Metal Halide question

[Reef N Discus]

I just picked up two 10 inch diameter (Pendant style) 15 inch tall 175 metal halide I bought two Reeffux (sp?) 20K 175 watt bulbs to go into them. This is going to be going over a 90 gallon tank with corner overflow. Comes with a Dual fixture balast.

I was wondering if these will be good enough by them selves to support a reef tank, consisting of mosty soft coral, LPS, a few SPS and maybe a Clam

Do I need to add any T5HO suplemental lighting?

How far off the surface of the water surface should I keep the lights?

And can I get away with out running a chiller if I run a few fans over the top of the tank? Will be in a finished basement with air conditioning and its always cool down there anyways.

Tank dimension, 48inch long 18inch deep and I believe they are 24 inch tall?

Thank you in advanced

[mike_cmu04]

They wont be enough for clams or sps unelss they are towards the top. You should be able to keep everything else though.

[mrstihl]

keep it over 10" off the top. Should be plenty of light for what you are looking for. They don't really high light requirements. clam might be the only exception depending on which species you are looking at.

[Reef N Discus]

keep it over 10" off the top. Should be plenty of light for what you are looking for. They don't really high light requirements. clam might be the only exception depending on which species you are looking at.

So I should mount or hang rather the lights at about a foot of the surface of the water? and I should be cool to grow softies, LPS, shrooms, and maybe a couple of SPS near the top? maybe a clam a few inches under the surface of the water? Should I go with an open top tank? I was thinking of putting those glass tops on the tank like Aqueon sells. If it is better just to leav the top off I can and will do that? Also if I run a coupkle of fans across the top of the waters syrface you think I can get away without the use of a chiller than?

Also with the 20K lights I doubt I would need atinic T5HO lighting? I tried them out above my 55 gallon freswater discus tank and I really liked the deep water blue look and the shimmer was pretty nice too. I only left them on for about 10 minutes I am not sure how long the take to heat up till max light output but it was pretty slow process. Do you think I should supplement with a T5HO in the 10 - 12K range? just for more watss per gallon or to off set the blueish color? or would this be more for looks and I could just go without it? If it helps with the growth of the corals I can add it but if the halides are going to be enough I wont bother? Please I am sorry for all the questions I just want to make sure that if I put some shroom, brain coral, or whatever in there their not going to die from not enough light or to much I heard you can actually burn out your corals with to much light. I was thinking of adding just one T5HO fixture for more watts per gallon but I didnt wont to if I do not have to.

I am very very sorry for all the newbiw questions I just want to make sure i am doing everything rite. I did like the 20K look of the reef flux lights looks preety nice any way thank you thank you all in advance I just need to make sure I am good to go with what I think is one of the if not the one most important asspect of this hobby the light!

Thank you again a very hombil thank you!!

[Reef N Discus]

also I was wondering, the pendants are used the inside is white but looks like it could use a fresh coat, I was wondering if I should try and spry paint the inside of the pendant with some sort of white paint? and if so what kind? The out side of the fixtures are black and could also use a fresh coat, should I spry paint them as well? Fianlly do I need some kind of special paint for either the heat the will have to stand or for the reflective ness on the inside? or simply let them go??? Thanks again everyone I apreciate your input

[RyanEG]

I wouldn't use glass tops on your tank, it doesn't allow for great oxygen exchange. 175's should be fine for softies and lps, and maybe some of the lower light SPS. Clams may be touch and go and should probably be nearer the top of the tank as stated above. I would keep the lights at least 6" above the water at a minimum.

As for a chiller you will have to let your tank tell you what you are going to need, I would recommend at least having a fan on hand to help regulate the temperature. If you find yourself struggling to keep the tank at your target temperature with the fan then you may need one. A fan can help a lot though.

[Reef N Discus]

I wouldn't use glass tops on your tank, it doesn't allow for great oxygen exchange. 175's should be fine for softies and lps, and maybe some of the lower light SPS. Clams may be touch and go and should probably be nearer the top of the tank as stated above. I would keep the lights at least 6" above the water at a minimum.

As for a chiller you will have to let your tank tell you what you are going to need, I would recommend at least having a fan on hand to help regulate the temperature. If you find yourself struggling to keep the tank at your target temperature with the fan then you may need one. A fan can help a lot though.

