fastredponycar Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 I finally got my metal halide bulb put in yesterday. One word. WOW The difference that this makes is just awesome. I had 2X65 watt PC's above the tank for the past 2 months and honestly, I haven't noticed much growth. It was enough to sustain life but everythign just sort of sat there. The featherdusters spread though. With this, everything is just so much crisper and brighter. It was so worth the extra $$. I ended up going with the HQI magnetic M80 ballast and the 10K 250watt coralvue bulb. I left the PC's under the hood for supplimental lighting. One is an 03 actinic and the other is a 10K daylight bulb that adds just enough daylight yellow color to the tank that it looks perfect in my opinion. I had some extra 80mm pc cooling fans in my box of computer stuff so I wired those up to a couple of old 12v cell phone charger adaptors. Right now, they're sitting on top of my HOB filter blowing hot air out of the canopy. Heat isnt' an issue like i thoght it would be too. After about 3 hours of running, I noticed it was about 83*~84* so I took the heater and plugged it into a timer so that it comes on when the lights go off and then turns back off in the morning. After another couple of hours, the temp was back down to 79~80*. One question though. I've seen some people use UV shielded glass and some don't. Am I endangering the inhabitants by NOT using this? Wouldn't the bulb be made of UV absorbant glass?? Anyways, here are some pics. They're not that great because I was in a hurry and didn't get a chance to really sit down and take my time. I had all the powerheads and filters plugged in and my remora was making lots of microbubbles so that's why it looks so grainy and snowy. X) Hopefully I'll have some better pics up next week. Oh yeah, no corals yet. I was holding out till I had really good lighting so they're next!! Me doing a quick comparison with the white balance. Link to comment
sdbeazley Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Wow! everything looks so clean! Link to comment
despot101 Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Nice! I like your rockwork, and the lighting looks great. (29 gallon tanks rock! I used to have mine on the same type of stand too) As far as I know you don't need to worry about any UV shielded glass. I guess I've never even heard of that. Link to comment
just dave Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 That MH set-up does not need a UV shield. Link to comment
fastredponycar Posted June 18, 2004 Author Share Posted June 18, 2004 whew. I was scared i was gonna fry everything. Link to comment
zzpw3x Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 My understanding is that only DE bulbs need UV protection. Also, paint the back of your tank, it realy helps clean it up IMO. Dale Link to comment
corey0613 Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 yeah, only the DE MH bulbs need the UV shield. nice work!! now its time to stock that sucker!!!!!!!!! Link to comment
Wolf Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 I agree with zzpw3x. It does look a little... industrial? When I look at it, I'm immediately drawn to all of the equipment, then I notice the nice rock work! Just my opinion though. Link to comment
fastredponycar Posted June 18, 2004 Author Share Posted June 18, 2004 yeah i know the back is ugly all exposed like that. i actually had one of those laminates with a flat black side and another side with plants and stuff on it for a decorative background that i used when the tank was used for freshwater fish. It started getting all nasty and crinkled so I pulled it off. The only thing I've noticed that I like about the back being open is having the ability to see what's going on behind the rocks. I'm moving in august and I've already got plans to paint the back. I'm thinking of either just flat black or going from a dark blue gradient down to black at the bottom. Link to comment
haokan Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 isn't 250 a lil overkill for 30 gallons? jus my opinion Link to comment
wallywaltt Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Lots of small feather dusters in there, very cool. Have you been adding anything to feed them? Link to comment
SLOreefer Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 250 watts is not overkill....it is just about perfect....i plan on having at least a 250 on my new tank, hopefully a 400 if everything works out. good looking rockwork, good equipment, looks like the start to an awesome tank Link to comment
kraphtymac Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 It doesn't look like the light penetration into the sandbed had changed a whole lots... any idea of how much greater the intensity is? Link to comment
corey0613 Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 250 isnt overkill IMO. i ve got 250W of MH over my 25 and everything loves it. it is about the perfect amount for being able to keep all the stonies you want. on the other token, i have seen awesome reefs with less light. to each their own. Link to comment
petes Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 its not overkill if you only want the best for your sps and clams. besides.. a 75 gallon tank is like having 2 30 gallon tanks side by side.. and i doubt anyone would say 2x250 watts over that would be overkill. anyways... when you move your tank, get it drilled then. that way you can remove all those ugly powerheads. i think its time for a closed loop! and for christs sake... put some driplines in those powercords of yours not to mention securing that fan down somehow Link to comment
Whitten Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 Looks great Drew, maybe you should tell the folks where you got your ballast from, and for how much. Ahah, they are poking fun at your for not painting the back of your tank just like I was doing. Hey man by the way, those little feather dusters...man they reproduce fast. I got a small piece of LR with a few on them from that store in the GUMP, and now they are moving all over the place in my nano cube. Link to comment
fastredponycar Posted June 20, 2004 Author Share Posted June 20, 2004 thanks for the compliments guys. yeah michael as soon as i put the PC's in the feather dusters went nuts. I'm not feeding them anything. I put a few tropical flakes in there every day to make sure the crabs and blenny don't starve but that's it. kraphty, the light simply floods the entire tank a thousand times better than the pc's did. the intensity this bulb puts out is incredible. in august after the move, expect new pics of a painted back, fuge, non ghetto cooling fans hahaa and I'm not sure if I wanna do sump yet. I want to see how this setup is going to work. I'll have an extra 5gallon tank so that could be a possibility. Link to comment
Flood Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 would you might letting us know about the cost and where you got setup? Link to comment
matt the fiddler Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 is that a cracked socket? might want to waterproof that... Link to comment
Whitten Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 Nah, just teh reflection on the mogul. Link to comment
fastredponycar Posted June 20, 2004 Author Share Posted June 20, 2004 actually mike, i accidentally dropped teh socket small crack. no biggie. Here's the prices of all my stuff. I got it all from hellolights except for the mh bulb. I think that was from reeflogic.com. I just googled "coralvue mh bulb" MH ballast and mogul - $110 MH bulb - $60 PC retrofit - $110 (includes 2 bulbs) Reflector - $20 Wood and paint $25 So total for the hood was about $325 then a little for shipping. It's very reasonable I think. Not the most professional looking canopy but it works well. When I get home tuesday, I'll take more pics of it with the lights off and some with all the equip off and just the lights on. Link to comment
Whitten Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 I wanna see some update pictures. Link to comment
DRZL-sauras Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 Good DIY. one word of advice though ditch the flat reflector... you have space for a parabolic reflector which will pump out 50% more light...think about it the flat reflects the light back towards the light while the parabolic shoots it around the bulb and into your tank. Link to comment
Maxvan1 Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 are you sure that isnt cracked? in the third picture it looks like it... Link to comment
Whitten Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 Oh no...it is definately cracked, but I think he has since replaced it. Link to comment
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