Finally going MH

[Nicks608]

Hi!

I've been running 8x54 watt staggered T5 on two vue660 ballasts. My tank is 72" long x 24" wide x 30" deep. I feel I'm ready to up my lighting game. The tank is built into the wall so I can't fit a 72" fixture up there, I don't have the clearance. So I'm thinking about the 60" 3x250w fixture by Hamilton....

http://www.marineandreef.com/Hamilto...FfRlOgodD2QAHw

A couple of questions/concerns I have.

1. How much will my electric bill go up compared to the T5? 50% more electricity or more or less?

2. Will I immediately need a chiller or can I wait until the summer to get one?

3. My tank was custom built by a lfs and I'm not too crazy about the bracing on the top. There are two big openings to the water but with 3/4" glass bracing from front to back, one in the middle, and the other two on each side. I suspect the two side bulbs of the fixture to be over the openings, but the center bulb will be shining directly down on the thick glass brace (which is about 15 inches wide). Will the glass affect the lighting? And will the heat from the lamp affect the structural durability of the center brace and tank?

Thanks for reading! Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

[Adamc1303]

1. How much will my electric bill go up compared to the T5? 50% more electricity or more or less? Not Sure on this one.

2. Will I immediately need a chiller or can I wait until the summer to get one? Really depends on where the tank is in the house. You can try using a fan across the top to cool the lights and the water. I have always used MH and my chiller does run in the winter. I also just crack a window near the tank and it reduces the chiller's use allot.

3. My tank was custom built by a lfs and I'm not too crazy about the bracing on the top. There are two big openings to the water but with 3/4" glass bracing from front to back, one in the middle, and the other two on each side. I suspect the two side bulbs of the fixture to be over the openings, but the center bulb will be shining directly down on the thick glass brace (which is about 15 inches wide). Will the glass affect the lighting? And will the heat from the lamp affect the structural durability of the center brace and tank?

The heat shouldn't do anything as long as the fixture is high enough. You should have the fixtures a minimum of 8" away, the higher the better" The center of the tank will be a little shadier though but that's fine because the ocean has both brighter and darker spots. Not sure about appearance that's a personal preference. MH have a nice spread though so you should be fine. Hamilton fixtures are nice as well. i would go for 3 reflectors not one 60".

 

[n3hihz]

Do you have 8x54 total? if so that would be like 430W for your T5 and the 3x250MH would be 750W Electric is def going up.

 

[Nicks608]

Thanks for the replies guys! One last question I forgot. Single ended MH or double ended?

 

[SirReefalot]

Let me start off by saying MH ALL DAY!! LOL I use 2 400W on my 120!! if you put a fan on each side you may not need a chiller. but i would recommend it before getting your MH. They put off alot of heat for the first 2 weeks i had mine, i used a cheap stand up fan on the floor with the lights on for 10 hours and the highest my tank got up to was 81 now that is too hot but i think if i used a fan on each side i would be able to keep it at about 78- 79 with no problems. i have a chiller and im still considering mounting 2 fans on my walls they put off alot of heat. as far as the electricity i would say between 30-40$ more a month. I love my MH just saying Good luck and happy reefing!

 

[Nicks608]

Thanks Sir Reefalot.

Adam, which pendant do you recommend?

 

[Adamc1303]

Single ended put out more PAR and have more bulb choices. They are also easier bulbs to handle. Iv'e broken DE bulb just trying to put them in. As far as pendents go wit Hamilton or Lumenarcs. All of this stuff sells for dirt cheap because people use LED's these days. Call premium aquatics they have allot of pedants that they put in the closeout section on their site. I got 4 hamilton pendants fot 50 each brand new in box. Once you know what color you want and know which bulb you want then it's time to pair it with a good ballast. Check out "Sanjay's Lighting Guide" for everything there is to know about this stuff. http://www.manhattanreefs.com/lighting

 

[Nicks608]

Thanks!

 

[Nicks608]

What do you guys think about 3 of these?
http://www.marinedepot.com/Hamilton...endants-Hamilton-HT01270-FILTFIMHPDSE-vi.html
And any recommendation on ballast?
I was thinking 14K bulbs. Not too white, not too blue?

 

[SirReefalot]

They look good. I personally use icecap with 20K bulbs. The 14k was to white for me but I heard the lower the K the more growth you will get and the higher the K the more color you will get. I think watts is more important then K. You should do 4 400W