Can hallides go through glass top?

[delta]

Personally if your hanging from the ceiling I would only hang it if you do so from wood.
You will be swinging the light to get into the tank and this creates wear and tear on the sheetrock\blueboard.
If you can not hit a rafter or straping right where you want it, you can span two rafters\straping with a piece of wood. Then use a screw-in hanger in the wood spanning the rafters\straping.

If the light falls into the tank it won't be pretty. JMO

 

[APISTOBORELLI]

Aquatinics makes fixtures that are cool to the touch while running. Double fans move the heat realy well. You should check into them as well.

 

[OceanGuy]

Halides with glass

I have three 175w metal halides with 2 48" super actinics in a six foot light bank. It has plexiglas (about 1/8 to 1/4") between the light fixtures and the water. I have it resting on the tank top. It has fans on both ends and keeps the room really warm, but does not overheat the water.

If lights are without glass, be sure that the bulbs don't get splashed with water. With glass or plexiglas, clean the glass often with water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. It will clean the salt off and allow the rays to pass through easier.

The canopy is a also a good idea if you the the time and the room.

Good Luck

Okay, ive been hearing conflicting stories. Some people have hallides on open top, some do have glass tops with hallides. I was told by a couple LFSs that hallide spectrim cannot pass the glass on glass tops, so ive strayed away from them due to that. but now ive seen a couple people with glass tops and having reefs.

So what is true, can hallides go through glass? If so are there restrictions on certain corals? Pros Cons... help me out

 

[Freerdr17]

That light is great. I have been using one since June of 2005. And you will soon have one! If you still want it when I get home!

 

[seahorse1]

What kind of halides would be good for a 90 gallon ( 48x24x18deep)? I was also wondering about the light passing thru the glass top, I really didnt want the top open cause I would think the water and salt creep on the lights would damage them. I am thinking about halides with lunar lights. Any suggestions on brands and wattages?

 

[reefinghabit]

to my knowledge metal halides will emmit enough light thru glass to keep corals alive. u must know that glass has iron in it and colors the glass green this also blocks a small amount of light wavelengths from entering the aquarium. i am a fan of running open water for the best light penetration. remember open water evaporates more water and u run the risk of fish jumping out.

 

[Bobbofin]

I have the Coralife clip on pictured above on a 30g Oceanic cube. It works great! I tried to put the glass canopy on it with that MH light. The glass steamed up and the tank heated up. The surface temp of the glass with my Raytec digital surface temp gun was 120 degrees. I moved up the fixture 8" above the water and removed the glass. I have no such problems now. Would highly recommend such a product for your tank. the only problem is that you need 6" free space in the middle of the back to clip it on.

 

[Andy O]

I wouldn't reccomend the glass top. The cons outweigh the pros.

Do you have a canopy or ceiling to hang a fixture from? With the center brace you are probably going to need two lights (one for every 2 feet) whether it be two independent pendent fixtures or one 48" fixture. I would go with 250s as you could keep just about anything.

 

[DanStL]

How much is the coralife unit? I quickly searched and found it for $318.

Depending on how comfortable you are wiring a ballast, For roughly the same money you could get a setup with all high quality, Sanjay-tested parts. Really the best of the best stuff

example 1:

Reef Optix I 250w pendant ~$105
hanging kit ~$29
quality ballast (Icecap, EVC) ~$120
coralvue reeflux 12k SE bulb ~$55

This would be a great light for a 40 stretch!

example 2:
Reef optix 3 pendant ~$105
hanging kit ~$29
quality ballast ~$120
phoenix 14k DE bulb ~$60

This too!