Stick With Radions Or Go To Mh

[derrick orosz]

how much do ya want for the radions?

 

[reef keeper]

1200 for the 3 including hangings kits. They are awesome for lps and softies

 

[barebottomcouple]

Any more photos of your lighting setups?

I have a plastic center brace in the middle of my tank. MH will melt this right?

I found 2 mh pendants on line used. I don't know how to light the middle or where the T5s would go. Ugh

id centre the mh one over each large opening and run t5's along the front and back ask barebottom for specifics thats all they use

that is exactly what I do mh over openings and actinic t5 over full length and the dark between I had cheap leds but now another strip of white t5's

 

[reef keeper]

My openings are 3 ft long lol. I have that centre brace. So just center the MH and then run the t5 around them? Can you get 6 ft t5 or am I better with 3 ft t5 I'm going to have to DIY this into my canopy for now. I was imagining 2 bulbs in one holder ahead and behind the mh on each side? The t5 are supplemental then.

 

[barebottomcouple]

My openings are 3 ft long lol. I have that centre brace. So just center the MH and then run the t5 around them? Can you get 6 ft t5 or am I better with 3 ft t5 I'm going to have to DIY this into my canopy for now. I was imagining 2 bulbs in one holder ahead and behind the mh on each side? The t5 are supplemental then.

yes I run 3 footers 2 bulbs against the wall and 2 bulbs on the room side and they run the full the full 6 foot length they are all actinic.. they are on 13 hours and the mh (which are 14000k) are on 12 hours

 

[reef keeper]

I feel dumb. Total of 4 on the wall side? Or 2 single 36 total on the wall side. Where did you get the refit kits. And they primarily are to fill in right

 

[barebottomcouple]

yes 4 4 footers 2 on left and 2 on right full length of tank I didn't retro fit the t5's they where in the 3 foot hoods I ought I retro fitted the mh's it had 175's with magnetic internal ballasts I replaced them with 250 mh and external electronic ballasts

 

[reef keeper]

Ok. I think I have this finally lol

 

[curiousphil]

You said that you found used MH pendants already? The only suggestion I would make for your size of tank is to get the biggest reflectors possible so that you get nice even coverage. I was originally thinking of using 2 reflectors for my six foot tank but decided to go for 3 instead since I don't have a center brace to contend with.

 

[reef keeper]

I'm going to take a look at them hopefully today. That center brace is going to cause me some issues. How do you suggest I get around that little issue. I don't thing I can hang a MH over it.

 

[curiousphil]

I'm going to take a look at them hopefully today. That center brace is going to cause me some issues. How do you suggest I get around that little issue. I don't thing I can hang a MH over it.

Just nice big reflectors should do the trick, raised as high up as possible. And maybe try to keep sps away from the middle unless you already have some there.

How do you currently have the 3 radions hung?

 

[reef keeper]

I have one right over the middle brace. Lol

 

[curiousphil]

Ah ok that makes sense since they have their diodes in two clusters don't they...

I just PMed you this info but figure it might also be handy for anyone else who is thinking about setting up halides. Here's some articles that compare how different reflectors perform with regards to light spread and intensity:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/3/aafeature
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/review
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/3/aafeature

And this page is a great resource which summarizes all of the MH research done by Sanjay Joshi:
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/lighting

There used to be a great java applet that let you compare spectral plots of various bulb/ballast combos but they recently broke it...

 

[reef keeper]

What type of reflectors are you using? I need to get my wife to get into me going up to a 180

 

[curiousphil]

I have 2 of the Lumenarc III reflectors that I mentioned above, and one Hamilton Cabo Sun (full size not mini) reflector for the middle. The Lumenarcs are no longer available new but are a great design that hit the sweet spot between intensity and spread.

Other excellent choices if Lumenarcs cannot be found used are the Lumen Bright and Lumen Max Elite reflectors.

One thing to note is that these are very large reflectors and will occupy most of the real estate above a tank that is 24 inches front to back, so they may not fit in all canopies.

 

[reef keeper]

This 18" dimension SUCKS

 

[bart84]

For Ur t5's look into sunblasters. Quick and easy to instal and fairly in exspensive. That is what I have on my frag tank.

 

[jeffopentax]

+1 on sunblasters. My entire tank is lit with them. Very versatile.

 

[reef keeper]

Ok. I'll look at the blasters

 

[reef keeper]

Picked up 2 250 w halides today. Getting the pfo pendants and wiring in the T5s. I'm going to start a thread in members tanks with pics and we can compare growth