[loki]

We are converting a 90 gal fish only to a reef tank. We have had good luck with a reef only in a 29 gal tank and that has inspired us to convert the 90 gal to a reef only. my wife and 17 yr old son are the "know it alls" and I am the bank. It was recommended by a local guru to purchase a 48" 560w Current USA Outer Orbit Metal Halide/PC Strip
2x150w HQI MH, 2x130w Dual Actinic PCs, 6 Lunars, Fan. Do we really need to spend 700.00 on a lighting system? Any input would be appreciated.

[dhboyd1]

I am not a big fan of metal halides because of the heat and electricity they use but they sure look good on your tank. I recommend 8 light T5's for your tank which will give you 432 watts or 4.8 watts per gallon of clean lighting. They run cooler, cost less to run and the bulbs don't need to be changed but every 18-24 months. The 8 light Tek will cost around $600. If you aren't going to have anything that needs really intense lighting then the 4 light unit at $500 will work well too.

Welcome to RB by the way.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I agree with the other Dale.Have a look at the units on this site.look closely at the t-5 vho retro kits.Any t-5 unit you choose should have single lamp reflectors for peak efficiency.When you look at the retro kits look at the uvl bulbs under "bulb selection".
T5HO Retro Kits - DIYReef

[loki]

metal halides, good or bad? if money is no factor that is

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Heat is the issue that keeps me away from mh.About 1/3 of the mh users(never really did a survey) have to buy chillers for 300+$'s.But I guess if the wife and kid want them....you are stuck lol.

[loki]

hmmm, even if you raise the light up with the legs, you still may need the chiller? another thing, i told my wife that the electric company will tell the police we are probably growing pot in our house with the use of halides. lol.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Hmmmmmmmmmm.....for growing "plants" I recomend 6500k lol.Well there are other options besides a chiller.You could set your a/c on 65.You could run large fans across the top of the water(have lots of top off water on hand for this plan).You could put jars of ice in the sump.You could use HQI or double ended metel halide bulbs because there fixtures come with glass uv filters between the tank and bulb.If you use low wattage circulation pumps like hydor koralia and a low wattage return pump from the sump you might be ok.If you are going to have a sump make it as big as possable to increase your water volume and to have a large fuge.The simplest solution is get either a 6 bulb t-5 vho retro kit for 510 watts or an 8 bulb t-5 ho fiture for 432 watts.tek lite makes a fixture with single lamp reflectors and the Ice cap t-5 vho only comes that way.

[wesley6610]

Originally Posted by loki

hmmm, even if you raise the light up with the legs, you still may need the chiller? another thing, i told my wife that the electric company will tell the police we are probably growing pot in our house with the use of halides. lol.

T5's are going to be more than enough for your needs, pot included. I was considering MH until NATIVEVAMAN put me onto this same website and I'm very happy I listened. What you also have to consider is the depth of your tank and ultimately what you want to keep on the bottom as to whether MH are even necessary and the additional money for a chiller is needed.

[dhboyd1]

I don't have a chiller on my 55 but will have on my 90. My 55 has a small fan from target located at the hight of the lights that is connected to the timer for my daytime lights. My tank stays on-average 76 deg and that is here in Florida and my house temp is set to 76 during the day. On the down side I loose 1 gal of water to evaporation every day.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

It seems to me that 76 degrees is a bit to cool.What kind of lights are you using?