i currently have the Coral live power compact lighting system..its 230 watts...4 bulbs-2 actinic...2 10,000 k....i was wondering...if i wanted to take this to the next level...waht kinda lighting system would i get? whats with this metal halides system? how much does this go for...this is for a 75 gallon tank so its 48' long..thanks....
lighting question
- Thread starter nycfatcow
- Start date
two 250w MH would run you around $320 from this place
http://oceanencounter.com/Merchant2..._Code=OE&Product_Code=E2R&Category_Code=EVMHR
http://oceanencounter.com/Merchant2..._Code=OE&Product_Code=E2R&Category_Code=EVMHR
Intensity, very closed to the sunlight.
Didn't I recommend you MH lighting when you asked us about getting new lighting, or maybe I am wrong.
You can also try www.aquatraders.com, I think Inline is using one of their lighting.
http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=15
Didn't I recommend you MH lighting when you asked us about getting new lighting, or maybe I am wrong.
You can also try www.aquatraders.com, I think Inline is using one of their lighting.
http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=15
No matter what, if you go with halides (decent fixtures), its going to cost you at least $500. The link that romain posted is a very, very good deal and you could keep anything with that lighting.
There is a very big difference between PCs and Mh. Halides are much more intense (higher lux rating) and have a much PAR rating than PCs do. You also get way cool glimmer lines with halides that you dont get with PCs.
On the other hand, halides produce alot of heat and you could have temp problems in your tank. Another option for you would be T-5 HOs. Good quality fixtures which are must because you need good parabolic reflectors, will cost about the same as a decent halide set up and you wont have any heat problems. I just changed my lighting from a 250w halide to a 6 bulb TekLight T-5 HO pendent and i am very happy with it. It is just as intense, if not more intense, than the 250w MH but i dont have any heat problems like i had with the halide. If you did go with T-5 HOs, the Sunlight Supply TekLight fixtures are pretty much the best on the market and can easily compete with halides.
HTH
There is a very big difference between PCs and Mh. Halides are much more intense (higher lux rating) and have a much PAR rating than PCs do. You also get way cool glimmer lines with halides that you dont get with PCs.
On the other hand, halides produce alot of heat and you could have temp problems in your tank. Another option for you would be T-5 HOs. Good quality fixtures which are must because you need good parabolic reflectors, will cost about the same as a decent halide set up and you wont have any heat problems. I just changed my lighting from a 250w halide to a 6 bulb TekLight T-5 HO pendent and i am very happy with it. It is just as intense, if not more intense, than the 250w MH but i dont have any heat problems like i had with the halide. If you did go with T-5 HOs, the Sunlight Supply TekLight fixtures are pretty much the best on the market and can easily compete with halides.
HTH
wow thanks pili...sounds like crazy stuff...so i assume that t-5s are better then PCs....yeh thats what i was also thinking about with MH i dont wanna go out an buy a chiller....ANother question...how come odyssea is so cheap compared to Coralfie...any difference in the brands?
All the Odyssea stuff is ,for lack of a better word, crap. Aquatraders doesnt warrenty there products, their costomer service is terrible, and the quality is very bad. I can understand getting a small inexpensive PC fixture from them but i have heard so many stories of there products just breaking (or arrived broken and took months to replace) and even one where the ballast one of the halides just plain caught on fire.
Coralife is better but is still not steller. Most of the hoods seem kind of cheap and flimsy to me but thats just my opinion. Aquamedic, sunlight supply, geisseman (sp?), ice cap, or hamilton all produce much higher quality products. Of coarse though, you get what you pay for.
Oh and T-5 HO (high output) are much stronger/better than PCs. T-5 is just the size of flourescent bulb but HO the good part. T-5s though are very dependent on having a good reflector. In order to get the most out of T-5s, you need to have good parabolic reflectors. A good reflector can increase the PAR rating by 50% which is very significant.
Coralife is better but is still not steller. Most of the hoods seem kind of cheap and flimsy to me but thats just my opinion. Aquamedic, sunlight supply, geisseman (sp?), ice cap, or hamilton all produce much higher quality products. Of coarse though, you get what you pay for.
Oh and T-5 HO (high output) are much stronger/better than PCs. T-5 is just the size of flourescent bulb but HO the good part. T-5s though are very dependent on having a good reflector. In order to get the most out of T-5s, you need to have good parabolic reflectors. A good reflector can increase the PAR rating by 50% which is very significant.
wow pili, you know a lot about this stuff....the t5-ho are really cheap from that site...but they are made by odyssea...so ehz... you kinda just discouraged me from getting it there....know any places i can get it? you dont think the coralife PC is enough for my 75G
As long as you only want to keep softies and basic LPS, than the PCs should be fine. But if you want to get into more advanced coral like SPS or want clams than you are definatly going to need to upgrade your lighting.
You are better off just saving up for a high quality T-5 HO or MH fixture and stick with the PC's for now than buy something that you will only want to upgrade again.
I would also looked into used lighting. Many times you can get great deals on MH pendents so i would just stay on the lookout.
You are better off just saving up for a high quality T-5 HO or MH fixture and stick with the PC's for now than buy something that you will only want to upgrade again.
I would also looked into used lighting. Many times you can get great deals on MH pendents so i would just stay on the lookout.
If you build your own hood or pendant and are patient you can buy a second hand magnetic ballast for $40 or $50 which is about the cheapest way of doing it. but then you have to add on the cost of a reflector, fans and bulbs, still its 100's cheaper than buying a complete fixture.
I still really love the Outer Orbits fixture- perfect for a 75 g if you are only talking LPS and softies (maaaybe some SPS on top).
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium...usa_outer_orbit_hqi_actinic_lunar.asp?CartId=
For a beginner- Intermediate reefer I really think these are a good quality total lighting system (I love my 20" PC kit on my 16g). You get actinics and moonlights, all controlled by three seperate cords. Not as high quality perhaps as PFO, etc- but a good price and well made. Wish they made a 70w MH/+ 80w PC 20" combo. I'm not good at DIY so complete systems like this are great.
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium...usa_outer_orbit_hqi_actinic_lunar.asp?CartId=
For a beginner- Intermediate reefer I really think these are a good quality total lighting system (I love my 20" PC kit on my 16g). You get actinics and moonlights, all controlled by three seperate cords. Not as high quality perhaps as PFO, etc- but a good price and well made. Wish they made a 70w MH/+ 80w PC 20" combo. I'm not good at DIY so complete systems like this are great.
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