You have $300 to spend - what do you do?

[theclearblue]

I'm in the middle of selling my iPod on eBay and will probalby end up getting between $275-320 for it.

 

I'm currently in the process of selecting a lighting system for my 10 gallon tank.

 

My Options:

CSL 20" 2x40w

Coralife 20" 96w

Some kind of MH Setup

 

Things to consider:

1) I've yet to even stock my tank, so this money could also be put to stocking the tank if I don't spend all of it.

2) I have no idea what to look for in a metal halide setup and I have no idea how I would mount up a pendant. And then comes wiring it... (groan) I have no idea what I'm doing. I'd be hesitant to buy it piece-meal because I don't even know what I'd need.

3) I'm at school, so I have no power tools, so building my own hood is a no-go.

4) The school has restrictions against halogen lights - but they never had any rules against metal halide - har har. Think I'd get hassled?

 

 

So you've got ~300 to spend, what would you do? Any setups you can recommend would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[USFnano]

With $300, I'd buy an electronic 150w HQI MH ballast, a pair of endcaps(both can be found from most online vendors or ebay), a reflector off a reagent fixture, a 150w DE bulb of your choice, a 36w PC actinic(ahsupply has good prices), a small fan or two, and wood and materials to build a hood

[aggiereefer]

i'd go ahead and get halides. Its better to start out with good stuff than to catch the upgrade bug and spend money working your way up to halides.

 

You'd be able to keep larger variety of stuff with halides.

[theclearblue]

What do you guys think of this:

 

Coralife 175w Pendant Fixture

http://www.hellolights.com/17penfix.html

$199

 

I see it has a magnetic ballast, which I think I remember reading isn't as nice. But I'm at school - don't have to pay electric bills.

 

I'm just hesitant to buy it in parts and put it together - I don't want to waste money on things that won't work because I purchased the wrong thing.

[ReeferMonkey]

Pendants are kind of weak. Most bulbs are meant to be set horizontally for maximum coverage. You don't want a magnetic ballast - they get hotter and run less efficiently.

 

Since you want to stick with prewired, how's this:

 

http://www.championlighting.com/e/env/0001...m=main:bhqi1_10

 

Or you can go 20k bulb (depending on personal taste, and since you won't have an actinic supplement in this hood I would go 20k):

 

http://www.championlighting.com/e/env/0001...m=main:bhqi1_20

 

Also for the complete hood package, this one with actinics (seems perpetually out of stock... I would call) from HQI:

 

http://www.championlighting.com/e/env/0001...=main:ma-hqi124

 

If you could manage a DIY, Champion has:

 

$140 Blue Line 175w MH e-ballast

$40 Mogul and Reflector

Plus the bulb of your choice.

 

Giesemann also makes some REALLY nice 150w DE fixtures. They are really well made, and don't spit quite so much light out of the bottom. Neat stuff. Look for them locally, I don't know of a place on the web that has them. We have a dealer in New Orleans who is apparently the only one in a few hundred miles (Rick's Reef).

 

HTH

 

n.

[theclearblue]

wow, those light fixtures are really pushing my budget limit.

 

How would you go about putting one of these pendants above the tank?

[aggiereefer]

hang from the ceiling or you could build a mount. You could always get a magnetic ballast and then upgrade to an e-ballast later on, compeletly contradictory to what i said earlier about upgrades but sometimes ya just dont have the cash.

[wetworx101]

What are you guys doing???

 

Ok, first, the 96wattPC quad sucks. Ive explained it before on this forum. My cousin owns one and hates it.

 

The CSL 2x40wattPC. Uh, CSL has closed their doors, and although Champion Lighting is hiniring the warranty, who knows how long the 40wattPC will continue to be available. Kinda limiting anyways, only bulbs are CSL's 10,000K and their not-so-actinic actinic.

 

All that being said. PC is still an option. If you are into DIY you could buy the 2x36wattPC kit from ahsupply...or get 3 of them. Plenty of light. But all this PC light isnt looking as attractive as halides...

 

I have converted all my reefs to halide now. Waaaaay better. But as I was saying above...what are you guys doing!!!??? Its a 10 gallon. Im sure a 70watt halide for about $110 would be just fine. The ballasts are about $50 (got mine from jorgeinmiami, a new aromat with pre-wiring for $65...best ballast you can get), the bulbs about the same, and a simple retrofit of a halogen floodlight fixture gives you a cheap (often about $10) pendant.

