Offsetting a Metal Halide Bulb... How would it look?

[workingmal]

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out the best lighting for a 65-gallon aquarium (36"x18"x24"). If the aquarium we end up with doesn't have a cross brace then we'll center the single 175w metal halide bulb. Along with it we'll probably run two 95w VHO actinics. How does this sound?

However, there is a possibility (even a likelihood) that we'll end up with an All-Glass or other tank that does have a center brace. In this case, the metal halide would have to be positioned right over the brace... Would this create a shadow because of the brace?

Lastly, we had the idea to offset the metal halide bulb, as in not center it, but rather position it in the left half of the tank. What would this effect be like? Has anyone done this? Turn off one of your halides and let me know if it looks good, frustrating, what. I thought it might look neat, and low light corals would be positioned in the darker half of the tank.

Thanks!

 

[reefrunner69]

1) I would go with a 250W or a 400W on a 65g.

2) The center brace will cause an awful shadow, but there are 65g tanks out there that don't use center braces I have one, but I got it second hand and for the life of me couldn't tell you the manufacturer

3) never done it, but I imagine in a 36" tank it wouldn't be nearly as noticable as say turning off 1 of 2 on a 4ft tank. One side may be noticably brighter than the other and you would have some spillage from the left side panel of the tank.

There is a possibility of doing 2 X 175W, butt the ends of the mogul bases against each other where the base is over the center brace, and the tank would be very well lit and no shadow

 

[workingmal]

Thanks Kevin!

You don't think 2 175's would be too bright? Would we still be able to keep mushrooms and polyps in there with that much light over the tank?

 

[reefrunner69]

No I don't think it would be too bright, and I think shrooms and stuff would be fine in there. If the lower light stuff gets annoyed you can partially shade it or move it to the bottom of the tank. The lighting will not be very intense with 175s at the bottom of that tall a tank.