pic above, the width of the lamp area (i.e. the bottom) is 11".

The sides of my BF are actually 12.5" and the effective surface of the tank (not obscured by the top rim) is 11" deep.

I am currently drooling over the Maristar II, but I am concerned that it will be way too big, not have a tank mount, and not be available (in 36") anytime soon.

I did check out Aquactinics, but I'm not that impressed with their MH/T5 combo, especially when the cost is close to what I'm seeing for Maristar I.

Aaaaaaaaaaaargh! I want to get this tank moving, but I don't want to rush when I'm looking at 4 figure fixtures.

 

[icefish]

Just heard from Sam from SLS that the Maristar II will be 18" deep. Yowza!

 

[Kiel'thalin]

Yeah, the Maristar does look like a nice piece, but you are going to have to put the feet on it or hang it. The Aquactinics Fixtures are designed to sit directly on top of the tank, preventing the light from flooding outside the tank. This provides a sleek and nice look. It is your preference though, I just thought I would give you more than just a couple of options.

Also, Metal Halides are not a must for the tank size you got. There are some T-5 setups that are more than capable of providing enough light no matter what you plan on stocking. The T-5 fixture I bought cost $400 with all bulbs shipped to my door.

 

[icefish]

Also, Metal Halides are not a must for the tank size you got. There are some T-5 setups that are more than capable of providing enough light no matter what you plan on stocking. The T-5 fixture I bought cost $400 with all bulbs shipped to my door.

I'm going for the MH more for the shimmer than the output.

I'm not too concerned about light seepage, as this is in my home office, and if anything I'd appreciate more ambient light.