coral reef Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 i am thinkig of going with a 20000k 150w hqi mh on my 20h and would like to know if this would be ok to house assorted acros and lps or would i need to go with 10000k instead the reason i would like to go with 20000k is so i do not have to incorporate pc actinics does anyone have any input on this subject Link to comment
Von digity Posted March 1, 2004 Share Posted March 1, 2004 The par is pretty low on 20k's so I'd either upgrade to a 250 watt (DE/hqi, or SE) 20k, or sitck with the 150w hqi 10k. Link to comment
coral reef Posted March 1, 2004 Author Share Posted March 1, 2004 what do you mean by par does it mean that the 150 mh hqi with a 20000k bulb doesnt do well with my tank size also woulg overheating be a issue with a 250w Link to comment
nor.cal Posted March 1, 2004 Share Posted March 1, 2004 I have a 20k xm 150w over my 18gal and i think it would definatly be enough for sps at the top of my tank (about 12" from light). I had a 70w 10k ushio and it was too yellow, this is much brighter and very white. Link to comment
Von digity Posted March 1, 2004 Share Posted March 1, 2004 Basically, a 150 watt 20k won't be as "intense" as a 150 watt 10k light would be. Thats why I'd "up" the wattage. You mention you want to house assorted Sps. Basically a stony coral tank. I figure you could get away with it, but you'd probly see better results with a 250 watt 20k. Keep in mind these types of corals require "intense" lighting. *edit* of course these are just my opinions from what I've read and researched. Link to comment
coral reef Posted March 1, 2004 Author Share Posted March 1, 2004 yea i would like assorted sps and clams but honestly i do not want to buy a chiller for my tank would a 250 hqi overheat my 20gal? Link to comment
Von digity Posted March 1, 2004 Share Posted March 1, 2004 If you leave it as an open pendant w/ a few decent fans, you'll likely be ok. The only pain is evaporation. Just do some research and see what other ppl are running on their 20Hs before you go out and buy anything. Link to comment
coral reef Posted March 1, 2004 Author Share Posted March 1, 2004 no i have a diy canopy right now and have 2-65w pcs in that i would like to take out and put in a hqi my canopy is 71/2''tall and i think that se mh bulb may be to close to the water surface for my 20 t Link to comment
Von digity Posted March 1, 2004 Share Posted March 1, 2004 Ok, the main thing to be aware of is: HQI bulbs do not have any built in U.V. protection. U.V. protection is provided by the fixtures they are mounted in via tempered glass shields. So, you'd have to put a layer of tempered glass between the bulb and the water. This will make it very hard to use a wood canopy. Also, you will not be able to leave the back of the canopy open, due to the fact that this unfiltered light will be escaping (U.V. over long periods=bad for eyes) so you'd most likely need a chiller. I really see this as a bad heat trap, specially if your using something flamable like wood. I might recomend trying a SE with a good electronic ballast. SE bulbs have a U.V. shield built in them, thus eliminating the need for tempered glass. You could open up the back of the canopy, throw in a few fans, and you could be ok. It might make more sense to just buy a good HQI pendant fixture instead of trying to DIY one. Again, many factors and obstacles come in to play. Just check out what other ppl are doing and you might be swayed to try another approach. Best thing to do is research. Link to comment
coral reef Posted March 1, 2004 Author Share Posted March 1, 2004 yes i already have some 3'' cooling fans in my canopy whitch keeps i really cool but would a 175w se mh bulb overheat my tank or even a 250 Link to comment
Von digity Posted March 1, 2004 Share Posted March 1, 2004 It really depends on canopy height, ambient room temp, and how much air flow you can get (fans.) Link to comment
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