Lighting Choice, opinions before purchase

[wink1906]

Asking before purchasing but here's what I am targeting for my lighting choice for 1st time 75g reef. Have not decided which types of corals yet so I want to keep the lighting system capable of sustaining the widest variety possible.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=CU01077

Current USA 48 inch Outer Orbit 2x250w 10K HQI-MH w/ 4x54W T5 HO & 18 Lunar Lights

Reasoning:
1. Contains both MH t5's for light diversity
2. Contains timers and cooling fans
3. Contains LED for observing nightime activity
4. Each T5 has an individual parabolic reflector

Questions:
Does anyone have experience with this light or similar Current USA fixtures?
Is 2x250MH too much light for a 75g?

Thanks in advance as always.

[papagimp]

The 2 x 250w bulbs would be sufficient for a 75g all in its own, you add 4 of the t5's on top of that, and this would make your tank primarily high light intensity corals only, with lower light guys hiding in the shaded spots. But a bonus would be that if you upgraded your tank in the future, let's say to a 150 or so, this would work for that as well. just fyi

[seapug]

I have the same light in the 150W MH version for my 90 gal (basically same size as 75 but couple inches taller). It's a great piece of equipment. Looks nice and slick and is hassle/worry free. But as Papagimp said, the 2 X 250 is going to be a hella lot of light on a 75. The 2 X 150s on my fixture have been strong enough to get extremely fast growth on SPS and I've even needed to set up a ledge to shade my shrooms. I can't imagine what it would be like with 250s! In terms of product cost, cost of power consumption, and what you *need* on a tank your size, you might consider stepping down to 150s.

[sabbath]

I have 2 x120watt MH on a 4' 75gal. I have a clam and a couple of sps's leathers, Hammer and their growing. The mushrooms are placed under the overflow box or they start to get bleached and or pull way in.

[sabbath]

opps that is 2x150 MH.

[Buckeye1]

I'm also interested in this light for my 75. Does anybody have heat issues with this light? Also, does your electric bill jump out the roof with these fixtures?

[Shagsbeard]

I'm going with the two 150W MH + moonlights this summer on my 75. Dunno what company or what finances will be, but I'll figure that out when I get more into it.

[Henry Bowman]

I'd go for the 250 MH and T5 combo and not look back. There are too many threads of folks talking about wanting to upgrade their lights and or add. It would be easy to reduce the photoperiod if the tank was not full of high intensity light loving corals.

You are much better off with too much than not enough when it comes to light, and water flow. Both can be "throttled back" one way or another but when you dont have enough, you are stuck with spending again !

My .02 cents worth :-)

[zimmy1979]

I purchased the outer orbit about a year ago with 2x150W MH Phoenix 14k and my stonies are growing like mad (I turned off the PC actinic bulbs because the 14k is a perfect color to me). 2x250W MH 10k is a TON of light :). You might want a chiller with that kind of light :). I was able to get away without a chiller by having a large fan blow over my water and a fan under the tank blowing over the sump/fuge (adding about 3 gallons a day in evaporation).