# lighting dilema,



## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

i just left my lfs, i was talking to him about lighting, asking what corals, inverts and such he could show me for the lighting im planning on getting, (2x96 pc, on a 46g bow) we talked a little, and he offered to sell me a metal halide pendulum, for 150$, its a 150w light, now i can get a pc 2x96 for around 150 or use this metal halide, and my regular fleuresant with an actinic bulb, (20w) now which do you think is better? i cant decide, because he said the metal halides are the best light, help!!


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

MH will penetrate deeper than you pc bulbs will and give off much higher lumens. Mounting could be a problem for you though. I would go MH over PC if all things are equal. PC is more convienent for most though.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

150 watt mh for $150 isn't a bad deal, but it isn't an overly good one either... 150 watts is kinda weak for metal halides (which usually are in the 250 watt-400 watt range) manufacturer is a big deal when choosing lighting systems, is it a retro-fit kit or hood? Make sure the hood is long enough for your tank, what is the K-value for the bulb he's selling you? All these are kind of important to know before purchasing anything... Id compare prices on Marinedepot.com or hellolights.com


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

im not sure about any of what you asked, he told me mh were better lights, but it doesnt meet the "4 watts per gallon" rule, so... im stuck. the price of the pc's i can find a setup with moon lights for the same price as the mh, i heard the mh is better, but if its not sufficiant id rather go with the pc.  i dont know k value, but it hangs from the ceiling, not retro. the pc i would get would sit directly ontop of the tank.


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

You'll probably find it hard to use a MH pendant and an actinic light at the same time - My MH pendant doesn't leave room for a strip light with an Actinic, and if I tried to put one on there :
a) there would be a shadow (the strip would block some of the MH light)
b) the strip would heat up (might even melt if the MH is close enough) from the MH heat.

How deep is the tank ?


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Metal halides tend to be very powerful, and over a small surface area, and penetrates deep into the tank, that is what makes them better, not just because they are metal halides. Like I said before, 150watts is kinda weak for metal halides, and I think with a tank your height, about 21", I don't think you'll need all that penetration with the metal halides, (not that 150 watts really penetrates much deeper than pc's)
Metal halides are generally better than PC's, but this doesn't mean that it is always better, I'd pass on this "deal".


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

redpaulhus said:


> You'll probably find it hard to use a MH pendant and an actinic light at the same time - My MH pendant doesn't leave room for a strip light with an Actinic, and if I tried to put one on there :
> a) there would be a shadow (the strip would block some of the MH light)
> b) the strip would heat up (might even melt if the MH is close enough) from the MH heat.
> 
> How deep is the tank ?


the tank is around 21 inches deep like fish first said, i wouldnt have trouble with the mh and actinic because its a bowfront, the center is 18 inches and the edges are 12, so i could hand the mh in the front center and have the actinic in the back. 

thanks fish first, thats what ill do... pass, just thought id run it past all of you to see if your guys thought it was a good idea to get the better light, but i guess i was on the right path already.


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2006)

leveldrummer said:


> the tank is around 21 inches deep like fish first said, i wouldnt have trouble with the mh and actinic because its a bowfront, the center is 18 inches and the edges are 12, so i could hand the mh in the front center and have the actinic in the back.
> 
> thanks fish first, thats what ill do... pass, just thought id run it past all of you to see if your guys thought it was a good idea to get the better light, but i guess i was on the right path already.


Just a quick note about MH. They do cost more in the end and depending on where you live, consider also the price of electricity. Granted that MH will need replacement only after 1.5 to 2 years but VHO is far better than PC and will get you where you want to be without having to drive screws in your ceiling. Also, forget about the rule of 4W per gal. Of course, it's your goal to acheive that but please note that some corals may require as much as 10W per gal to thrive. 

Unfortunately, VHO requires you to build your own canopy. I do not know any "VHO hoods" out there. The bulbs are about half the price of MH and if you do the right thing and buy an Ice Cap electronic ballast, your bulbs may last 25% to 50% longer i.e. 9 to 12 months.

I am in a very similar situation as you are in. I started a marine tank in Dec 2005 and have been researching for a good lighting solution for my tank. Please AVOID at all cost ANY CORALIFE hoods/retro-fit. They have major problems with their ballasts and cooling fans. Furthermore, they use PC's with the most hard to find pin shape for replacement. Here's what I have decided to buy for my 55gal :

Custom built melamine hood.
1 IceCap 660 ballast + the end caps and whatever else I need to fix it to the hood.
2 URI VHO 50/50 36", 95W each
2 URI VHO Super Actinic 36", 95W each
1 4" computer fan
1 12V transformer

This will give me 380W of light for my 55gal which is about 7W per gallon.

Consider the price and what you get in return. 

Sponge


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

hmmm... i was also lookin at some pc 96x4 setups. that would be much better for my tank right? thats 384 watts, that will help if i want to move up to some different corals and such, (any one ever come across a 96x3?)


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2006)

96 x 3 ??? That would be weird but you could do it with a custom built. The reason I say weird is because of the bulb/PC placement.

Sponge


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

im not looking for a hood setup, just want a nice little fixture to sit on top, i build my own stands and such, and a hood for a bowfront is a little out of my league. just wondering if anyone has seen a 96x3 setup, guess not though.


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2006)

leveldrummer said:


> im not looking for a hood setup, just want a nice little fixture to sit on top, i build my own stands and such, and a hood for a bowfront is a little out of my league. just wondering if anyone has seen a 96x3 setup, guess not though.


No, unfortunately I've never seen such a setup. Like I told you, you could custum build it with an Ice Cap 660 ballast which will allow you to mix any type of lighting you might want. I agree with you that a bowfront is not an easy DIY project and I am not qualified to give you any hints or tips on how to built such a unit.

On the other hand, you could fit a light fisture over it. Like I said earlier, avoid Coralife fixtures because they are not reliable but other brands exist that do the very same thing, minus the unreliability! Current USA is one of them. Might want to google it and see what they have that could accomodate you. Those fixtures that use PC tubes can either sit on the top of the tank or be mounted on "legs". That might be a solution for you.

Good luck,

Sponge


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

I have seen 3X96 pc's. However, actually you get more for your money if you buy mh (than VHO even). The reason why is this, MH is replaced yearly, you replace one bulb $65. If you have VHO or PC's you have to replace every 9 months or so and its $30 per bulb X 3-4 bulbs!


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