Ok cool, I am actually hearing what I want to hear for the first time in forever, I was hoping I did a good job by making this purchase, lol. I did buy them used but I bought brand new bulbs at like 65$ a pop but told they should last any where from 10 - 12 months?? So I am hearing anything from at least 6 inches to 10 inches at the minumum. Were do you think I should keep the hight at? just shoot fo the 10 inch mark? or go for the standard 12 inch mark? one foot? I hate to have them to far away, why buy a really powerful light only to raise it so far off the surface? I guess I am just not getting it lol I do not understand why we raise them so far off the surface? is this so it does not have so much heat influance on the water temp? or is it to make the spot light bigger in diameter to cover the entire tanks surface? I guess two fixtures ought to do me then huh? and I figured at 175 each in the 20K rnge I would have both a nice blue deep water look as well as the power I would need to support pretty much all the LPS and softies I want to? keeping the softies near the bottom of the tank I will not have to worry about to little or to much light either correct?? I do not want to starve them of light but I do not want to burn them out at the same time if you know what I am worried about here? it is such a delicate balance it seems how do you know if you ever got it rite? I am thinking LPS and softies is all I will ever want but in the future with more experince I thought I may want to try a SPS or two hig up in the tank and the colorful looks of those clams there really something I thought a clam just a few each under the surface would be ok directly under the beam of the one light??? and then what about the spray painting of the fisxture question??

Note each pendant has like a thick acrilic type of cover on it I am assuming for in case of splashing?? and I was going to hve a little bit of lunar lighting I can mount on the inside part of the canopy and just angle it down ward that what the glass top was going to be for. I could use just have of the glass top?? skip it leave it all open? and in regards to the canopy Iw as going to like cut the very top of it off to have it open but the front and sides you would still get the trim looked effect the wife wants? do you think this would be a good idea or what??

I know I asked a lot of questions here but if you could pleae please please do your best to answer each one if you please could I would very much apreciate it thank thank you so much??? and I will use a couple of fans to blow across the surace I will use a sump for the heaters and other equipmet like skimmer I will be buying a pre drilled glass 90 gallon tank with built in over flow I think it has a corner over flow and I beleive the 90's are 24 inches deep?? thank you agauin for doin gyour best to address each one of my questions it means a lot to a total newbie my inspiration and learning has been from the beautiful tanks at the That Fish place that pet place and watching that guy the LA Fish Guy on the net? as well as your beautiful tanks I am atotal newbie to all of this thanks for helping me out so much!!!!! I am beggin for help thank you

[RyanEG]

Ok cool, I am actually hearing what I want to hear for the first time in forever, I was hoping I did a good job by making this purchase, lol. I hope this doesn't come off in the wrong manner but you shouldn't come into this with a "what I want to hear" mentality. Sometimes what you want to hear and what you need to hear are vastly different things

I did buy them used but I bought brand new bulbs at like 65$ a pop but told they should last any where from 10 - 12 months??I change mine ever 8 months if it helps

So I am hearing anything from at least 6 inches to 10 inches at the minumum. Were do you think I should keep the hight at? just shoot fo the 10 inch mark? or go for the standard 12 inch mark? one foot? I hate to have them to far away, why buy a really powerful light only to raise it so far off the surface? I guess I am just not getting it lol I do not understand why we raise them so far off the surface? is this so it does not have so much heat influance on the water temp? or is it to make the spot light bigger in diameter to cover the entire tanks surface? mine are about 9" off the surface of the water, when they are too close it will do both and make the water too hot and the light pattern won't broadcast appropriately

I guess two fixtures ought to do me then huh? and I figured at 175 each in the 20K rnge I would have both a nice blue deep water look as well as the power I would need to support pretty much all the LPS and softies I want to?Im not saying that these lights are ideal, but you have purchased them and they will work, you might need to upgrade in the future depending on what corals you decide to keep keeping the softies near the bottom of the tank I will not have to worry about to little or to much light either correct?? I do not want to starve them of light but I do not want to burn them out at the same time if you know what I am worried about here? it is such a delicate balance it seems how do you know if you ever got it rite? I am thinking LPS and softies is all I will ever want but in the future with more experince I thought I may want to try a SPS or two hig up in the tank and the colorful looks of those clams there really something I thought a clam just a few each under the surface would be ok directly under the beam of the one light??? and then what about the spray painting of the fisxture question??I won't give you blanket statements that will tell you that you can keep whatever you want, you will have to research your stocking decisions and decide if they are appropriate based on your lighting and water movement, amongst other factors.

