MH over a 55 with a center brace... - Aquarium Advice

canyon15 · 01-09-2007, 01:07 AM

I want to put a single 250W over my tank but to center it would mean I would have a bad shadow in the tank. Any solutions? I am not keen on cutting the center brace. What I was thinking was to place the MH on one side and have my pc's cover over the other side. It is a squat tank so only 36" long and I really don't want to look into buying a second. All input, as usual, is always appreciated!

Tomd · 01-09-2007, 01:49 AM

I wouldn't do it I do not think you would be happy in the end. A 55 is not that deep. I would look into 2 150's.

Dont cut that center brace it is there for a reason. People have done it but I would not be able to sleep at night..JMO

loyalrogue · 01-09-2007, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomd

Dont cut that center brace it is there for a reason. People have done it but I would not be able to sleep at night.

Just wanted to quote that.
A lot of people will give you advice on cutting out braces from tanks and stands, but personally it's not something I would do... it's just asking for trouble.

tecwzrd · 01-09-2007, 10:21 AM

Tom's right, cutting is not recommended and the heat from the MH will weaken the brace so you don't want to put the light over it either. MH covers roughly 2 feet and even with a 3 ft tank two 150 MH would be a better option.

Is your tank 36X19X19?

canyon15 · 01-09-2007, 06:17 PM

My tank has those dimensions.What I may do is put the light over the center and use my PC's to fill in the rest That way I have an area of high light and if I need a lower light area I have one. The only reason is that I will upgrade later and I want a 250 so I can use it on the upgrade. Thanks for all the great advice and keep it coming as I am not 100% on this.

**melosu58** · 01-09-2007, 06:38 PM

Well one thing you need to be 100% about is that center brace. If you cut it or make it weak with heat from the MH then your tank has a chance of busting out the panes of glass from all the inside pressure of the water. It`s there for a reason. Hope all goes well

tecwzrd · 01-10-2007, 08:00 AM

I'd go with your original plan of lighting one side of the tank with the MH and the rest with PC and avoid placing the MH directly of the brace.

DragonForce · 01-10-2007, 10:50 AM

This is highly IMO but if you do the single MH go with a 400w so it can cover the whole tank

**melosu58** · 01-10-2007, 01:09 PM

The only problem is if you use the single light then the braces will cause shadows in your tank. These shadow areas will not be recieving enough light.

01-09-2007, 01:07 AM	#1
canyon15 Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Halifax Canada Posts: 236	MH over a 55 with a center brace... I want to put a single 250W over my tank but to center it would mean I would have a bad shadow in the tank. Any solutions? I am not keen on cutting the center brace. What I was thinking was to place the MH on one side and have my pc's cover over the other side. It is a squat tank so only 36" long and I really don't want to look into buying a second. All input, as usual, is always appreciated! __________________ 65 gal reef EQUIPMENT: 2 PC's 192W each , 20 gal sump/fuge LIVESTOCK: 4 false clowns, 2 firefish, cardinal, midas blennie, toadstool, zoos, shrooms, trumpet coral, torch, pagoda, frogspawn, poylps, red open brain, devils hand, hermits, snails, 3 cleaner shrimp, coral banded and a emerald crab.

01-09-2007, 10:21 AM	#4
tecwzrd Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: VA Posts: 3,152	Tom's right, cutting is not recommended and the heat from the MH will weaken the brace so you don't want to put the light over it either. MH covers roughly 2 feet and even with a 3 ft tank two 150 MH would be a better option. Is your tank 36X19X19? __________________ -Micah- If you haven't figured it out yet I like to BOLD links :P Vote for AA at Aqua Rank

01-09-2007, 06:17 PM	#5
canyon15 Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Halifax Canada Posts: 236	My tank has those dimensions.What I may do is put the light over the center and use my PC's to fill in the rest That way I have an area of high light and if I need a lower light area I have one. The only reason is that I will upgrade later and I want a 250 so I can use it on the upgrade. Thanks for all the great advice and keep it coming as I am not 100% on this. __________________ 65 gal reef EQUIPMENT: 2 PC's 192W each , 20 gal sump/fuge LIVESTOCK: 4 false clowns, 2 firefish, cardinal, midas blennie, toadstool, zoos, shrooms, trumpet coral, torch, pagoda, frogspawn, poylps, red open brain, devils hand, hermits, snails, 3 cleaner shrimp, coral banded and a emerald crab.

01-09-2007, 06:38 PM	#6
melosu58 SW 10 yrs and over Community Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Richmond Va Posts: 11,994 Images: 73	Well one thing you need to be 100% about is that center brace. If you cut it or make it weak with heat from the MH then your tank has a chance of busting out the panes of glass from all the inside pressure of the water. It`s there for a reason. Hope all goes well __________________ View My Tanks Click here to Visit FantasyReef

01-10-2007, 08:00 AM	#7
tecwzrd Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: VA Posts: 3,152	I'd go with your original plan of lighting one side of the tank with the MH and the rest with PC and avoid placing the MH directly of the brace. __________________ -Micah- If you haven't figured it out yet I like to BOLD links :P Vote for AA at Aqua Rank

01-09-2007, 01:49 AM	#2
Tomd Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 166	I wouldn't do it I do not think you would be happy in the end. A 55 is not that deep. I would look into 2 150's. Dont cut that center brace it is there for a reason. People have done it but I would not be able to sleep at night..JMO

01-10-2007, 10:50 AM	#8
DragonForce Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 925 Images: 1	This is highly IMO but if you do the single MH go with a 400w so it can cover the whole tank __________________ 37 [acronym="Gallon"]gal[/acronym] all glass 50lb [acronym="Live rock"]LR[/acronym] 3' fine sand bed 1x Orange Stripe Prawn shrimp goby, 1x sixline wrassemated pair of true percula clowns, 1x CBS shrimp, 2x peppermint shrimp, 1x pistol shrimp, 1x tiger tale [acronym="Sea cucumber"]cuke[/acronym], ~20+ snails, ~10+ hermits, 1xserpent star. green Bubble coral, hammer coral (8 heads!) ,various Zoos,green finger leather, green star polpys ,[acronym="Mushroom coral"]shrooms[/acronym] 175w 10k [acronym="Metal halide light"]MH[/acronym] 28w actinic [acronym="Actinic lighting"]03[/acronym] 2x maxi jett 1200 Prizm skimmer (modded) Hagen powerfilter(for running carbon 24/7) nano arctica chiller

01-10-2007, 01:09 PM	#9
melosu58 SW 10 yrs and over Community Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Richmond Va Posts: 11,994 Images: 73	The only problem is if you use the single light then the braces will cause shadows in your tank. These shadow areas will not be recieving enough light. __________________ View My Tanks Click here to Visit FantasyReef

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