This lighting enough?

[Seaside Fish Lover]

I'm planning on building my own canopy and retrofitting a VHO 4 Light ballast with 2 75 watt antic 03's and 2 75 watt 10k daylights. Should this present good enough lighting for a 30 gallon tank? the bulbs are 24"

[Scorched]

Not a real expert on light, just kinda starting out myself, but from what Ive read the past month or so here 10 watts a gal is good enough for all zoos, shrooms, rics, and most lps, you way be able to also do very hardy sps, but keep asking around first.

[greentreepython]

If you are planning to spend that kind of money, maybe think about stepping up to a halide bulb, little more money but a lot better results. A single 175 watt bulb would do the trick.

[Seaside Fish Lover]

If I go with a metal halide, will I have problems with overheating? I'm trying to stay away from things adding heat seeing how I'm in South Texas where it gets very hot during the summer.

 

Also, should I go with a 175, 250, or 400 watt metal halide system on my 30 gallon tank If i decide to go with metal halides?

 

Furthermore, what is the light quality difference between VHO's and MH's? I've done alot of research but nothing on the real differences between the two lights.

 

Lastly, Will a metal halide cause damage to a wooden home made hood?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Undertheradar]

my tanks have been much happier since I went over to all halide. They run cooler too, thanks to the superior ventilation provided by pendants that are several more inches from the water surface than a powercompact. Their quality of light is so much better and intense, that you can run them half as much and get a full photoperiod (6-8 hours vs. 12-14)...allowing you to run them in a smaller time window later in the day...when everything is cooler. I run mine from 3pm-11pm. Just because the bulbs are hotter doesnt mean anything if you exploit the advantages of halide.

[qfour20]

Seaside:

 

I live in Dallas, so I know what you mean with the heat concerns. I'm building a hood for my 18tall that will house a 70w metal halide and 2x36w pc actinics. What I'm doing to combat heat is building a hood (a *TALL* one) that has two seperate chambers.

 

One chamber houses the lighting (the upper chamber) and is seperated from the lower chamber by a piece of plexi from home depot. The upper chamber has 2x60mm fans to force cool air into the hood, exiting from vents that will be cut into the top.

 

The lower chamber (about 5" or so tall) allows access to the tank for feeding, dosing, testing, etc. This area has 2x80mm fans forcing cool air over the surface of the water. I am actually *encouraging* evaporation. I have an auto topoff, so I'm not really concerned

 

As for your tank, I would suggest a 150w DE metal halide, and actinics (if you want them. I like the way that they look).

 

Good luck!

 

-q

[Jahkaya]

First question first:

 

Is This lighting enough for what?

 

Most all corals will do find under 300w of VHO on a 30 gallon. If you are really set on clams and SPS, go with a 250 DE 20k with HQI ballast and be done with it. You will have more light with the 250 Halide than with the 300w of VHO.

 

No the halide will not burn your hood, but I would go with a pendant so that you do not have heat issues.