DRZL

**ROCKSTAR**
Location
Hillside NJ
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Hey guys,

need some suggestions/answers.

Def getting a lumenarc for my tank, I just dont know which one, is one inferior to the other? this will be used on a 24x24x30H cube.


Any and all comments welcome**


** except yo momma jokes ;)
 

fritz

OG of this here reef game
Location
Marine Park
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Very true House, however when I was investigating getting one most people told me that you could effectively get a 3 foot spread with a Lumenarc. If that is indeed true, or even close to true, you'd be lighting up more then just your tank. The mini lumenarc should cover your 2x2 area easily but not spread your light as far as the full sized lumenarc might. Tony from Reef Exotics (MR Sponsor) carries them and uses them, he's a good person to ask as well.
 

herman

Moderator
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For a tank of that size I would go with the lumenarc mini de reflector with cooling kit. If you are going to be using 14k or higher bulb you will not need actinic supplementation but if you like many on this site like 10k you will want to add a couple of T5s. With the mini you can still fit T5s on the front and back of the canopy.

Generally rock structures are larger on the bottom and pointy on the top center. Therefore you will not need the coverage of the large lumenarcs. Having seen your past and most recent aquascaping you definitely will get away with the minis.

HTH,
Herman
 

DRZL

**ROCKSTAR**
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Hillside NJ
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Thanks guys,

I really wanted the larger Lum, but since my super actinics will be used in conjuction with my 10K XM SE and since the large Lum is basically my whole top area, I think it would effectively cut its unique box reflective pattern into a rectangle.

Now, question # 2
$50 more for the A/C kit? wouldnt some fans blowing under be as effective. Tony at Reef exotics does not carry this so I would have to order elsewhere.

P.S. Do mini's even offer this option
 

herman

Moderator
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I saw the minis with cooling kit not too long ago. They are definitely worth it for several reasons. Immediate Heat exhaust is one of them. There is just slight heat radiating from the fixture itself. Becausethe bulb is kept cooler all the time it keeps its "innitial new bulb smell" longer without shifting. And of course the bulb will last longer.

No matter what you will still require a fan in the canopy. The cooling kit is by no means a substitute for canopy fans. They serve different areas. Canopy fans keep the tank cool and the cooling kit keeps the fixture and bulb cooler.
 

Dace

Advanced Reefer
Location
Manhattan
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ok a cupple questions. i am also going with the lumenarcs and am debating whether to go with the SE or DE 250 bulbs for my SPS tank. in either case can you all post which ballast you guys are using or recommend to use for either bulbs. sorry to hijack your thread but i figured you may benefit from this question also. and by the way i will be adding 4 t5 suppliment actinic bulbs
 

loismustdie

chicks dig beckett men
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Brooklyn
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Daceman, the guys did a really good job going over the pros and cons of SE/HQI a few days ago. If you do a search, you should find it. If not, I'm sure Deanos can find it quickly. I like XM 10,000k 250 SE on Icecap ballasts with luminarc minis and actinic supplementation. There are tons of options out there. I would consider going to other members houses and checking out what they have.
Regular sized luminarcs are better than minis, hands down. More surface area will give you more reflection. But sometimes, minis are all you can fit and are still an excellent choice (like in your case where you want actinic supplementation on a 24X24 tank). You'll get at least double what you get from spider reflectors. If you keep the base of the mini at least 12 to 14 inches over the water surface, you'll cover 3 feet.
 
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herman

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Dace, find out what color temp you like first. I had great experience with bluewave ballasts on Phoenix DE 14k bulbs. 10k bulbs are a bit yellow with it. I recently fot Icecap MH250. It seems to be the best all round ballast imo.

As far as DE or SE, I went with DE a while back and would not go back. I dont know what newer SE bulbs are like.
 

jackson6745

SPS KILLER
Location
NJ
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Andres, I agree with Cali. The mini would be fine. How do you plan on positioning the actinics?

The one thing that I hate about DE bulbs is that I crack 50% of the bulbs that I pull out of my fixture. Freakin $100 bulbs too!!!!! I don't know if anyone else has these problems. Maybe its my PFO mini pendants?

Does anyone know if the actual heat temp of the bulb will effect the light it puts out? A few years ago Sal from NY aquaria told me that DE bulbs should run at 600F to run properly. I never read anything to confirm this, but if it is true a fan blowing across the bulb itself could effect the lighting???
 

DRZL

**ROCKSTAR**
Location
Hillside NJ
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It seems the mini is in the lead.

Rich, I heard that too!!

In an SE the light envelope is inside glass that keeps its heat pretty constant. in a DE not so much so. My old PFO DE pendant had very little holes for aid in cooling maybe to mimic an SE glass casing.

BTW for all u electronic ballast dudes,
check the facts on the 10K XM's SE, it runs the bulest (PPFD @ 12300K) and brighter PAR on mag 58 ballasts. Thats why I run mag's. Alot of the icecaps run them with more a yellow tinge, 9000K if i remember properly, check it out for your self on sanjay's site
 

jackson6745

SPS KILLER
Location
NJ
Rating - 99%
201   2   0
Andres the XM 10k looks more blue on an Icecap ballast than the PFO HQI ballast....in person. Not sure what the stats say :) Herm what pendants do you use?
 

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