Actinic's for open tank?

[Reeftanker3295]

I really don't like the look of my 90 gallon reef with a canopy, it just looks so much better open. I thought of switching to T5HO but I love the shimmer effect of MH's. So, I think when I get the time, I am going to mount my MH's into metal housing with fans built into them and make pendants. The only problem with this is that I won't have actinic's. So is there any way to add good actinic's on an open top tank or should I get an 8 bulb T5HO tek or powermodule fixture and just get some LED's to make a shimmer?

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Maybe of youre going to build a steel frame for your halides you can extend the frame out- to where you can mount some standoffs get a ballast to run them and get the clip on bulb type reflectors for each actinic? Dont know if that would work for you.

 

[Reeftanker3295]

My actinics are VHO's so no reflectors but I want it to look very open and neat.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Yeah you said you were considering switching to T% HO bulbs- if your doing an open top tank and wnat it to look neat maybe should just get an all in one fixture with the number and wattage of halides you want and actinics in a single unit.

 

[SevTT]

I really don't like the look of my 90 gallon reef with a canopy, it just looks so much better open. I thought of switching to T5HO but I love the shimmer effect of MH's. So, I think when I get the time, I am going to mount my MH's into metal housing with fans built into them and make pendants. The only problem with this is that I won't have actinic's. So is there any way to add good actinic's on an open top tank or should I get an 8 bulb T5HO tek or powermodule fixture and just get some LED's to make a shimmer?

Either way, LEDs seem to be the answer to your problem. You could easily put actinic LED striplights around the edge of the tank and go with your MH idea, and if you get slimline strips like the ones Wingo sells, you'd never even know they were there without looking in the top.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

There ya go

 

[Reeftanker3295]

Great, thanks for the idea! Are the LED strips strong enough to give me a dusk/dawn effect though?