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View Full Version : Favorite Lighting Combos....


rob020880
01/31/2007, 10:26 AM
Please post your lighting combos. Im very interested what people find to be the best. If you could please include bulb wattage and ballast. Thanks....

rob020880
01/31/2007, 02:09 PM
9 views and no one has a favorite lighting setup? Come on this will be a fun semi poll...

hahnmeister
01/31/2007, 02:48 PM
I have some favorites. I used to be a 'halide-4-life' kind of guy until about 6-9 months ago when I tried T5s on two tanks... a 4x54watt retro on a 40L (now taken down), and now a 6x39wattT5 setup over my 40B. I am so impressed by the T5s, more so than the other two 40B tanks I have set up with 250wattDE halides (running an EVC 20,000K and a pheonix 14,000K), that I am no longer a believer in halide-only systems like I used to be. Right now the only good looking halide-lit tank I have is the 60g cube with the 400watt lumenarc / Hamilton 14,000K over it... and I still plan on getting rid of that too.

I have a couple friends that have sharp tanks that are MH+T5 combos. Three people I know (after seeing the results that one was getting, they all converted), have 120g tanks with 2x250wattDE halides using Ushio 10,000K or 14,000Ks, and then 4x54wattT5s, running 2 actinic03, and two blue+ bulbs. The look is just awesome... there is no other single bulb that can give the same look as this combo. Its got a good amount of warmer spectrums, thanks to the 10,000Ks, but there is also just a load of blue and actinic light... like someone combined a 20,000K and a 10,000K bulb into one. Its really something else. The corals are all intense neon colors, pigmented in better than anything I have been able to get with just halides, although my T5 system is showing potential in this area.

My next tank, 48x30x20"h, will incorporate this combo to some extent. I am going to use a single 250wattDE with a 10,000K bulb on a light mover to send the bulb back and forth the length of the 4' tank. On either side of this halide will be 4-6 rows of T5 bulbs with blue+ and actinic bulbs... possibly a daylight bulb in the mix if I go with 6 bulbs.

This way, I get 120+ gallons for minimal lighting wattage, and a great looking combo.

rob020880
01/31/2007, 03:16 PM
I have a couple friends that have sharp tanks that are MH+T5 combos. Three people I know (after seeing the results that one was getting, they all converted), have 120g tanks with 2x250wattDE halides using Ushio 10,000K or 14,000Ks, and then 4x54wattT5s, running 2 actinic03, and two blue+ bulbs. The look is just awesome... there is no other single bulb that can give the same look as this combo. Its got a good amount of warmer spectrums, thanks to the 10,000Ks, but there is also just a load of blue and actinic light... like someone combined a 20,000K and a 10,000K bulb into one. Its really something else. The corals are all intense neon colors, pigmented in better than anything I have been able to get with just halides, although my T5 system is showing potential in this area.

Wow!! This is the info I have been searching for!!! Im doing a 130 gal 30" deep tank and was gonna do 2 DE 250 watt 14k and the t5 actinics like you just said. Would it look better with the 10k as oppossed to 14k? Do you think De 250's are the way to go with the 30" deep tank or should I do 2 400's single ended. I was gonna do the de lumenarc stealths but can go with the SE minis. Are either of these good solutions? Are the Ushios the way to go, I was thinking hamiltons.? Sorry for all the???, I tried sanjays sight, but its all to overwhelming for me.
Thanks!!

rob020880
01/31/2007, 03:23 PM
By the way hahnmeister are there any links to pics of tanks using this setup??

hahnmeister
01/31/2007, 03:32 PM
Heres an early image of one of those tanks. The top is with everything on, and bottom with blue+ and actinic only. I must admit, the pic of the top isnt as true as I would like. I prolly have better pics of it somewhere.

http://www.nano-reef.com/gallery/data/500/thumbs/Bills_Tank.JPG (http://www.nano-reef.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=13577)
The corals look better than under any other combo I have seen, and grow like friggin' weeds under this lighting. Its nice and full spectrum so all corals can look good, even pinks and reds... but with lots of blue and actinic to keep the tank looking good as well.

rob020880
01/31/2007, 04:12 PM
Looks great !!! Any chance you could anwser a few of my newbie ???'s That are up there, I want to get the ball rolling and order up tonight...

rob020880
01/31/2007, 04:13 PM
Wow!! This is the info I have been searching for!!! Im doing a 130 gal 30" deep tank and was gonna do 2 DE 250 watt 14k and the t5 actinics like you just said. Would it look better with the 10k as oppossed to 14k? Do you think De 250's are the way to go with the 30" deep tank or should I do 2 400's single ended. I was gonna do the de lumenarc stealths but can go with the SE minis. Are either of these good solutions? Are the Ushios the way to go, I was thinking hamiltons.? Sorry for all the???, I tried sanjays sight, but its all to overwhelming for me.

hahnmeister
01/31/2007, 05:17 PM
Well, my choice of ballast would be PFO HQI. If you want to go electronic, look at the EVC at www.oceanencounter.com. Its $99 and does better than an Icecap (it even beats the HQI on a couple bulbs). In general, HQI ballasts are the best though. You could do Sunlight Supply ReefOptix3s, or PFO mini-pendants. If you have enough room over the tank to accomidate a larger pendant with the T5s, then I would order a lumenarcDE fixture from http://www.reefexotics.com/lumenarc.htm . They range from $99 to $ 139, and will provide better penetration than the RO3 or PFO, but they take up some space (13" long by 12" wide... unlike the others that are more like 8-9" wide). The Sunlight supply lumenmax3 is in between, and also a decent choice, but $150... however, its 11"x11" and in the same class as the lumenarcDE.

