+o0zarkawater Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I plan on building a new canopy for my 55gal in the next couple months. My T5s are almost a year old now, and due to be changed. Rather than spending another $150+ on bulbs, I'm thinking of upgrading. I currently have 6 x 54w T5HO and 2x75W VHO Super Actinics on the tank. I want to keep pretty much everything from Softies, Zoas, SPS, and maybe even a clam. Originally I was thinking about dual 150W MH HQI with 2x 48" 110W VHO Super Actinics, and 3x20W 454NM LED Panels. The LEDs are going to be a no-name eBay purchase simply for supplemental blue. I'll probably make a thread about them once I receive them. I spent less than 100$ for 3 x 20W led 454nm panels and a driver. Being on a budget, I don't want to purchase the 150W ballasts/reflectors brand new, but cant seem to find someone selling a set. I've got a pair of 250W MH HQI for cheap and was wondering if that would be too much light for a 55gal mixed reef. It's a coralife aqualight pro that I am going to gut. Ideally my canopy will end up looking like so ==========================110W VHO========================= ===20W.LED===1(2)50WMH ===20W.LED===1(2)50WMH===20W.LED=== ==========================110W VHO========================= Building it myself I can make sure to put plenty of flow over the bulbs/heatsinks in the canopy, so heat shouldn't be much of an issue. If it is come summertime, then I'll just buy a chiller. So if I end up finding the 150W MH the hopeful wattage will be 300W MH (14k), with 220W Supplemental VHO Actinics, and 60W Blue LED for 580 total watts. If I use the 250W MH I found with the same supplementals, I will end up with 780 total watts. Is this too much for a 55gal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 FWIW I have a single 250WMH hanging over my 40 breeder and everything is doing great. Low light stuff on the edges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I think that it would be too much light intensity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 FWIW I have a single 250WMH hanging over my 40 breeder and everything is doing great. Low light stuff on the edges. So, are you saying I should be fine with a single 250W with the supplemental lighting I'm suggesting, or that 2x250 should be alright? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 I think that it would be too much light intensity. Just because of the MH, or the overall setup with the 250s? Would you think it would be fine with 150's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Do you have a sump? The only issue I see is heat so long as you acclimate the tank to the new lighting slowly. I have zoas sitting on the sandbed directly under a 250w and some sps further up, My condy is huge and has not moved since I placed him. They are all growing and colorful. 18 inch deep tank with ~2 inch sandbed. Light is about 11 inches off the water. iirc most MH reflectors light a 24x24 inch area so for a 48 inch tank 2 is a must. I think your idea for lighting is good. With all that said. 2 150s should be just fine. Just my noob opinion. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don duncan Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I think heat will be the issue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I have a 2x250W MH + 2x VHO fixture that I am about to sell. Lumatek digital ballasts and the fixture has lots of cooling fins on it so it is very good at dissipating heat. It isn't overly sexy, but it works! PM me for more details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 I have a 2x250W MH + 2x VHO fixture that I am about to sell. Lumatek digital ballasts and the fixture has lots of cooling fins on it so it is very good at dissipating heat. It isn't overly sexy, but it works! PM me for more details. Sorry, I already have a set of 250s. The only thing at this point I need to buy would be 150s if someone has a set for cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonJones Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I would be weary of making the change for a couple of reasons. First, I do not know that I would consider changing from the T5s to the MHs an upgrade. 6 T5s with good reflectors should be more than enough light for the tank. With T5s you also have the ability to choose bulbs that fit your preference of light color with more options than MHs. Additionally, as mentioned above, the T5s will run significantly cooler than the MH set up and will use less electricity. If you run the MH set up, you may need to purchase a chiller, adding significant costs. Second, unless you plan to grow SPS on the bottom of the tank in the shade, your new lighting set up seems to me that it will provide far too much light. The tank is only 18" deep, so you don't need that much power to light the entire tank. If you really wanted to go MH, I might consider sticking just the 2 halides on there and putting 20k bulbs in. Otherwise, I think you will stand a pretty good chance of bleaching a lot of your corals, especially non-sps. Frankly, I think your money would be better spent elsewhere on the tank because the lighting change will likely not be overly beneficial and will have many more drawbacks than advantages. Best of luck in whatever you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Jason brings up good points. 6 lamps + shipping at reefgeek is $136. Between buying stuff for MH(bulbs, wire, etc), plus a chiller that you will probably need, you'll blow through your $150 budget. Make a nice new canopy, clean your reflectors, and be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 For that size tank I'd have to agree that (2)250MH are probably overkill. You'd definitely face heat issues and you'd probably sunburn most of what you have in there. I know that my 150mh over my 34g solana is causing heat issues. I'd stick with the T5s and save up for an LED upgrade later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Not that you couldn't set up a 55 with 250 W MH but I'll second points made by Jason, Robb and VWMike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 Sounds good to me. I was thinking that the 250's would be overkill, just wanted the collective input. I wish 150w/175w were as easy to come by as 250s are. Thanks for all the replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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