kronk Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I am planning on using a 150W MH over my 30" long 16" deep tank i want to mount it about 10" from the surface to avoid shadow zones will i still get the shimmer. also i am debating whether to get T5HO instead its more expensive, but i have been reading a ton of arguments and it seems like T5 is winning most of them... Thanks, Ken Link to comment
MGXsport Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I think you would probably want to use two 150 MHs Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I have one 250w over my 29 tank that is 30" long about 11 inches above and get great coverage and shimmer lines. Though I keep sps. This is too much light for many other corals unless placed low. My lps like it but the mushrooms and other softies took a long time to get used to it. Link to comment
MGXsport Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I have one 250 MH over my NC6 and my corals love it. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 You have 250w on a 6 gallon? Little overkill dont you think? Link to comment
kronk Posted March 3, 2007 Author Share Posted March 3, 2007 I have one 250 MH over my NC6 and my corals love it. wow thats nuts i thought the thread about a 400w over a 15g was a lot of WPG... I dont need 2 150W because i dont plan on keeping SPS just some clams and softies on the sides. For coverage you may be right... Link to comment
Ryan_H Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 You have 250w on a 6 gallon? Little overkill dont you think? my manager had 1,500 watts over a 55 one time... he was in a stupid competition with a coworker at a store he used to work at, lol, and they both just kept adding lights. all the corals loved it, but he got 5 gallons of evap a day, haha. but if you DO go with t5's, keep in mind that current usa is developing a "cheater" light that will probably be a 1-5w halogen bulb that clamps on like a lunar light and just adds the shimmer effect. Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 You will get caustic shimmer no matter how high you put the light, as it is a single light source. I have one 250w over my 29 tank I know a lot of people who would say that is overkill too. Thats why we are nano reefers and they are not. Link to comment
Timanator Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 If you want more shimmer just increase surface water movement becuase they act just the way SeeDemTails described. Link to comment
kronk Posted March 4, 2007 Author Share Posted March 4, 2007 If you want more shimmer just increase surface water movement becuase they act just the way SeeDemTails described. Not sure what you mean, shimmer lines are from the light reflecting from the current in the water not on top.. the shadows in the subtrate from surface movement are caused by any type of light my PC lights do that now. Maybe i am confused but thats what i have observed in MH systems... Link to comment
ssamick Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 No matter what light you put over your tank be it a 150 or 250 you can always control the intensity by how high you place it above the water. Link to comment
MGXsport Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 Not bad at all mine is also only about 10 inches from the surface of the water. I thought at one time 150 watts over one of my old 10 gallons was over kill. now 250 watts doesn't seem to be enough! Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Not sure what you mean, shimmer lines are from the light reflecting from the current in the water not on top.. the shadows in the subtrate from surface movement are caused by any type of light my PC lights do that now. Maybe i am confused but thats what i have observed in MH systems... I disagree. You can have all the flow in the world and if you have no surface movment, you have no caustic shimmer. Even with MH. You can get some shimmer from PC's but it requires a ton of surface movment. Nothing like halides though. It is physics, a single light source will always give you more shimmer than a tube type light. Because of this, even LED moonlights give more shimmer than flourescent lights. Link to comment
handzoff Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Because of this, even LED moonlights give more shimmer than flourescent lights. I agree and have observed this. I have 40w pc over a 5.5 and have tons of water movement. There is a little shimmer but not much. When the lights go out and the moon light is on alone. The amount of shimmer is crazy more. Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Yeah I watch my 37 gal at night under leds and pretend it has halides and imagine how good it will look once I get them. I would be interested in this "cheater" light current is supposed to be making. Link to comment
dga Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 i use 204 regulated led's for supplemention along with power compacts. this gives the same shimmer effect as a 70 -150 watt halide. but no heat... the blues are 460nm lunar i run overlapping the whites. led only. (iso 100, exposure 1/60 no flash f 2.8) Link to comment
avalanche1201 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 My g/f's parent gave me a AP 24 w/a 150 mh...however I cant set it up atm b/c I dont have a permenant place to stay (college student) So its just chillen right now waiting to become alive again.... but what is this "shimmer" that you are all talking about? I dont know what it is...and I guess I've never noticed it before b/c I dont know what it is Link to comment
dga Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 My g/f's parent gave me a AP 24 w/a 150 mh...however I cant set it up atm b/c I dont have a permenant place to stay (college student) So its just chillen right now waiting to become alive again.... but what is this "shimmer" that you are all talking about? I dont know what it is...and I guess I've never noticed it before b/c I dont know what it is thats a bit difficult to answer in words. the best way to see the effect is to go to your well equipped local fish store and look at some tanks that are using halides then at tanks that are running just compact fluorescents. its basically the wavy lines on the rocks and sand bed you see from agitated surface water from a single point source like a halide, led, halogen etc... as opposed to the spread out source like fluoresents. Link to comment
avalanche1201 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 oooo i get it yeah im looken at my tank now were playing video games on the projection tv so the lights in my tank are off..and I have a single LED moonlight and yea, I totally see the shadows movin g from the water movement and stuff...it is really sweet. I never noticed it before w/ the MH though, guess I havnt seen a tank w/ enough surface movement to have me notice. thanks alot dga Link to comment
kronk Posted March 10, 2007 Author Share Posted March 10, 2007 i use 204 regulated led's for supplemention along with power compacts. this gives the same shimmer effect as a 70 -150 watt halide. but no heat... the blues are 460nm lunar i run overlapping the whites. That is one of the best looking LED setups i have seen!! looks great i have always been unsure of LEDs because of the checkerboard pattern if they are spaced to far apart but using them to supplement is a good idea Link to comment
dga Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 That is one of the best looking LED setups i have seen!! looks great i have always been unsure of LEDs because of the checkerboard pattern if they are spaced to far apart but using them to supplement is a good idea theres no checkered effect with this type of setup. the only time you can see the "beams" of light, is after cleaning and the water is slightly clouded. i have added 2 more of the 36 led's along with 2 xenon festoons bulbs on another strip and i have not seen a 70 watt halide that can match it (in terms of the shimmer effect) of coarse halides color and overall luminance is better for coral, but for anyone wanting the look of halides with little to no heat for less money, this setup is the way to go if your also using compact fluorescents or t5's... Link to comment
adinsxq Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Not sure what you mean, shimmer lines are from the light reflecting from the current in the water not on top.. no. If you want more shimmer just increase surface water movement becuase they act just the way SeeDemTails described. yes. Link to comment
dga Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 added 2 more 36 led arrays and 2 - 20 watt xenon festoons. total led's 276. a good way to go for folks that dont want to buil their own arrays. for under 100 dollars (not including the regulated power supply) the light output (lumens) is impressive... shutter 1/50 - f2.8 - iso 100. LED's and festoons only Link to comment
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