lighting

[nodoubt471]

i was wondering what kind of lighting you guys would reccommend for a 44g pentagonal tank which is:

~32" at its widest on top
~24" tall

i was thinking a MH pendant, how many watts do you guys think? what about actinics and fullspectrum? is there any alternative to MH that would fit on such an odd shaped tank? im not real good with this whole lighting thing, any help would be appreciated! and i have a very limited budget...

TIA

 

[captivereefs]

I used to have a 44 pentagon before it crashed. I used to run a 250 watt bell pendant. If I were to do it over again i would run a stanard pendant with a 250 watt 14K or a 400 watt 20K. Both would eliminate the need for actinics. PFO and hamilton both make nice pendants. The odd shape of this tank makes a pendant the only option other than a retro kit in a custom hood.

 

[Brad]

Have a look at my gallery for shots of my 40gal HEX with a 175 10K pendant.

 

[nodoubt471]

looks good brad

yea thats what i was thinking, i was looking at the hamilton type, but how easy are they to attach to the celing? i really dont want to be drilling holes in it, could i install a hook and hang it from there? does anybody know how long the cord to the ballast is? anybody have experience with the hamilton brand?

 

[captivereefs]

I sell alot of hamilton stuff; it is very reliable. The cord to the ballast is very long, easily 8 foot or more. You could hang it from 2 i hooks but not one.

 

[nodoubt471]

thanks captivereefs!