Cooling for 400W MH

[sgc0286]

I was wondering if two of these on my 65 gallong hexagon will be enough for a 400W metal halide.
Aquarium Chiller Marine Fresh DC Cooling Clip FAN 02 !! - eBay (item 400096857509 end time Jan-18-10 08:09:23 PST)

 

[thominil]

How big is your tank, and how deep is it? 400w halides are usually way overkill in most standard tanks and are rarely used.

 

[sgc0286]

My tank is 65gal. 30 inches deep.

 

[sgc0286]

Perhaps I should of gone with the 250, but I have been told that that would not be enough. Oh well.

 

[thominil]

A 2x250w unit would have worked out better if your tank is 48" long. Is there any way you can send your 400w fixture back and exchange it for a 250w? I would fear burning everything in the tank with the 400w fixture as that is too much light IMO.

 

[sgc0286]

My tank is a hexagon. Cant exchange, bought from some guy, got the pendant and ballast for 120. So If I have to I will just sell it and look for somthing else.

 

[thominil]

I just looked up the dimensions on 65g hex tanks, seems like they are all 24" tall and 36" wide so you would be able to get by with a T5 HO fixture which would eliminate the need of a chiller, they are cheaper to run, and they are usually cheaper than most halide setups. Try the Current USA Nova Extreme Pro 6x39w T5 HO fixture. It should allow you to keep almost anything you want. SPS coral would need to be placed in the upper regions of the tank though.

Just double check the dimensions on your tank to make sure that it is definately 36" wide and 24" tall. If they match up, you are good to go.

36" 6x39W Nova Extreme PRO T5HO 3x10k/3x460nm Actinics by Current USA*(1080) - AquaCave

 

[sgc0286]

My tank is 29.5 inches deep, I said 30 to make it more simple. It is pretty old so maybe they dont make them that way any more. T5HO is definately my preference but with that depth, they will not penatrate.

 

[thominil]

Well then a 250w halide would be best. I would just resell the 400w pendant unless you could swap the 400w ballast out for a 250w ballast, but I am doubtful. Grab a 250w pendant and stick a 14k 250w phoenix bulb in it. HTH.

 

[sgc0286]

Okay, thanks for the help. Interested in a 400W MH set up? LOL.

 

[thominil]

No problem. No thanks lol! Ebay and craigslist are always a good place to start. Local reef club members or LFS may be interested too. Never hurts to ask around.

 

[ccCapt]

Well then a 250w halide would be best. I would just resell the 400w pendant unless you could swap the 400w ballast out for a 250w ballast, but I am doubtful. Grab a 250w pendant and stick a 14k 250w phoenix bulb in it. HTH.

I disagree. You will not get good light penetration at 30" deep with a 250w MH. T5HO will not penetrate that deep, but if you only want corals in the top 1/2 of your tank, they would be OK.

The fans you linked to would probably work fine, but go to your local ACE Hardware, Lowes or HD and just get a clip on fan. I use 1 over my sump and it works great.

 

[sgc0286]

So you dont think the 400W will harm anything?

 

[ccCapt]

No. You just have to be minful where you place your corals. You don't want mushrooms or zoas up near the top and SPS down at the bottom.

 

[sgc0286]

Okay thanks. One more question. What kind of bulb would you recommend? Mine busted in transit...

 

[thominil]

I disagree. You will not get good light penetration at 30" deep with a 250w MH. T5HO will not penetrate that deep, but if you only want corals in the top 1/2 of your tank, they would be OK.

The fans you linked to would probably work fine, but go to your local ACE Hardware, Lowes or HD and just get a clip on fan. I use 1 over my sump and it works great.

Ahh I stand corrected then . I was looking at 30" deep 150g's and was told to stay away from 400w halides as they would be too much light, and that 250w would be best.

 

[ccCapt]

Okay thanks. One more question. What kind of bulb would you recommend? Mine busted in transit...

Exactly what type of ballast do you have? If it's the Blueline electronic ballast, for a white look and killer PAR (140 PPFD), the Ushio 14k is a nice bulb with a true color of 15,441K. For a more blue look, the XM 20k has OK PAR (91 PPFD) but will make the colors of the corals really pop.

Ahh I stand corrected then . I was looking at 30" deep 150g's and was told to stay away from 400w halides as they would be too much light, and that 250w would be best.

It all depends on the type of corals you want to keep. At that depth (30") you will not get good penetration with anything less than a 400w MH. I've seen many many people get lighting only to find later on they want higher light demanding corals and end up buying lighting twice.