And yet, another lighting question

[MI0706]

I currently have a 55g reef setup that has been running now for 6 months... I want to go to a MH light setup... So here, is my question...

Right now, I have a PC setup (2 65watt 10k, 2 65watt 6.5k) and I think the lighting is "good enough". Actually, I think with this lighting setup, I could have a pretty good variety of corals in the tank (from a lighting stand point)...

Now, I want to go to a MH setup... Why?!? Because I like the way it makes the tank look... I've been around a handful of reef tanks lately that run exclusively MH lighting and I absolutely love the way the tanks look... Also, I'm aware that MH lighting is the absolute best you can get...

Now, considering I bought the PC setup about 5 months ago and paid some pretty good cash for it, I don't want to get rid of it... I would like to incorporate what I have now with some MH's and get that nice look to my tank and also have enough lighting so I could virtually have anything in my tank (from a lighting standpoint)...

Is this possible?!? Or should I scrap the PC setup and go with MH only etc?!?

BTW, I just recently found out that some guys I work with (6 of them to be exact) all run reef systems... This is where I saw in person a complete MH setup... When I asked them this question, they all told me that they couldn't answer it because they have only ran MH setups and nothing else...

 

[Anonymous]

It really only matters what you can fit under your hood. I started my 75 with 4-110W VHO's then upgraded to MH. I could not fit all 4 VHO's under the hood with the MH, so I re-wired the Icecap ballast to run 2-110W actinics. I then installed (2) spider reflectors each with a 175W 10K MH bulb. Your tank is not as wide (front to back) as mine, so I am not sure how many lamps you can fit in there.

Maybe some 55G owners will chime in here too.

Louey

 

[MI0706]

I was also thinking of a MH along these lines... All replies are welcomed...

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... 004+113178

Also, I don't have a hood yet... I'm going to build it when I have my lighting issue solved... I think I can design the hood to fit just about everything I want...

 

[Archmage]

I had the same situation. I had a 30 gallon cube and had 200 Watts of PC on it. Decided to go MH. But I decided to get rid of the PC lights for a couple of reasons.


1. The MH's already provide enough lighting for the tank. I replaced 200 watts of PC with 300 watts of MH.

2. I asked myself, was it worth it considering that the PC lights would add heat, additional electricity costs. If the MH provide enough, wouldn't the PC's be redundant?

You could always sell the PC lights (at a discount) to recoup some of your sunk costs.



HTH

 

[hillbilly]

I've never owned PC lights, only MH. MH with give you all light you can use. I would sell the PC's. They are very popular these days. You should sell them quickly online.

 

[Anonymous]

I would go the just MH route and use the PC's for another tank or sell them. I would also go HQI for MH or at least buy one of the electronic ballasts that allows you to use any kind of MH bulb. If you go HQI you will be able to keep just about anything.

 

[cdeakle]

Get your MH setup alot cheaper at aquaticlight.com

I would use the pc's with actinic bulbs to supplement the MH's

-puff

 

[MI0706]

Well, I know now what I'm going to do with the PC setup... My wife and I were talking and she wants to do another tank... We are looking at a 120 gallon FOwLR setup... My PC setup would be more than adequate for that tank... So now, I'm shopping for a MH setup for my 55 gallon reef and I'm shopping for a complete 120 setup...

Thanks for the replies guys/gals...