Lighting advice??? Opinions wanted!!!...

[nyghtone]

Ok, I am finally ready to upgrade the lighting on my 75 gal SW tank, but I "think" I have come up with exactly what I want to use, but I would like some more advice.

What I am thinking is an IceCap 660 Ballast, which says it can handle 4 bulbs up to 464 Watts. I want to run 4 96W PC on it, two 03's 6,700K Combos and two 10,000K bulbs. This is a totall of 384 Watts, so I figure it should be well within the limits of that ballast. Also I have heard nothing but good about this ballast, any opinions??

This would give me 5.12 watts/gal of PC lighting, and my tank is only 20" deep. My questions are thus, ballast recommendations?, Bulb Recommendation.

I wish to upgrade my tank to grow more corals sometime in the next year, I mostly want to grow different kinds of shrooms, which I understand don't require much light, some polyps, and I'd really like to try to proprogate some SPS corals, will this even be possible with this setup???

Also, this is one of the FEW times I giving totall permission to fully state your personal opinions!!!! haha, so gopherit...

Thanks, Joshua...

 

[fishfreek]

The 660 ballast is a really good. Have you measured the canopy to make sure you can fit those bulbs in the canopy? Thats 8 PC bulbs.

 

[Atari]

8? I only count 4..

The only thing I would do differently is going with 2 true actinics + 2 10k's.

 

[Clown Monarch]

How much light is really necessary? My 125 has 330 watts of PC and was told by the LFS that this is PLENTY of light. Most of her reef tanks do appear to be operating with much less light in fact.

I don't question her motives, she won't sell me anything she doesn't think will fare well in my tank.

 

[nyghtone]

8? I only count 4..

The only thing I would do differently is going with 2 true actinics + 2 10k's.

Thanks fro the advice, I actually haven't made up my mind yet on the bulbs, I've not had very much experience, so I just assumed that the 50/50 would be the way to go because that's what they use in all the pre-manned hooods. NON of the lfs' in my area use PC lights, so I can't even go and check them out. The only one I have to compare it to is my Coralife 28 Watt unit that's on my tank now, which looks GREAT on my old 20 gallon, just not bright enough, and good on my 75, just dull, haha...

I guess my only other question would be since the bulbs are so skinny, and they are only four of them, would you think that 4 50/50 would spread the light better, or two 03's and two 10k???

If you had any pictures of peeps tanks' let with this setup that you links to that would also rock, but I'm not crossing my fingers as PC is so new, haha..

Thanks again, Joshua...

 

[captivereefs]

Have you considered MH? You could do some 250 watt retro kits for about the same cost?

 

[nyghtone]

Have you considered MH? You could do some 250 watt retro kits for about the same cost?

I considered it, then I decided that I wanted PC. My canopy is only 4 inches tall, thus making the cost considerably more. Also, I don't need a chiller as it is, and my tank is only maintained at 77 degrees. Furthur more, the LFS' display tank uses MH and I don't really like the look that much, I prefer the VHO look of their holding tanks that just hold corals.

Thanks for the Question,

Joshua...

 

[captivereefs]

What about a 4 bulb T-5 retro kit. A Lot more power than a PC/VHO set up and pretty cheap as well? Just throwing out ideas!

 

[fishfreek]

I want to run 4 96W PC on it, two 03's 6,700K Combos and two 10,000K bulbs.

I read that and got the view it was 8.

I like the 4 110W VHO bulbs over my 75.

 

[nyghtone]

Hey fishfreek, I always enjoy your advice. Seeing a 4X110W VHO setup was what made me decide that I wanted the 4X96W PC setup. There seems to be a consensus in this forum that PC puts out somewhere around 50% more light per watt than VHO, I've read anywhere from 25% - 67% at different times. From what I've seen of VHO and PC the light seems to look very similiar to me, so I'm hoping that by using the IceCap ballast it will drive them to their potential and will have the same look but just slightly brighter.

We shall see

Thanks, Joshua...

 

[nyghtone]

Oh yeah, and the other reason that I choose the IceCap ballast is that if I decide I don't like the setup, I need only to buy new bulbs and caps to convert to VHO, so your advice is well appriciated!!!

 

[fishfreek]

I have 4 96W PC bulbs over my 80. Its the same depth as the 75 but not as wide. In a compairson between the two just from the eye they look as if they have the same intensity levels. Of course the eye is not that sensitive when light gets to a point.

I can tell you corals are growing faster in my 75 than they did in my 80.