 

70wattsDE is fine for a 10gallon.

[Yaman]

Im from sweden and pretty happy!!

 

Next week i have a 70w 13 or 20k halo 8))

 

Payd 90$ for it all, the fixture are 200x100x50mm and looks real nice 8)

 

Pretty nice over my next nanocube 8)

 

Tryd 2 find a via aqua tank over here but no luck tho 8(

[theclearblue]

wetworx,

When you're talking about the 70 watt, would I build it as described in this thread:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread...40&pagenumber=1

 

I'm kind of concerned about it looking like crap when I'm done building it, which is why I mentioned the two PC fixtures. But if I only spent 110 on the whole project for 70w MH, I'd still have plenty of cash for corals to get going.

 

My only concern: I've read in that topic that some people had to dremel the fixture to get the bulb to fit in. I don't have those tools, so having to purchase them could up the cost significantly if I can't get the stuff to work out of the boxes. Is this a valid concern?

[dyazdani]

What's wrong with the 96W Quad?

[theclearblue]

dyazdani - I dug up the post wetworx was referring to.

 

wetworx - hope you don't mind me quoting you

 

I know what youre thinking Chronicles. The 96watt by coralife is cheaper and more light. My cousin has some history with one. For $90, the bulb is included and the fixture provides alot of light for a 20" fixture (a 10gallon). But, the ballasts on the coralifes arent very good (hot magnetics)...they tend to color-shift the white part of the bulbs to a yellow-green after a month or two. And there arent many bulbs available...or different combos you can try for this...all of them are 50/50 or daylight. The fans get loud quick also...four of them. The light isnt even in the center of the fixture...it's off to the left, so to get even light in his tank my cousin has to have the fixture hanging off the right side three inches. I dont think he would buy it again.

CSL makes a powerquad retro...more expensive...but it is a much better, electronic ballast that doesnt have color shift problems. Even at that, I hear many wish that this fixture wasnt so green as it makes everything look. CSL makes a pendant with the quad, or you can get the quad as a retro...$$$. But they also make a 3x32watt in the same shell for the same price. Knowing CSL, I bet it uses much better ballasts than the coralife. No noisy fans, and since the bulbs are individual, you have more choice as to what bulbs you wish to use...so you arent stuck with just a 50/50 as your best&only choice. The only dis is that these things are expensive...like $200.  

[ReeferMonkey]

You could alwasy get the full set up from LampDr/JorgeInMiami for $140 shipped and then get MattGecko to build you a custom hood (or build one yourself).

[2jz]

is your ipod a 3G? what size? 15g? 20g? do you have the link to the auction?

[wetworx101]

theclearblue,

if you look farther down the thread, you will see the other regent fixture I made to fit a MH in. I did drill some holes, but to tell you the truth, I dont think I had to (did it cuz riot did, but as it turns out, I can hold my hand on the fixture and no problem, and after all it is just a 70wattMH, and the fixture I chose was for a 500watt Halogen). Other than that, it looks fine. It has just as good a finish as say, a coralife or CSL fixture, but smaller. If you still want something better looking, skip the pendant, and get the 70/150wattDE mounting sockets from hellolights.com for $12. You can even use one of their 6.5" PC reflectors with it for a few bucks more. Mount these in a DIY hood, box, or whatever fixture of your choice, make sure to have a piece of glass to block UV over the bulb...and then you can have a light as dressed up as you want.

[2jz]

hey, i will give you 300+ shipping for it? I have the 15g, my room mate is looking to get one. how long have you had it? are there any scratches on it? let me know. thanks

[2jz]

theclearblue - you have PM

[theclearblue]

After going through all of my options I think that right now the best decision would be to go with the CSL fixture. This is my first nano-reef, so I don't have any experience with corals. It seemed that having that much light would eliminate the corals that everyone suggests as good "beginner" corals - zoos and shrooms. Once I'm comfortable with the caretaking of corals I'll make a second tank (I have a 20L sitting around) and use that with MH and some harder to keep corals.

 

What do you guys think?

[DSparks]

/tagging along

 

Good Question theclearblue. I'm in the same boat. I'm using PC right now, but I'm thinking I should have went MH. Will the 70W bulbs be too much for beginner type corals in a 10 gallon?

