PLEASE HELP DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START

[mutley29]

:? Hi, have read so much stuff about lighting, types, pro's n con's of. power compact, MH, am really dazed by all this any help for a beginner in the Marine tank world so i can buy the right gear at the right price.
Have found some MH retro kits quite reasonably priced,and would add some PC's......But?
How much heat are these babies gonna give off, they'll be about 12" from the top of the tank, fixed to the underside of some cabinets, the room the tank is in keeps it at a steady 75 already
theres nothing in the tank but live sand and rock at the moment, am still cycling
Any help appreciated, am taking it slowly, one step at a time
Just looking for some tried n tested ideas,
PLEASE HELP DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START
Thanks

Mutley :?:

 

[danmhippo]

Welcome to Reefs.org.

To answer your question, Generally speaking, MH gives out most heat. Often in the zone 11 or warmer, you will need chiller if the room has tendencies to accumulate heat, or if you have enclosed canopy (eg. not open top). VHO and PC are probably about the same in terms of giving out heat, and are both quite compact so if placed 10" over the surface, you shouldn't have to worry too much about salt sprays on to the bulb. VHO would be a excellent choice over PC (IMO) that they would provide more PAR.

MH on the other hand, burns very hot, and would need some sort of shield over the bulb to prevent water spray that may occasionally touches the glass and some times the bulb will crack, if not shatter into pieces.

But, if you like the glare on the surface, you will have no choice but the MH.

 

[Entacmaea]

Welcome to Reefs.org.

To answer your question, Generally speaking, MH gives out most heat. Often in the zone 11 or warmer, you will need chiller if the room has tendencies to accumulate heat, or if you have enclosed canopy (eg. not open top). .

This is impossible to predict without your tank specs, so assuming the tank temp will be raised in the area of 11 degrees (what I am assuming Danmhippo is saying?) may not necessarily be true. How large is your tank?
You may be able to control tank temp without a chiller, with a few fans to increase evaporative cooling. It all depends on your set-up. . .

 

[mutley29]

Thanks Guys
My Tank is 72x24x24 with 3 1/2 inches of a crush coral, marine sand mix on the bottom then covered with an inch of live sand.
i have glass panels over the top to help minimise evaporation, so when i get the lights, there will be roughly 12/14 inches between tank top and bulb/tube
if i get inverts at some point in the distant future will just VHO's be enough or will they require MH, have looked at 2 retro MH/PC kits that will give me 800 watts,is this too much light?

Mutley

 

[djasper99]

i have glass panels over the top to help minimise evaporation
Mutley

You might want to re-think those glass panels. They will cut down on evaporation as you say, but evaporation actually helps cool your tank. Also, you need good gas exchange at the surface of the water as nitrates are converted to nitrogen gas. Also, that extra layer of glass is going to block some of your light from penetrating into depths of the tank. The downside is that some creatures may escape from an uncovered tank.

You should do some research on the lighting needs of the inverts you think you might want to get in the future. Clams, anenomes and some corals need lots of bright light. Other corals that come from deeper waters need a lot less light, and will be harmed by too much. Plan for the specific needs of the critters you want to get.

 

[anna]

I just put in 2 250 Mh and 2 110 VHOs at 8" above my water. I have to run 2 4" fans and have had no difficultly maintaining my temps one way or another. The trick for my tank seems to be to use the evaporation to offset the temperature lights. I have a very open plan canopy (I can post pictures) which maximizes heat flow. I also put a lot of circulation in the tank (my closed loop pulls from the bottom of the tank, not the top) to keep the temperature even. The fans pull enough heat off that I need to turn them off when the lights go off or my heaters crank.

I was going to try to avoid evap. but my theory now is if you are topping off with 1/2 gallon, why not regularly top off with a full gallon-- it takes the same time and doesn't impact the salinity that much (1/2 ppm per gallon lost)

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, anna, please do post some pics. Also, I see you're new to the site as well, if no one has before, allow me to welcome you to reefs.org.

I agree with the idea of figuring out what you wish to house before you address issues such as lighting, because once you do that, you're much better equipped to make intelligent (and cost-effective) decisions.

 

[Anonymous]

so assuming the tank temp will be raised in the area of 11 degrees (what I am assuming Danmhippo is saying?)

No, I think he is saying if you live in Zone 11 (agricultural) or warmer your room might get too hot. But I think he has the zones wrong because there isn't much of the US in zone 11. And anyway, evern if you live in zone 2 your room can still get too hot in the summer.

So, is the room climate controlled? AC in the summer?

People say that other lights actually give off as much heat as MH, its just spread over a larger area. At any rate, the more air circulation around the lights you have the less heat will be a problem. Pendant halides not in a canopy can be excellent, heat wise.

 

[mutley29]

Thanks for all the feed back

it's good to know theres a good site out there with such a wealth of experience to help us Newbies,
i just wanted to get some decent allround lighting that will be a good base to start with that won't require a second mortgage, as i already have 1 with the house, there are a few good LFS, within 100 miles, but each one has suggested completely different setups, I NOW KNOW the lighting question is as eternal as the "Why are we here question" and have opened a pandora's box on the subject
The room stays quite cold in winter, and a steady 75 in summer, the tank is on a concrete floor on the walkout basement level of a three bed town house,as of yet we haven't needed the ac on as the weather here in VA has been quite cool for the time of year

Ps. does it matter much if the tank leans to the front about 6 mm, i leveled it when it was empty and knew it would settle differently once the water was in?
Thanks to all for your thoughts and advice

Mutley

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, anna, please do post some pics. Also, I see you're new to the site as well, if no one has before, allow me to welcome you to reefs.org.
.

Yep, make sure you see the RDO Photo Gallery and show us your tank!

 

[Anonymous]

6mm? That's not a whole lot of lean, but being a gal living in earthquake country I'm a believer in strapping EVERYTHING to the walls. Myself included.

 

[Anonymous]

6mm? That's not a whole lot of lean, but being a gal living in earthquake country I'm a believer in strapping EVERYTHING to the walls. Myself included.

I could SO turn this into a sump-debate with two little words: "Sounds kinky." :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[mutley29]

Right, Have found some very cheap MH kits online
2 250 watt Mh's 12000k with 16 inch reflectors
or possibly 3 250 watt MH's
Question will this make my pending fish and inverts feel like they are a microwave dinner
Tank is 72-24-24

 

[Entacmaea]

My first question is, what is cheap? :wink:

3 250 watt MH's sounds about perfect for your tank. Don't worry, that is not THAT strong lighting!

 

[mutley29]

Found a place online will do
3 MH's 250 watt 12000k kit and 3 16" reflector
= $630

I could up it to 400 watt for $732

 

[Anonymous]

Mutley, This is off the subject, but where did you get that sig?

The twice as much as you thing?

I love that!!!

Bryan

ps, don't know a thing about lights, that is why I didn't give you any input

 

[mutley29]

The twice as much as you thing?

I love that!!!

Bryan

Billy Connolly

The Man is a God and A Genius

 

[Anonymous]

6mm? That's not a whole lot of lean, but being a gal living in earthquake country I'm a believer in strapping EVERYTHING to the walls. Myself included.

I could SO turn this into a sump-debate with two little words: "Sounds kinky." :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I just knew it wouldn't get past you, dearie. 8) If only Aragorn ventured topside more often, eh? Ah, not to worry, I haven't any trouble letting the man know what I like. LOULE!!! :lol: (Just gotta get him over his fear of spanking too hard, eh?) :twisted:

mutley, everyone and their brother seems to be on about some place called "hellolights" or some such (online place) for all lighting needs.