Help me plan my MH setup

[Wes]

The tank will be undergoing some changes this summer. I really want to go w/ MH + VHO actinic and my Future Father in Law is building me a new stand and Tall Canopy for the tank.

My favorite tank i have ever seen in person has got to be Stan's (smcooler) Tank. He runs the Reeflux 10K and alot of VHO actinic i believe.

So i was wanting to do a 2x250 watt SE Reeflux bulb setup w/ electronic ballasts and VHO URI super actinic. However my tank is a 65g 36Lx18Wx24H.
I want to be able to continue to grow SPS top to bottom so i was thinking 250watts, but i also don't want to have to use a chiller. I can keep the central A/C on to help.

But i keep hearing about these Iwasaki 15k 175w bulbs that are putting out 250w like numbers. Does anyone have experience w/ these bulbs? If heat from 250watters is going to be a problem i am willing to give these a shot.

From Sanjay's Site it looks like the Iwasakies put out the same PPFD with alot less energy. But I have never seen these bulbs in person, and I love the Reeflux 10k. What do you guys think?

Iwasaki 175W 15000K SE 1
Icecap 175W Electronic
Shield: N
PPFD: 86
CCT: 14565
Power: 165
Volts: 122
Amps: 1.53
Efficiency: 0.5261

Coralvue ReefLux
250W 10000K SE 1
Icecap 250W Electronic
N
PPFD: 86
CCT: 15953
Power: 253
Volts: 122
Amps: 2.31
Efficiency: 0.3403

 

[Wes]

no input from you MH guys?

 

[jackson6745]

Wes keep in mind Stan uses 400w. The 250w reeflux that I have seen look pink (even with electronic ballasts)
FWIW Take a close look at Copps TOTM on reefcentral a couple years ago. His 65gal rocks.

 

[jackson6745]

Also I wouldn't limit myself to 175w bulbs just because the iwasiki puts out a high par number. What if you don't like the color of the bulb? 250w gives you more options.

 

[Wes]

thanks yeah Copps 65g was amazing...Have you ever seen the Iwasaki 175w 15k SE? I heard they are crisp white with a hint of blue but i want to be sure i like them before i risk an entire setup on these bulbs.

The fact that they put out the same par and use 88w less a piece is pretty impressive. I imagine that would help keep heat down.

Do you think i could get away with 2x250w and no chiller?

 

[jackson6745]

I've seen pics of the iwasiki 15k but never in person. I ran a 65gal for 2 years with 2x250s with no chiller. Canopy fans and AC did the trick.
Wes the best advice that I can give you is to copy the equipment from the reef you admire most. Stan uses 400's which may not be an option for you. maybe find a reef that is closer to what you would like to reproduce. Don't get hung up on high par numbers. Par really doesn't mean much when it comes to coloring up acros. Spectrum is more important IMO.
Look closely at the iwasiki 15k pics on RC. The colors look washed out to me.

 

[Wes]

thanks for the advise Jackson...I'll probably go w/ the 250watters than because there are so many more options.

 

[Nsr250NYC]

when are you planning the upgrade? I should have my iwasakis up soon if you want to come check them out.

 

[PalmTree]

I don't have a lot of experice with diffrent types of bulbs but I'll throw in the little that I do know! I've been using three XM 250 watt 10Ks bulbs over my 180 for about 2 years. I've changed them once and went right back to the XMs. I have gotten such positive results from them and I guess I'm a creature of habit. I don't do very well with change. These are being run by 2 blue wave remote magnetic ballasts. I love the color.. very crisp and white. I supplement w/ 4 actinic VHOs to give it the blue.

 

[loismustdie]

Wes, I'm doing the Iwasaki's on my frag tank. I'll be picking the bulb up today. I'll let you know how it goes. I agree with Rich though, at a minimum, I would do 250 W. More options and Iwasaki plans to have a 250 out somewhat soon from what I hear.