[2jz]

theclearblue - you have PM

[wetworx101]

D,

Not at all. If nothing else, think of it this way: If you are new, you should want to provide your corals with the best light possible to make your chances of success that much better. Halide is the best, most complete spectrum possible. If you find yourself ever having problems down the road...at least you wont be wondering about your lighting.

[cthedaytrader]

Go for the metal halides from hellolights, the retro kits are great, and are agreat price, buidl amake shift hood or hang it over the tanks omehow until u can make one. If you use 20K bulb you wont need actinics.

 

I started with 110 pc's, but it really was a waste, because the ficture broke, and I ended up upgrading to MH. Which I should have just started with. You will be surprised how you soon you will want SPS or a clam.

 

I have zoos and shrooms and softies doing just fine with 250W XM 20KMh, so dont worry about elimating corals. You can always shade them or place them low in the tank, or raise the MH higher above your tank. Besides If you decide to upgrade to bigger tank, MH will be much easier.

 

Hello lights has been great with me. Their customer service is the best, and I havent had any problems with the ballast fixture or bulb. I actually just order the 2 X55 PC to upgrade my lights, Now I will have 250 Xm 10K, and 110 actinics.

 

If you do get pcs you still might want to go with a reto and make a hood, at least then you can add a MH later, and have both.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[DSparks]

Great info, so now the questions are:

 

1) 70W or 150W for my 10 gallon? It'll be mounted in an enclosed hood.

 

2) I have 26W of Actinic in my current setup that I can use. Would you still go with the 20K, or go with something closer to 10K? Is there any benefit in the lower Kelvin?

[DSparks]

theclearblue, sorry for hijacking the thread, I hope these are relevant questions.

 

3) What's the big difference between the screw in MH bulbs and the double ended MH bulbs? I know that the double ended bulbs require UV filtering glass. Is there a benefit to go along with the additional cost/hassle of adding the glass?

[cthedaytrader]

I would go with higher MH. I went with 250 on a 15. 175 would be good too. This way if you ever want to upgrade you wont need a new light or as many. Plus the more light the better for the corals.

 

I have limited experience with MH, but I have had 20K on my tank for about 7 months. The light from a 20K is much bluer, than 10K, or lower, which is why you dont need actinics. I have the XM bulb. It looks cool, but it is a bit too blue for me, and I want a try a change which is why I want to go down to 10K, with actinic supplementation. Plus I miss the dawn and dusk, affect, and being able to see the tank with actinics only. I thinkt he XM is great though, and cheap, I am swithcing to the 10K Xm, which I have not read anythign bad about. Its also a pain to take pics with 20K, it comes out so blue. Maybe someone knows how to take abtter pic with the 20K's?

 

10K is a whiter brighter more yellow light. Which is why most people use actinics with it. From what I understand, the higher Kelvin bulbs provide better coloration in the corals, but slower growth. Although I havent had a 10K yet, I think this is true, my sps have colored up nicely, but they dont grow very fast. For example, a bought a nice dark blue tipped, light blue fromasa from a lfs. They had it under a 10K, at the bottom. I have it under a 20K at the top, its now turning much darker, greener, color and is basically blue tipped teal now.

 

If you are going to use a closed hood, then I would recomend you leave the back competley open, and you will need a couple of fans, one blowing in and one out to handle the heat. That what I did, and my tank runs between 79.5 (lights off), to 81.5 lights on.

 

If you decide to go with a 10, Im not sure if the 26 Actinic is enough to counteract the MH for appearance sake. You can always try and see out it looks, and then later add another actinic. It might be.

 

Your best bet is to got a lfs and see if they have 10K and 20K running and see what you like, or decide if you want coloration or growth. There is also 14K which is not as blue as 20K, but XM doesnt make them and that will raise your costs. Its a matter of personal preference.

 

Whateve ryou do I would definetly check out hellolights, it will be hard to beat their prices or to find a complaint about them. I havent had any problems with there stuff. Itse asy to wire up, they use heavy gauge wires. And even if you had a problem their cusotmer serive is great.

 

Hope this helps, I remember being right where you are. In no time when you get hooked, you will be setting up more tanks and all kind sof lighting schemes lol!!

good luck with yoru decision