Note each pendant has like a thick acrilic type of cover on it I am assuming for in case of splashing?? and I was going to hve a little bit of lunar lighting I can mount on the inside part of the canopy and just angle it down ward that what the glass top was going to be for. I could use just have of the glass top?? skip it leave it all open? and in regards to the canopy Iw as going to like cut the very top of it off to have it open but the front and sides you would still get the trim looked effect the wife wants? do you think this would be a good idea or what??depending on the type of bulbs the glass in the pendant is either a splash guard or it could also be a UV filtering glass if they are HQI. As far as the canopy goes, you can make it how you like it, some are partially open and some are fully enclosed with fan holes only. Again I wouldn't recommend glass tops. They gather a lot of salt creep and it ends up blocking light as well as the oxygenation issue I mentioned earlier

I know I asked a lot of questions here but if you could pleae please please do your best to answer each one if you please could I would very much apreciate it thank thank you so much??? and I will use a couple of fans to blow across the surace I will use a sump for the heaters and other equipmet like skimmer I will be buying a pre drilled glass 90 gallon tank with built in over flow I think it has a corner over flow and I beleive the 90's are 24 inches deep?? thank you agauin for doin gyour best to address each one of my questions it means a lot to a total newbie my inspiration and learning has been from the beautiful tanks at the That Fish place that pet place and watching that guy the LA Fish Guy on the net? as well as your beautiful tanks I am atotal newbie to all of this thanks for helping me out so much!!!!! I am beggin for help thank you


Hope all that stuff helps:spin2:

[Reef N Discus]

Hope all that stuff helps:spin2:

It certainly does help a lot to put things in perspective, I could supliment with some T5HO if need be down the raod. I did research a lot actually and it ended up leaving me with more questions. Ultimately I end up getting several slightly to very diefernt responses to the same question so it can be dificult to decide what is the correct way to go. Often there are many difernet ways to go that each way in its own rite can be the correct answer even when very difernt in contrast to one another. This is where the confusion comes in for some one new like me, I researched the clam thing before in fact I was reading on this very site about a good month or so before I even joined if that says anything? I was under the impression with the current lighting schem I have set up I could more than likely provide for a clam if it was in the upper 1/4 of the tank given it is 24 inches deep, that would put it around 6 inches under the surface or clsoer and that it should do fine, but if it is questionable I will not get one. I would rather not kill an animal if its not going to thrive over simply survive then forget it. The sps question was more if over the next year or so whne I felt comfortable and capable could I put one higher up in the tank with this type of lighting, not until exp is gained of course. Ia m under the impression most if not all the LPS and softies should do fine, I was worried a bot with this type of lighting that lower light required needed animals like the shrooms could be burnt out under MH so I do want them but am a little worried with the MH I have now. When I said I finally heard something I wanted to it was more a less a joke. I was meaning that finally I believe I have done something rite! not that I heard wanted I wanted to hear I was more a less saying wow I finally heard I got something right! Thats really what I meant. I am 33 years old married for the past 12 years with three girls, I would like to think that by now I understand that in this hobby especially and I love it by the way that it A takes patince a lot of it and B, you do not always hear what you want to hear, Lastly I know that there are more than one way to skin a cat, meaning there are often more way to go to get to the same place and there again is where newbies like me get confused. I am a big time newbie to the salt water reef game but I do have a good bit of exp with freshwater in fact I keep a healthy planted discus tank hence the reason for the reef plunge those corals look so pretty I just gotta have them, lol. But I want to make sure I do everything rite or as rite as I can, and I want to make sure I supply them with the proper lighting requriments for them to survive and I know it is a key element to this whole thing thats why i am asking so many question. I did not under stand untill you answered why we buy expensive halide lighting only to place them so far above the tank to me it defeated the purpose of them but now I think I unsedr stand. Thank you truely for your feed back and more and then even some more is welcome please contuinue to educae me as I am only learning and want to do the best buy the animals I intend to keep thank you so much!

[Reef N Discus]

Still looking for any more input into this, just so I feel a bit more confident.

Thank you! everyone I apreciate it much