Lighting upgrade have some questions

[WarOrks15]

ok so i wish i would have gotton more light at the time i bought my CSL pc light. but i did not so now the time has come to the planning stage. so i am thinking of adding a HQI to the 2 96 watt pc. i want ot build a canapy for my 46 gal bow. it will be out of wood. now can i gut the CSL and replace the 10,000k with a 03 and keep the one 96watt 03 and add a HQI. so in the end i would have 2x 96 watt 03 PC and one HQI. now should i get 1x 150 watt 10,000k or 1x 150 watt 20,000k or 1x 250 watt 10,000 k. and do you think i will have too muck 03 on this tank? the length is 36" and 20" deep? should i put the HQI right in the center and just have like 6" that is lower light? or should i just get 2 HQI and have one for each side of the tank? thanks for your help.

 

[Biggen]

now can i gut the CSL and replace the 10,000k with a 03 and keep the one 96watt 03 and add a HQI. so in the end i would have 2x 96 watt 03 PC and one HQI

Sure. This is essentially what I have in my fixture, sans the HQI. Mine is a regular mogul MH 250w bulb.

now should i get 1x 150 watt 10,000k or 1x 150 watt 20,000k or 1x 250 watt 10,000 k. and do you think i will have too muck 03 on this tank? the length is 36" and 20" deep? should i put the HQI right in the center and just have like 6" that is lower light? or should i just get 2 HQI and have one for each side of the tank? thanks for your help.

Personally, I would go with a 250 MH bulb. I think the 175w'er just won't give enough punch for your tank depth. You may want to consider adding one more MH to the design to bring it up to two MH bulbs. MH's typically project a light radius of around 2 feet. One may be inadequate for your length of tank. See what some others say before you decide.

What K you want really depends on your preference on color. I like a blue tank so my setup is 2X55 03 PC's with a 250w 20K MH. Lots-o-blue in my tank. If you go with one MH, I would put it MH right in the middle of the fixture and have the PC's flanking (off to the side) the MH. If you go with two MH's, then you want to have the installed on each end of the fixture.

 

[reefrunner69]

may want to consider adding one more MH to the design to bring it up to two MH bulbs. MH's typically project a light radius of around 2 feet. One may be inadequate for your length of tank. See what some others say before you decide

Doesn't the 46 bowfront have a center brace? If you try to light over the center brace with MH, it will give a nice big shadow 30" is the max I go with one bulb, I also would go with 2

 

[WarOrks15]

now would u go with 2x 150 watt? or 2x 250 watts? and now if i would to go with just a 10,000 k HQI would i have too much blue or just right?

 

[reefrunner69]

I would go 2 X 250W, and if your not going to do the PC actinics, I would go with 20K or radiums. If you go with actinics...personally I would go with 10K.

 

[WarOrks15]

so with the 2x 96 watt 03 you would go with 2x 250 watt 10,000k HQI. **** that would be like 15 watt per gal. or with the 150 watt and the 2 96 it would be like 10 watt per gal

 

[reefrunner69]

it's not the volume it's the depth of the tank and the surface area that dictate the wattage you need. Yeah, it's alot of light, but the 150s may not penetrate well enough to provide plenty of light to the lower portion of the tank.

 

[Biggen]

Good catch about the center brace, RR. With my acrylic tank, my center brace is clear acrylic so I forget that glass tank center braces are not the same as mine.

 

[WarOrks15]

with my PC there is not a big dark spot in my tank due to the center brace. but thank you for all your input. now i am trying to fins out about ballasts. should i get 1 for each bulb? or one duel. and is there any thing else i should make sure the ballasts have or some thing that have have to make sure it has since it is HQI? and what else would i need other then 2 ballasts and 2 sockets and 2 bulbs?

 

[reefrunner69]

with my PC there is not a big dark spot in my tank due to the center brace.

I am not certain there is a center brace, from this I assume I was correct, if there is not, then you won't see a shadow with MH directly over the center either. If there is, test it for me. Open your canopy, hold a flashlight directly over the centerbrace, 8-12 inches from the waters surface. Is there a shadow? How big? PC is a flo bulb and emits light all along it's length, a MH bulb is approx 1" long and 1/2" tall and wide. All the light comes from that small an area, directly over a center brace, I'm thinking there is gonna be a shadow, but I've never tested it, just assumed.

 

[WarOrks15]

ok ya i see what you ment. it did the test and there was a really big black line at the bottom of the tank. so i thing i will have to go with 2. but what else do i need to get for them to work and what are good ballasts.

 

[WarOrks15]

ok so i was looking online would some thing like this be all i need ( it is from hellolights.com)

http://store.yahoo.com/lamps-now/17elbalmetha.html

2 of them

http://store.yahoo.com/lamps-now/15hqilamhol.html

2 of them

http://store.yahoo.com/lamps-now/powcor3pron.htm

2 of them

http://store.yahoo.com/lamps-now/15xde10hqide.html

and 2 of them.


i know i will have to get some fans but that will be ez to find.

but could i get 2 of these

http://www.hellolights.com/15unmagm81ba.html

they are cheaper and i do not know what the big difference would be.

and what are the High Temperature wire nuts for. thank you so much for your help. i would like to know what i am doing before i spend all this money and forget to get some thing or i did not get the right modle. thank you again.

 

[WarOrks15]

bump

any one?

 

[reefrunner69]

The cheaper ballast is magnetic, the other is electronic. I think the differences have already been covered in this thread. If you go with the magnetic, you should contact hellolights.com and make certain that they will light the bulbs you get, with electronic it won't be a problem. Personally I would probably go with the electronic, IMO, they are worth the extra 50 bucks.

and what are the High Temperature wire nuts for

To wire it all up Some of that wiring is going to have to be done close to components that get very hot, the wire nuts have to be able to stand up to the heat.

 

[WarOrks15]

oh that makes sence i was thinking they were like to mount the unit to the hood. thank you for your help.