Glenn Posted September 10, 2002 Share Posted September 10, 2002 I am getting ready to set up a 20g long (30.25Lx12.5Wx12.75H). The lights I have chosen are 2 24" VHO and 1 175w MH. I think I'm going to get everything from Hellolights, but I may get a BlueLine E ballast for the MH (still thinking). Anyhow, I want to hear from anyone out there running VHO's and MH on their nano's. Basically what I want to know is what kind of bulbs (temp. and brand of MH and VHO), what kind of ballast, and the pros/cons of this much light (mainly how much heat to expect). The lights for my 20 will be mounted in a DIY canopy w/ 2 fans (one blowing in and one blowing out). I know this is alot of light but I don't want to have to upgrade if I decide to keep sps and clams later. Thanks for the input. Link to comment
tinyreef Posted September 10, 2002 Share Posted September 10, 2002 now here's a serious bad-ass nano reefer! glenn's taking no friggin prisoners here! none of our 32w or 55w smart-lite p*ssy pc's. that's some serious lighting you're getting for a 20L! i wish i had the money to do that setup. :*( go for the uri 50/50's for the vho and maybe the double-ended 175W mh, at least 10000K. or you could go actinic on the vho and lower K on the mh but that's old school. i also favor icecaps for the ballasts. others say the blueline and etc. are just as good but i've never heard a single complaint about an icecap versus occasional crap about the other brands. i'm running a ushio 175w 10000K icecap on my hospital 20L 'and i love it, baby' (catdog). i wish i could add a little blue/actinic though. (next bulb-12000K) i'm a 2-32w (actinic/10000K) pc wuss on my desktop nano. Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted September 10, 2002 Share Posted September 10, 2002 well....... my lights are bright....... they make stuff grow,..... they require electricity,....... and dont taste like anything if U lick them...... ALSO they get hot when on fer a while.... OH and cost a LOT. MH is the way to go. over a 20 long though it will be difficult to make it look right unless U make a 6 inch high hood, or use a suspended light. Id go with the Prizim Pendant 32 inch 250 W Iwasaki MH w 2x 32 W PC from CSL. OR do a retro with Ice cap ballast. Blue lines IMO/E over drive and overheat the lights and ballast consume more $. GO Icecap electronics. I can make A hood If U want one. Link to comment
Glenn Posted September 10, 2002 Author Share Posted September 10, 2002 Nice to see there are a few "Tim Taylors" out there like myself, I was a little worried about having too much light. I think I'll take yall's advice and go with Ice Cap ballasts (MH and VHO). Like you said (Tinyreef) I too have never heard a complaint about Ice Cap ballasts, as a matter of fact most people just rave about how great they are. If I really wanted to go nuts a friend at work said that he had a 400w MH that he got off a job I could have (do they make sunglasses for fish?). Tinyreef, I'm jeleaous. A 175w MH on a hospital tank, YES!! I actually like pc's, and I still may use them (heard that VHO's floress corals better???). Dave, try licking your MH after they have been on for awhile, I heard they have a little more taste warmed up, LOL. But seriously, I've heard you make awsome conopies, maybe I'll get you to build me one, what's your price range and give me some pic's if you have any of one's that you have built (you can post them here or e-mail me if you want @ wrightcmdn@inteliport.com). Link to comment
yrureefing Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Like I said on rc. I am running a 400w radium on 15 and it is not that bright. I thought it would be brighter. Link to comment
tinyreef Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 glenn, once you see the corals under the uri actinics you will never go back! you'll think they're radioactive from the glow! i like pc's too but the light and quality from the vho and especially the mh are so much better imo. i always stayed with pc's because of the initial costs. i finally bit the bullet. i figured the wife was only gonna yell for a day, tops X) . (i was right ) yrureefing, 400w on 15g? ouch! sunburn! holy sh*t! Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Check DIY section on Custom Made Hoods thread by me. its all there. I have a couple 10 gal hoods ready to go, but I have to make one fer a 20 long next week... 2 is easier at once. Hit me on AIM. Dave ESPI I tend to agree about the URI bulbs.. they are very intense. I cant even keep my shrooms in my 40 long happily shaded... its bright ! Link to comment
Bocephous Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 I have a 6 foot magnafying glass mounted on my roof that's turned by a motor to track the sun. It directs the light into a 4" fiber optic cable that runs down to my nano reef. The tank gets 8hours of light a day all year, sometimes in the summer I use the extra couple hours to get a nice tan 8) Link to comment
ajroahkni Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 36W JBJ Clamp-on smartlite (50/50) on a 10g Great for . . . ####ing off the wife - it shines the room Electrocuting myself - bracket not made for tank w/ ridge Growing Aiptasia - beautiful brown freakazoids that make uncircumsized nubs out of my zoos. Link to comment
Glenn Posted September 11, 2002 Author Share Posted September 11, 2002 Thanks for all the replies. Dave: What is AIM. Dave ESPI? I'm not quite ready (sorry). I still have FW fish in the 20 long, waiting on my cousin to sell me a 55gal. so I can combine my 2 FW tanks into one (gettin lazy, 1 tank is easier to maintain than two, and I'm addicted to SW now!). But I am going to check out the DIY you mentioned. BTW, what does ESPI mean? Bocephous: HUH? ajroahkni: :woot: (I take that back if you are serious) Link to comment
Glenn Posted September 11, 2002 Author Share Posted September 11, 2002 tinyreef: you got any pic's of those URI's in action? And I like your philosiphy regaurding your wife, maybe I'll try it (she loves our tank but has a cow whenever she see's how much things for it cost) Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 ESPI means.... a LOT. it depends on its use.... ESPI 1 Environmental Specialties Products Inc. ESPI 2 Every Stupid Pathetic Item (needed fer a reef) ESPI 3 Especialy Sculpted Polyform Ideas. ESPI 4 its just a LOOOONNNGGGG story how I gotthe nick name... and it stuck I just used it as a few anacronymns fer my businesses.. heheh. - AOM is Aol Instint messenger program It is a free down load. go to www.aol.com and click on AIM 5.0 download it is a side board chat software.. Sheesh doent U EVER watch the TV comercials.. I hear the Bling Bling and I go niuts ! I have to turn the sound off ! Link to comment
Mnesarchus Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 I have 2 x 55w Powercompacts on my 10g. The spectrum on the bulbs are 6500k and Actinic03. They are housed by a hood I had custom made out of surgical-grade stainless steel (shiny side in for reflector). Link to comment
tinyreef Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 glenn, sorry, i've tried to take digital pics of the green stars fluorescing but it comes out all blurry or fuzzy (pixelated?). i can't get close enough to the colony to get a good pic. i bought a cheap camera, i know. i blew the load on the friggin lights, ok? :*( as to wife issue; heck, i've already been divorced once. i know the devil. now everything else is like an occasional passing storm to me. i just squat and weather it out. Link to comment
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