New Lighting suggestions

[Anonymous]

I want to upgrade my lighting. My experiment with Metal Halides was a failure for several reasons. The worst problem was the heat, with the fan failing it overheated rather badly. So, I am not really interested in trying to pack a MH light into this canopy.

My existing light is pictured below and is 28.75 long by 5 deep by 3 high. Right now it has in it 2-20 watt Coralife bulbs. The little round aluminum starter thingies are always going bad, I have went through a half dozen in the last 4 months.

In order for me to be happy with the new light it has to have several features

1. It has to be pretty cool, I do not want to rely on fans keeping the thing from going up in smoke. By that I mean I want to be able to have it run for a couple of days without melting. I can have a fan to keep the tank water cool.

2. It can be no bigger than the existing light fixture, Well, it could be an inch higher, but no bigger than that.

3. It has to allow me to keep an anenome and maybe some zoos and some soft corals happy

4. It has to be flat black on the outside like my existing one to keep my wife happy.

I think that is it, any suggestions?

I just received tentative approval from the finance manager for this expenditure so I need to find out what would work best.

(in other words the wife grudgingly gave me the go ahead :lol

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, its a 24 inch deep corner bow front tank

 

[Anonymous]

Here is a link to one light I found that would work on this tank and would not look too bad, Anyone have any idear if this would work? Do I need more light or less for what I am looking to keep...


https://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem ... ct=CU01022

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.marineandreef.com/products/P ... etails.jpg

Here is a picture of that light

 

[Anonymous]

Here is another choice, It would be the 30 inch Dual one

http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/po ... llite.html

 

[Anonymous]

With the wood working skills you have why don't you buy yourself a icecap 660 ballast and make up your own combination of lights.This ballast will run vho's and pc's and I think the t5's.You can run alot of different combo's up to 440 watts.

You could paint your canopy black and it will look better than anything you could buy!! I have seen your wood working skills my friend.
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[Anonymous]

I can't make it out of wood, It takes up too much space

We want something sleek and small, in fact something that looks exactly like what we have would be perfect.

The Orbits one in the link above is a bit deep (8.5 inches) but will only hang over the back of the tank a little bit.

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, I could also build something like you say and put 3-24 inch 75 watt VHO bulbs in there.

It would be tight, and would need a fan on it.


208$ for the ballast (ice cap)

60$ for the bulbs

57 bucks for the ice cap fan

then I have to build the thing, and somehow add in a reflector

Total: 325$ for 225 watts




The other light I am looking at is the Orbit Power compact with lunar lights.

Total 180$ for 130 watts.


the watt per dollar is cheaper on the Orbit light.

Neither light would be able to be upgraded to something brighter without building a complete new canopy--something that will not happen.

hmmmmm

much thinking to do over the next few weeks while I save up some mulah....

 

[Anonymous]

The decision basically comes down to this:


What kind of corals will I be able to keep with each type of light.


225 watts on a 24 inch deep tank?

130 watts on a 24 inch deep tank

as Much as I don't want to do it I might end up building a hood

 

[Anonymous]

Bry.

build the hood now. You'll end up doing it sooner or later, so build it now.

with a depth of 24 inches, you'll need halides to keep most corals, clams or anenomes. You could go with 2 x 150w DE halide pendant if you could go with an open top. No heat issues, nice sleek design, better O2 exchange.

If you need the tank covered, Build a canopy. Just do it, it will only add 6" or so to the top of the tank. And you can match your stand, so it will look like it belongs there. Then fill it up with either T5's or VHO Leave the back partially open, and put a couple of quiet computer fans in there to keep the air moving. Yes, I know. you don't want fans. But you want an anenome and two 65w pc's arent going to cut it.

B

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, I could also build something like you say and put 3-24 inch 75 watt VHO bulbs in there.

It would be tight, and would need a fan on it.


208$ for the ballast (ice cap)

60$ for the bulbs

57 bucks for the ice cap fan

then I have to build the thing, and somehow add in a reflector

Total: 325$ for 225 watts




The other light I am looking at is the Orbit Power compact with lunar lights.

Total 180$ for 130 watts.


the watt per dollar is cheaper on the Orbit light.

Neither light would be able to be upgraded to something brighter without building a complete new canopy--something that will not happen.

hmmmmm

much thinking to do over the next few weeks while I save up some mulah....

Ice Cap ballast on sale

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=64426
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