View Full Version : 2x250 watts enough for 120 gallons...?
flipteg
01/31/2007, 11:24 PM
would 2 250 watts MH lighting be enough on a standard 120 gallon (48x24x24) tank...? i was thinking 2 250w MH with 2 54w T-5 actinics... the tank is gonna be an SPS tank...
also, should i go with HQI or mogul base socket...?
Yinger
01/31/2007, 11:26 PM
2x250 will be enough. if your going for actinics, i'd go with VHOs instead. T5s will be brighter, but i think VHOs will add a better supplementation.
wanecek
01/31/2007, 11:29 PM
I was using 2 Reef Optix pendants 250 watt hqi DE bulbs over my 120 gal until recently. All I have is SPS and was getting pretty good growth. I just added 2 55 watt actinic PCs. I did not add the PCs to get extra growth. I added it to just get a cool actinic look at night.
So you should be fine with 250 wattas over a 120 gal.
supertech3
01/31/2007, 11:34 PM
i would go with your choice, the 250 watt hallides will work with your tank dimensions but IMO prefer the t5 over the vho's, as for your hqi or mogul, if your putting a retro under a hood for instance I would go with the se bulbs (unsure of your application)
E-A-G-L-E-S
01/31/2007, 11:36 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9129781#post9129781 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Yinger
2x250 will be enough. if your going for actinics, i'd go with VHOs instead. T5s will be brighter, but i think VHOs will add a better supplementation.
I agree.
flipteg
02/01/2007, 12:15 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9129833#post9129833 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by supertech3
i would go with your choice, the 250 watt hallides will work with your tank dimensions but IMO prefer the t5 over the vho's, as for your hqi or mogul, if your putting a retro under a hood for instance I would go with the se bulbs (unsure of your application)
yes, i am going with retro setup under the hood... but on hellolights.com, i saw an HQI reflector that i might be able to put under the hood... i am using HQI now but it seems easier to get mogul lights... what are the advantages and disadvantages of both...
Yinger
02/01/2007, 12:30 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9130062#post9130062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flipteg
yes, i am going with retro setup under the hood... but on hellolights.com, i saw an HQI reflector that i might be able to put under the hood... i am using HQI now but it seems easier to get mogul lights... what are the advantages and disadvantages of both...
HQI overdrives the bulbs so most people use a HQI ballast with DE bulbs, however, the UV shield decreases the par output of a bulb by quite a bit. With SEs, you don't need a shield because it is built onto the bulb and they don't need to be overdriven. I used to use DE bulbs but then switched to the xm10k SE and it works much better for me. HQI ballasts can overdrive the bulb by quite a bit, for example, a PFO ballast will ovdrive a DE bulb up to 370 watts. That can really increase your electric bill. You can get great intensity from a SE bulb driven by an electronic ballast which will consume pretty much exactly the watts it's labeled at.
also, don't skimp on the reflector. IMO, its one of the most important part of the setup.
flipteg
02/01/2007, 08:24 AM
so a 250 DE bulb, overdriven will put out more light than a 250 SE that is running at rated...?
also, if hypothetically, a 250 SE has the same par as a 250 DE, you're saying that the DE will put out less par than the SE for the reason that it needs to be run behind a shield...?
so in order to compensate, HQI ballasts will overdrive a bulb so that it will put out the same par value as its SE counterpart...?
but what i don't understand is why would the ballast overdrive the bulb...? why wouldn't it just run the bulb at it's rating...? wouldn't overdriving lessen the life of the bulb...?
also, what reflector would you recommend that is good...?
thanks for all the inputs...! and sorry for too many questions...!
Yinger
02/01/2007, 11:19 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9131243#post9131243 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flipteg
so a 250 DE bulb, overdriven will put out more light than a 250 SE that is running at rated...?
also, if hypothetically, a 250 SE has the same par as a 250 DE, you're saying that the DE will put out less par than the SE for the reason that it needs to be run behind a shield...?
so in order to compensate, HQI ballasts will overdrive a bulb so that it will put out the same par value as its SE counterpart...?
but what i don't understand is why would the ballast overdrive the bulb...? why wouldn't it just run the bulb at it's rating...? wouldn't overdriving lessen the life of the bulb...?
also, what reflector would you recommend that is good...?
thanks for all the inputs...! and sorry for too many questions...!
