Metal Halide?

[pike]

Okay, I decide to go with atleast 250w of metal halide light for about 2 feet+ of one side of my 125gal. Its 6 feet long, and about 22 inchs tall.

Now, I have heard that 10k lights will be the best for the growth of corals and give off mostly a white light. Where the other end of the spectrum 20k light will give slower growth, but better color in the blue range.

Now how fast is good growth such with a 10k, 1/2 inch a month....? less?
How much growth will a 20k give say in a month, 1/4 inch...? less?

I guess I could just "BUST 'EM OFF"????????? Did I just say that. Oh No. here it comes
The tank is only 22 inchs tall without L.S. and L.R.
If I get the 10k light will the coral grow out of my tank in no time?
Will a coral ever grow out of the water. Because I would think that is not good.

Now on the color aspect of things. Will the 20k only help the water with blue atinics? Or will the Atinics help my corals with their color ect. as well.

I also was thinking if the growth with the 10k light is not as bad as I may think it is (OUT OF CONTROL) if you will.
I may go with another 175w ballast with a 20k light for the atinic. For a total of 425w.
Will 425 watts be to much on the 22 inchs of water? Could I ever have to many watts and or lumes, for that much water?
Well There!! I hope you can answer ALL my questions. If you have the time. Thanks, Pike

 

[drillsar]

Let me ask you a ? and know im not steering you away from halides. But Halides can heat up your water fast and you probably may need a chiller/temp control

T5 Lights are good theres a good tank I can show you what you can do with just a t5 setup. Metal Halides are the best but in long run expensive to run, etc.

Just wondering have you looked at t5 setups?

 

[pike]

No I hav'nt look at t5. I have considered compact, and vho.
But if I have to buy bulbs for these lights every six months or so.
and MH lights last much much longer. The cost of the MH works out less ten years down the road.
I will go with something other then MH on the other 2/3 of the tank.
I only want reef/Liverock on 1/3-1/2 of my 125gal.
so I am thinking one 250w MH and then a 4 foot vho or PC or something floresncent.
Now VHO will give more bang for my buck as far as watts and lumes or will T5?
I want to keep spf corals can I do that with T5 and no MH?
My house stays 68-70 year round. and I will be running my 55gal sump and fuge in another room that stays cooler then that.
I'm not trying to say that I know heat will not be a problem, I don't know that. I am trying to fig. out before I set it all up
Send some pic to e-mail or give me links I will follow up. I really Care about my fish and want a nice problem free tank. Thanks for the help

 

[pike]

Could you maybe answer some of my other ouestions?

 

[drillsar]

Well MH is the best I cant argue that but there is other Lights that are almost as good without heat problems

T5 give off alot of light and give off little heat, There was a guy on reefcentral that had his tank out of t5 it was gorgeous.

MH will heat up your water in your tank they get very hot. SPF corals you can go with t5.

theres a good forum of this on reefcentral.com that may ask your questions. They have alot of lighting experts and can show you what t5 can do.

Or if you have a LFS that has different lighting in there tanks take a look at them and decide. Everyone has there own opinion on lighting. I use PC right now but going t5 very shortly.

 

[drillsar]

I can say this t5 give off more light per square inch then do PC and take less wattage. If you go t5 make sure that each bulb has its own reflector.

 

[drillsar]

Heres one that use t5 and halides.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/totm/index.php

 

[pike]

ah, I guess you may not of looked at the website as well as you should of or you gave me the wrong link. Because this reef is using MH. Looked like 3 bulbs at 250w a piece. For 12 Hrs a day

 

[melosu58]

One question you asked is will a coral grow out of the water. No

 

[Feron]

One question you asked is will a coral grow out of the water. No

Ok, sorry to threadjack...
Why?
Die off at the waterline or something?

 

[drillsar]

That tank uses both metal halides and t5, Im trying to find one that uses only t5 it was a awesome tank.

 

[cmor1701d]

I couldn't find a decent T5 for a 72" tank so I got the Coralife Aqualight Pro HQI /CF fixture.

Also on the T5 an individual reflector will not be nearly as good as an individual parabolic (M shaped, bulb in the center) reflector. There is a big difference in light output between them.

 

[pike]

No, I haven't started keeping SPFs corals yet.
But I wanted to know if it could happen "If a hard coral will continue to grow until it comes out of the water"

 

[pike]

I am now look at a two 250w bulb setup MH Total 500w

 

[pike]

Witch "VHO T12" T8, T5, compact, satellite?
Because I will need fluorescence still for more atinics.