Halide and VHO placement?

[bigjohn]

Hey all!!!

I am working on a new canopy for my 135 gallon reef "wannabe" tank. The footprint is 72" long and 18" back-to-front.

I have ordered and installed 2 spider reflectors (16" L X 13" W X 3" H) to mount 250 W metal halides. I also want to add 2 or 3 70" VHOs in the hood for actinic supplementation, and I can't figure out the best way to arrange them.

There appears to be enough room to place them alongside the halide bulbs with about 2" clearance between the halide bulb and the VHO tube. Is this enough space??

If I mount the VHOs on each side of the reflectors, the VHO light will be partially blocked by the reflectors.

I know some others have done this. PLEEEASE give me some ideas!!!

[Doug1]

a 6' tank will be better served with 3 MH but then you may have a shadow from the center brace
What color temp bulbs are you planning on using? Any chance of getting a pic of your canopy setup, so we can see what mounting options you have ?

[Imaexpat2]

You will have a shadow from the center brace with just two Halides. I have basically the same arrangemnet that you have. However instead of using the typical retro fit Halides I used two 400 watt Horizontal pendents. I have my VHO tubes mounted at the back of the tank and placed my halides infront of these. That seems to work out the best out of the various arrangements that I tried. This allows for pretty decent lighting when the halides arent fired up. Using this arrangement, I am able to run the two pendents and two VHO tubes comfortably. Using three tubes...I would have had to get creative to fit it in the canopy. Just some food for thought.

[Geoff]

i have a 125g same as the 135g. i have a center brace so i also went with 2 400w MH. centered over the openings. this works pretty well. i was also only able to fit 2 actinics in the hood. this is not a problem unless you want to use iwasaki's. these need to have 4 actinics to counteract the 400w iwasaki's. now 2 actinics may look fine with the 250w iwasaki's.

G~

[wanareef]

I have a 6' tank too- long and narrow sucks but that's all I had for now.
I have 2 250w Sakis and have 4 6' URI super actinics. The URI's are just inches ("2) on either side of the Sakis, under the spider and have no problems. I used a dual end cap on either side. There is a center brace over the tank, but I just keep softies there and clams. Making sure the clams get some light and are doing just great there.

[bigjohn]

Thanks all!

Wanareef,

Did I understand correctly that you have 4 VHOs (2 on each side of the halides)? I am not familiar with double endcaps. Are these made by Icecap? How far apart are the dual VHOs spaced?

THanks,
john

[wanareef]

Big J

Yes, I have 4 URI's , 2 on either side of the MH. This is what I am using The spacing is maybe 1" - 1.5" between bulbs. And, yes these are Icacap Endcaps

HTH

[bigjohn]

COOOL!!

Maybe I'm not quite finished yet

[Geoff]

have you looked at the T-5 lighting? if you have not ordered the VHO's yet, then maybe fitting some of these ultrathin flourescents could do the trick.

G~

[bigjohn]

Not a bad idea, Geoff, but I already have 2 VHOs installed and a 2 year supply of 6 foot tubes.

[Geoff]

i could not tell by your post, whether or not you already bought the VHO's. i am starting to think about the T-5's. i am not getting as good of growth under the 10K's as i did under the iwasaki's. but my wife did not like the looks of the iwasaki's. i am thinking of loading up the hood with a bunch of actinic T-5's and see if that de-yellows it.

G~

[wanareef]

Geoff

What type of actinc's are you using? I have the super actinic's by URI in conjunction with the 250w saki's.

[Geoff]

that is what i have, the problem is i am using 400w iwasaki's.

G~