It really depends on the ballast and bulb combination. But yes, a DE bulb can produce more par on a HQI ballast. But a DE bulb on an electronic ballast will not produce the intensity it's capable of. For example, I have icecap ballasts and used to run phoenix 14k DEs. The par output was tested on Sanjay's website to be about 67 which is not that great. I have since switched to XM 10ks and the par output is 115, so big increase. The icecap ballasts were underdriving the DE bulbs because they're made to be overdriven to produce the full intensity. However, the same phoenix bulb on a HQI ballast can produce the same if not more par than my XMs right now.
Overdriving the bulb can lessen the life of the bulb, but so can underdriving it. Another exmample is that many people have been only getting about 6 months of use out of their DE bulbs when driven by an E ballast.
As far as reflectors go, it I'd recommend the lumen max 2's if you going with SE bulbs or the lumen max 3's if you going with DE bulbs.
MJSavage
02/01/2007, 03:13 PM
I had 2-250 SE on my 120 with VHO Actinics. I was very happy with growth. I had XM 10K bulbs and think color could have been better. If I was to do it again I would go with DE (HQI)
flipteg
02/01/2007, 03:28 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9134262#post9134262 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MJSavage
I had 2-250 SE on my 120 with VHO Actinics. I was very happy with growth. I had XM 10K bulbs and think color could have been better. If I was to do it again I would go with DE (HQI)
couldn't you just get a different bulb if you don't like the color...? what makes you want the DE over your current SE...?
also, if i go VHO, what wattage bulb do you all recommend...? i'm gonna have 2 actinics, but i don't really want 2 x 110w VHO's... i'm trying to keep the electric consumption as little as possible...
why do most people recommend VHO over T5 for actinic supplementation even though T5's are brighter...? is it just preference on color or look...?
Waxxiemann
02/01/2007, 03:39 PM
I agree w/ Yinger on the Lumen Max pendants. I'm running 2 Lumen Max 3's and they're fantastic.
My tank is 48" long as well and I'm running Ushio 10k's on an Blue Wave 7 Magnetic HQI ballast. Geissmann Actinic blue plus t5 HO's for supplementation. I think you'd be just fine with 2x250's in there. I'm keeping clams on the sand and sps almost at the bottom.
Cheers.
flipteg
02/01/2007, 11:15 PM
would a Lumenarc reflector fit inside the canopy of a standard 120 like the Oceanic...? or would it be too big...?
also, i'm starting to have second thoughts about actinic supplementation... the only reason i want them is to have that dawn and dusk effect... but how important are they to corals and the over all look of the tank...?
Yinger
02/01/2007, 11:19 PM
if you trying to fit actinics in there, it's going to be a very tight fit. If you get the lumenmax, it'll fit pretty easily.
GSMguy
02/02/2007, 07:41 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9129781#post9129781 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Yinger
2x250 will be enough. if your going for actinics, i'd go with VHOs instead. T5s will be brighter, but i think VHOs will add a better supplementation.
for what its worth i dont think this is tru the t5 would look less brght but have better color in my opinion
I have 2-250 SE 10k XM and 2-110 Super Actinics VHO over my 120 (4x2x2) not really that tight in their. I bought the 46" VHO's but when the MH come on 1 hr. after the Actinics I don't see the Actinics anymore I can't tell the differents.I never ran T5 so not sure about them but in the lfs they look good.
Yinger
02/02/2007, 11:11 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9139728#post9139728 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
for what its worth i dont think this is tru the t5 would look less brght but have better color in my opinion
t5's put out much more intensity than VHO's. that's why people can keep SPS on t5's alone, however, the actinic isn't as blue as a VHO. I've seen t5s as supplementation in person and I can honestly say VHOs provide a better supplementation.
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