As for the T5s, there are several ways to do it, but I think the most popular/practical right now is to go to ReefGeek.com and get a Tek retrofit for 4x54wattT5 (4' bulbs). Call greg there and then ask him to swap out the reflectors for Icecap SLRs... they are only a few $$ more per bulb but much better and coated against salt staining compared to the Teks which are not.

As for bulbs, you can use XM 10,000Ks... a bulb that rivals many 400s, and lasts longer. As for T5 bulbs, I suggest a 1:1 ratio of UVL super actinics or G-man true actinic03s to a ATI blue+ bulb.. so 2 of each in your case.

That should light that tank up nice.

As for 400s, I wouldnt bother. 250wattDEs are a higher quality bulb than 90% of the 400watt stuff out there, and 250s will do on a 30" tall tank as long as you use 10,000Ks which are brighter. I try to use 250s on every tank possible unless the tank is just too tall or there is a HQI bulb/ballast combo in mind (Euro-spec HQI bulbs are better than the usual US crap for many reasons, and 400wattHQIs are hard to get here, while 250wattDEs are rather common and much better than 250wattSEs). 250wattDE bulbs should be called 300wattDEs, as that is what they really are. If the XM/XDEs are too yellow, you can try an Aqualine or Ushio.

rob020880
01/31/2007, 05:39 PM
Thanks for the help!!!

rob020880
01/31/2007, 05:59 PM
One more thing Hahn. What do you think of going with 14k rather then 10k will this be a good setup with the above mentioned t5 setup?

hahnmeister
01/31/2007, 06:59 PM
A 14,000K Ushio, sure. I wouldnt do a 14,000K Hamilton or pheonix though.

BreadmanMike
01/31/2007, 07:11 PM
I'm running a pretty similiar combo to what Hahn speaks of on my SPS tank. I was a long time runner of Radiums on HQI's because of the look. I was running ATI Blue+ and UVL super actinic T5's with the radiums. I just love a blue tank...

Two months ago I decided to try a some new halides. I went with the Gieseman 14.5k's on Galaxy electronic ballasts. These bulbs are a super crisp white. The colors of the corals pop and glow like never before and the growth is simply amazing. I never thought I could bare anything other then 20k halides, now I don't see myself going back.

northbay-reefer
01/31/2007, 08:01 PM
my favorite is 250 watt xm20k + 150watt iwasaki 50k + 2 vho actinics

kronan
01/31/2007, 08:16 PM
I have a 265 RR perfecto ,I use 3- Ice cap 660 running 3- actinic 6 ft VHO, 2- 50/50 6ft VHO and 1 6 ft aqua sun VHO for halide I have 2- 250w Ice cap ballast burning 2-hamilton 14000k and 1- 175 w Ice cap with a 175 w hamilton 14000k and 6 blue moon lights all on timers as follows

9amto 10 pm----- -2 actinic
10am to 8 pm------2- 50/50
1030am 6 pm--1 aquasun 1 actinic
12noon to 5 pm all MH on
12 noon to 5 pm the 2-actinics go off
moonlights come on at 10pm to 8 am

I have great growth on all my corals..SPS/LPS/softies and some clams

casingbill
01/31/2007, 08:30 PM
but will you have to run a chiller with the mh?

rob020880
01/31/2007, 08:56 PM
QUOTE]Two months ago I decided to try a some new halides. I went with the Gieseman 14.5k's on Galaxy electronic ballasts. These bulbs are a super crisp white. The colors of the corals pop and glow like never before and the growth is simply amazing. I never thought I could bare anything other then 20k halides, now I don't see myself going back.[/QUOTE]
That sounds great! Do you happen to have any pics of this setup? I read that many de bulbs give off a little bit of a yellow, I want to avoid this, sounds like a good choice. But I also do not want a totally blue tank....[

rob020880
01/31/2007, 08:57 PM
Two months ago I decided to try a some new halides. I went with the Gieseman 14.5k's on Galaxy electronic ballasts. These bulbs are a super crisp white. The colors of the corals pop and glow like never before and the growth is simply amazing. I never thought I could bare anything other then 20k halides, now

Sorry about that

I don't see myself going back.
That sounds great! Do you happen to have any pics of this setup? I read that many de bulbs give off a little bit of a yellow, I want to avoid this, sounds like a good choice. But I also do not want a totally blue tank...

hahnmeister
02/01/2007, 12:15 AM
The T5s will do more than their part to balance the warmer spectrums of the 10,000K bulbs. The G-man 14,500K bulb is capable of being run alone w/o actinics added... its a great bulb (I have one), but if you are using T5s anyways, its a bit redundant. Its also not the highest output 250wattDE.

rob020880
02/06/2007, 09:16 PM
I just got my lumenarc stealths, and am planning on using a 10000k 250 watt bulbs. The issue is that I want to include t5's and my tank is a 30" deep quarter cylinder. So there isn't much room in the canopy. I can fit two 24" retros no problem. I might be able to fit one 24" and one 36", and finally I would probably be able to fit three 24" fixtures.

What should I do? Will any of these options provide me with nice color? If so which one and what bulb combo?