 

[Wes]

thanks everyone...i plan to do the changover sometime this summer...I have a wedding/honeymoon coming up and the fiance wants to paint and get crown molding put up after the wedding. So im going to have to pull the tank from the wall to do that, i figure it is a good time to move the tank over to the new stand and canopy that my future father in law is building for me...

I am paying my maintenance guy to relocate my thermostat further away from the tank this weekend. The T5s already throw it off, I imagine the MH will be even worse.

loismustdie and Mr250NyC...let me know how you like the Iwasaki bulbs.

Thanks

 

[Wes]

i just read thru Copps TOTM article again and it looks like he used DE Ushio !0k in the Reef Optix 3 HQI reflectors on icecap ballasts along with 3 VHO actinic tubes..

That is doable but i never even considered DE...

one of these deals..
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/Me...nt_System_-_2-250W_10000K_HQI_Ushio_by_IceCap

 

[loismustdie]

Remember that HQI's run at higher wattages than advertised and you are slightly more limited in bulb selection. You would be better off with 400 W SE than 250 W HQI. The actual difference is less than 50 watts.

 

[fritz]

Wes when I had your tank (58 actually) I did well with dual 150s of the 14k variety. Also no need for a chiller.

 

[Wes]

fritz, my concern about the 150 watters is penetration...24" tall tank and i want to be able to grow sps anywhere.

loismustdie, even w/ electronic ballast it runs hotter than 250w? I did notice on Sanjay's site that the SE Ushio 10K put out more par than the DE 10K when using icecap ballast. I might stick w/ a SE setup since i know i am fond of the reeflux SE bulbs

 

[loismustdie]

250 watt HQI's typically burn at 352 to 358 watts. That's why you always hear people say "I love HQI. 250's burn just as bright as 400W SE"
No sh1t. They don't even use 50 less watts.
I only tested 250's. I've never tested 150 or 400 W HQI.
I like reeflux. They 250's do appear a little pink though.

 

[Wes]

do you guys think i should use my icecap T5 retrofit stuff for actinic or buy some VHO endcaps and tubes?

Either way it would cost around the same because i don't have any actinic t5s on hand

4 x 36" t5 actinic bulbs = about $100
3 x 36" VHO Super actinic tubes + 3 pairs of endcaps = about $90

 

[jackson6745]

Because of space restrictions over a 18" wide tank, I would use the T5's.

 

[Wes]

ok so after searching and searching and getting outdibbed on a few things in the RC classifieds, i think i decided on hardware. I really like the idea of having pendants for ease of moving them up and down as needed. I decided on HQI pendants because they tend to be smaller than SE pendants, and space is a big issue because i want to squeeze as many VHO actinic tubes in as possible. So this is what i think i will go with. Plus i don't really need alot of spread so the smaller the pendant the better.

PFO MINI HQI PENDANTS FOR HQI DOUBLE ENDED LAMPS
This pendent uses 95% reflective material to focus light into the tank. It can hold up to a 250W double ended lamp, or a medium base socket. The power cord comes out the side with eye bolts on the back to hang the fixture. It can also be attached to an existing hood. The pendent is made from powder coated aluminum and has a UV protected glass lens.

Dimensions: 7.5"W, 4.5"H, 12"L
Item ID: MINI150HQI, MINI250HQI, MINI150MED

2 of these icecap 250w ballasts

2 of these ballast boxes for icecap ballasts w/ PFO quick disconnects.

bulbs are still undecided, i want 10k so i am researching my options

 

[fritz]

Wes I LOVE the ATI Aquablue special, IMO they are the perfect bulb.
Have a look see:
http://www.diyreef.com/shop/product...d=446&osCsid=3e81671d3587c0eba5036aa0ffaf715e
It looks a lot like the Reeflux does, but unlike the reeflux it has INSANE par, even for a T5 bulb. I use these rather than UVL for my actinic supp. It allows me to use 10k bulbs and creates a nice mixture. The high par output also fights off shadowing.