how long do you leave your mh's on?

angry gary · 08-23-2006, 10:34 PM

i am going to get the current hqi 150 w triple mh's. the tank will be a 220 ,(72x24x24).how long should i leave the mh's on during an average day. i will have some softies in the tank and probably an anemone or two. but mostly fish.
also too it comes with 4-96w actinics. should i change 2 of the actinics to 10k's? if i am not to have the mh's on all day wouldn't the 2 10k's 96w bulbs be the proper thing?

i am getting more confused as the more i read here! but its a good kinda confused!

ANGRY GARY

PelagicMagic · 08-23-2006, 10:56 PM

If its going to be mostly fish then it really does not matter how long you keep the lights on. I would say 5-6 hrs. I run my light 6 hrs. The soft corals wont be as dependent on high intensity light as the hard corals are. If you ever plan on keeping sps you might want stronger lights but you could get away with placing them very high up in the tank. I would leave the actinics in but if they are on seperate ballasts you can have 2 96w actinics and 2 96 watt 10k's

jdbassin · 08-23-2006, 11:01 PM

i run mine 6 hrs for the mh 10 on yhe pc aco3

jd

yellow submarine · 08-23-2006, 11:03 PM

please dont take offense to this statement....

....but are you ready to manage a 220? such a big tank for a guy asking some beginner questions.

you're gonna burn up some serious cash to recover from the rookie mistakes we have all made.....but amplified with a 220

this hobby is a learned-skill.... unfortunately the learing part is an outlay of serious cash

lighting = 6 -8 hours

dont change out actinics...that wavelength of light is needed...the light mfgr has a ratio they want you to use so dont upset the balance.

angry gary · 08-23-2006, 11:11 PM

hey fishy,
don't worry about me. i have had many salt aquariums over the years.(i have had anywhere from a 7 gal. to a 265 in the past) i appreciate the concern. i am new to mh's thats all. i have run vho's and i have a pc set up now on a 55 reef. i am asking simple (or maybe stupid questions in your opinion)questions now so to avoid mistakes down the road.
i was always taught that the only stupid questions are the ones you DON'T ask!!
and as for the skimmers i am upgrading to a more efficient model now that i have a little more spending money.
cut me slack ok?

ANGRY GARY

yellow submarine · 08-23-2006, 11:16 PM

i'm sorry to have upset you gary.... your question is not stupid at all.... i just got the overall feeling like this was your first SW tank... severely bad call on my part.

i was just pointing out that a 220 to start is way too much pressure for a beginner.

you, of course, are not a beginner.... so allow me to RETRACT my statement questioning your abilities.

again, very sorry

angry gary · 08-23-2006, 11:22 PM

its all good! i didn't take any offense. it actually is a 180,(i goofed there!).and i appreciate the bluntness. the last thing i need is a candy-coated answer to a question.if i am planning on doing a stupid thing i want to know before hand.

no apology needed but i accept it just the same.

AG

Wiskey · 08-23-2006, 11:22 PM

With only 3, 150W MH over a 220 I would run them 10 hours per day, and the 03 atinic for 12.

If you don't have the lights yet (I take it you might not because of your other thread) I would seriously recommend looking into 250W MH, this will give you the option to later keep Clams, LPS, SPS whatever you want.

I've seen the output of 150Wers, and measured them with my Lux meter, even with the 10K bulbs they put out much less light then I would have expected.

Just food for thought, since the price for upgrading to 250 right now is not much, far lower than the price of selling this later and getting a whole new hood should you decide to try corals other than softies.

HTH,
Whiskey

VWD · 08-24-2006, 12:02 AM

I agree that 3 250 will be better and if the price is in Your budget,I don't think the cost will be that much more. But even the 3 150's will work out on that tank, You will have a big and deep tank but at the same time alot of rock , I take it, You can place the corals where they need to be, I have a 90 which is a pretty deep tank and run 2 150 HQI's. They work good, corals that need high light go to the top of rock and the others lower.

Fly Guy · 08-24-2006, 12:22 AM

No WONDER Garys so ANGRY

sorry, couldnt help it

but seriously, good show on both your parts coming forward on a misunderstanding. Thats a prime example of the difference between TRT and RC discussions.

angry gary · 08-24-2006, 01:11 AM

i plan on having roughly 220 lbs. of live rock. i currently have 70 pounds cooking and will pick up another 150 when i am ready to cook some more. and i do not plan to add any sps or lps corals in the future. i like my corals to be soft and cuddly!
but this tank will mainly be a swim tank for a couple tangs. i would like to get another emperor angel too. many years ago a wholesale distributor had one the size of a half dollar that they received from their overseas suppliers and they did not think it was going to make it. i got it for $5! when i broke that tank down a few years later he was the fattest and most colorful fish in the tank! the family really enjoyed watching the maturation of him. we had a maroon clown that followed him around like a remora!
i gotta go 'cause i'm gettin' a little teary-eyed

(not so ) angry gary

PelagicMagic · 08-24-2006, 07:01 AM

3 150's are fine if you are not going to get into corals. I have grown mushrooms under almost no lighting. It sounds like a FO tank so you should be fine. Switching out the actinics wont make any difference but I would leave them in for your viewing pleasure, actinics will also bring out the color in some fish

tdwyatt · 08-24-2006, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angry gary

i plan on having roughly 220 lbs. of live rock. i currently have 70 pounds cooking and will pick up another 150 when i am ready to cook some more. and i do not plan to add any sps or lps corals in the future. i like my corals to be soft and cuddly!...

Plenty of point-sourced light for a tank setup for this type of biotope. Run the MH in the middle peak of your day to simulate high noon overhead light for 6 or 8 hrs, and run some VHO or PC for the entire day to round out your total 12 hr photoperiod to simulate both dawn and dusk intensities.

HTH

partobe · 08-24-2006, 09:00 AM

Gary I don't want to make you angry by hijacking your thread but just wanted to ask do I have enough light. 150 gallon with 2 175 watt mh 15000k

PelagicMagic · 08-24-2006, 09:04 AM

what are you keeping coral wise?