lighting please help. need to decide within 24-48hrs

[jarrodsanborn]

I have a dual 29 gal setup display + display

In the top tank I have a mixed reef with mainly softies and lps. I hate my 4x24 t5 setup. no shimmer, and the cheap bulbs i have don't give me the color i like, but dont want to spend $110 on nice ones. I want BLUE like 30 k if they made one! ha ha ha.
I plan on moving up to a 55-90 display when I move in a year or so. I know I could get a cheap 150w pendant or fixture but i am concerned that it will be useless in a short time and possibly not enough even for 29 gal (30x12x18tall) if I use 20k bulbs. so do you think 250w would be too much and kill all my softies and lps? i know the par of cheaper 20k bulbs is real low, so .... low par bulb with lame/no reflector would work? i would be putting it 6"-12" above the water.

I have the option of getting a 250w se retro and it has a lame flat reflector
http://hellolights.com/jbjk-1250wmetalhalideretrofitkit.aspx for $50
or any other cheaper setup under $225

if i get the 250, i would just upgrade the bulb/reflector in the future.


Is my thinking sound to use the 250 with bad bulb and bad reflector temporarily to tide me over till i get my bigger display? tell me im not crazy.

As far as heat, i dont think i would have a problem as both of the connected 29gal tanks are open top.

thank you for all your tips andhelp.

 

[willray]

Get some leds for the shimmer and put the money into your future setup.But to answer your questions 150DE would be good for the 29gal.A 250SE is supposed to be near the same output as 150DE IIRC.With the t5s you can make it as blue as you'd like.Skiptons has got some great new t5's in blue,blue+ or something like that.I can't tell you your not crazy though....don't know ya!

 

[jackthestrat]

"need to decide within 24-48hrs "

Not good to think like this in this particular hobby.

 

[JayM]

"need to decide within 24-48hrs "

Not good to think like this in this particular hobby.

I was thinking the same thing. Nothing good ever happens fast in this hobby.

On a 29, a 250W is a lot of light. I think you would be better served with a 150w, and try some different bulbs to get you where you want.

For what it's worth, a 2x250MH keeps my 400 gallons of water volume pretty toasty, so heat COULD be a problem.

 

[jarrodsanborn]

the rush was only cuz i have 4x t5 reflectors just " sitting on top of the tank looking like crap and looking like a fire hazard" as my wife would put it. it is my birthday coming up, and she gave me a deadline. thanks guys. bruinguy083 has a 150 sunpod for sale i will pickup.
is a 150 effective on anything deep? seems too small for a 65 gal.

and thanks again for the quick reply and possible fish chowder prevention tips

 

[gweston]

I like a simple single pendant 175watt (or 150 watt) halide. Something in the 14k range. You'll have more bulb options if it is a double ended bulb, but nothing wrong with going for a single end bulb. But... again.. a halide alone has less flexibility with color than T5's. The Phoenix 14k supposedly has a nice blue color to it.

If you stuck a 4x 36" T5HO fixture with the following bulbs:

2xATI Aquablue Special - Blue+Full spectrum 12k daylight (essentially a 'white' bulb).
2xATI Blue Plus - Mix Blue with Actinic 03 (SPS fluoresces, etc)

You'd get a nice bluish color and a good amount of PAR for a 29g. Yeah the 29 is a 30" tank, but I have a 36" T5HO fixture over my 29gallon. It fits quite nicely and gives decent light. You get a bit more output over a 30" fixture and uses more common bulbs. It only hangs over a few inches on each side. Most fixtures have adjustable legs and it'll sit right on top of the tank.

 

[JasonandRay]

thats a good deal on the 250 though

 

[jarrodsanborn]

pending rant and confusion warning......


well guys and gals, i got a 70w(old bulb) and a 150w(new 14k current bulb) sunpod off a fellow reefer here, and he gave me a great deal. the 70w went on my 10g, and temps dropped because i went from a closed hood to open top. this rig works great. amazing color and brightness.

now for the bad news. the 150 is only slightly more powerful on the same tank(both compared on the 29) not 2x power!
i put the 150 bulb 8" above the water to get good 30" spread, and 2x t5 actinic 4" above the water. strangely this rig does not seem as bright as my 4 x t5 rig! i was running the 4 24w=96w bulbs on a 108w ballast for minimal overdrive, but c'mon.
the bulb was new and the only thing that changed was i swapped 2x t5 18k hagen glo bulbs for a 14k metal halide. i know point source lighting may seem dimmer, but i figured this being my first halide, well....i should be blown away or something. good news the fans work great. you can almost keep your hand on the bulb cover(almost) and the fixture is cool to touch.

I was planning on putting a 20k bulb, but now im not sure as the 14k is already darker. what should i do? corals are expanding as normal, and dont seem stressed. no bleaching or under-lighting. did i just have a good rig to start off with, and now took a small step down? shame as those shimmer lines are 2 die for.