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Recommended tank size for a 70w mh de? Looking for opinions...


ninjafish

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Hi all,

 

I am considering someday upsizing my tank to a larger cube (can make it any size). It will be the same principle as my curent cube but I don't want to go out and buy all new equipment. What size tank would you each use under a 70w mh? I also have a 13w powercompact that I can add over top. I realize that the mh will not be as bright over a larger tank as it is over my current, but I also realize that some people might consider my current setup to be overkill.

Please vote with your opinion on decent tank sizes.

Cheers,

 

 

- Chad

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Thanks for your input. I have been considering a 12" cube which would be a little over 7gals, glad to hear that it's working for you.

Any others?

 

- Chad

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Using standard tank sizes for example: 70w MH goes well with a 2.5g SPS tank all the way up to a lower light coral 10g.

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That seems like a pretty good standard to go by. Do you think I could get away wilh my sps in the top levels of a 7gal cube and the softies nearer the bottom? I'd probably add the 13w pc as well (not that it would make much difference, I just miss the dawn/dusk effect since doing halide only).

 

- Chad

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Undertheradar

The biggest tank I would use a 70watt on is a 10g. I grew green slimer acro, purple digi, various caps, xenia, zoos, etc>>> all under a single 70watt 10,000K. Then I wanted a bluer bulb, a 14,000K...that killed the output. Now I can barely grow silver xenia in that tank. I shoulda done a 150watt over it in the first place! The 70s are ok with the 10,000K, but like most, the 10,000K is not blue enough...so you will want to either have extra actinics or a bluer bulb...and trust me...a bluer 70watt is a waste of time.

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Yeah, UTR is right about the bluer bulbs losing a ton of PAR compared to 10Ks :(

 

Originally posted by Fish

That seems like a pretty good standard to go by.  Do you think I could get away wilh my sps in the top levels of a 7gal cube and the softies nearer the bottom?  I'd probably add the 13w pc as well (not that it would make much difference, I just miss the dawn/dusk effect since doing halide only).  

 

- Chad

 

To continue along with this idea, you could do the 10k 70w and add some actinic PCs for blue supplementation. Might want to do more than just one 13w PC for the actinic. For a 7g Cube, I'm guessing 12x12x12, which is just shy of having 28w PCs fit. Perhaps 70w in center & either 1 or 2 13w bulbs on each side.

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Thanks guys, that is pretty consistant with what I have found. I run a 20k bulk over my 2gal but I had one fail once and had to run a 10k ushio until the replacement came. The 10k was on a reduced lighting schedule but it still burned the heck out of my corals - must be a huge par difference there!

I like the idea of using a 10k halide and 2-4 actinic pcs! How much length do you need for 28w pcs? Or what is the shortest length they make T5's? Thanks for the help.

 

- Chad

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I think they make 11" T5 but they arnt HO. I would say go for the 7 and becuase it would be nice to have a larger tank and stuff, but it would loose some of the simplicity that makes it awsome

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Maybe it would be easier to just add a second 70w mh...

I could have one 20k come on first and then a 10k or 14k kick on later. ?

 

Greg,

Ya, I had promised myself that I would be satisfied with this tank but I guess everyone gets the desire to upgrade eventually. :blush:

I would have the 12" cube almost identical to my current setup except with two extra bulkheads in the bottom so that I could connect my blueline hd20 on a closed loop for added flow.

 

Oh man, my wife's gonna kill me.

 

- Chad

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yea I would go withe the second 70 or if you could maby fandangle a 150. the larger tank will also let you keep a fish if you wnat, so thats cool. ha ha yea I dotn have to deal with a wife yet... not till after the aston martin the fish tank and the boat. ha ha

-greg

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Haha, it's good that someone has their priorities straight! Thanks for the tips everyone, I'll let you know what I go with.

 

Cheers,

 

- Chad

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