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3K views 25 replies 8 participants last post by  Joel 
#1 ·
hi all, for those of you who are running hqi's how do you like them and do you have any other supplemental with them as well.
i am try to decide whether to go with a retro 250 watt 10k mogal
with pc's for supplement if needed of go with 2 - 250 watt 10k hqi pendants . also how long do hqi's last . which ballast would be best to go with for hqi's also . my tank is a 150 gal. 4'x2'x 30" high. i am going to make a canopy with a open top and back and hang the pendants from a 1x4 or so that runs down the center of the canopy do you think i would still need fans or would this be enough ventilation .sorry about the rambling on just have a lot of questions. thanks in advance
 
#2 ·
On my 58 (36x18x21), I have a 250W HQI PFO pendant and ballast. I also have 2 95W VHO actinics to add a little flouresce to the corals. I LOVE the color, nice crisp white.

I have the pendant hanging in a custom canopy as well. I have 2 3 - inch fans in the canopy. I will probably replace them with 4 inch fans (more air flow) next summer.
 
#6 ·
I have a pair of 150 W hqis with magnetic ballests and ushio 10K bulbs that I really like. They are supplemented with 2 30 W t-8 actinics and all are mounted in a 4 ft fixture made by aquaclear. I bought the unit used with a previous tank, and will probably never go back to mogul base halides. This fixture is suspended from the ceiling about 8" off the water over a 135 gal. 6 ft long tank. I have been told by 2 lfs that I could easily go 15-18 months without replacing the bulbs. (not entirely sure I'll let them go that long). Even under only 150s I've had a deresa for 2 months now on the sandbed that is growing and looking great, and a crocea I got 1 1/2 weeks ago that is looking better than it was in the lfs. I had a purple tipped acro frag that turned bown after I put it under my old regular halides (Feb), When I changed tanks in April the acro turned back to its original color within 3 weeks. IMO they are great lights and until there is something better that I can afford I'll stick with them.
 

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#9 ·
The ballast box is sitting on top of a cabinet next to the tank (will soon be relocated under the stand on a shelf just for it). It does get very hot though. The light is suspended above the water about 8" and the entire top and back of the canopy is open. I have seen a max of .6 degrees fluctuation according to my digital thermometers since doing this setup. On the previous tank (90 bowfront) I had the lights sitting directly on top of the tank (1"-1.5" from the water surface) in the tank moulding and had a 2.5-3.5 degree temp swing and that was even with a 8" fan blowing on the sump 24/7.
 
#15 ·
hi joel...

my light fixture is about 3"above water.
i don't have any fish or corals on it right now...still cycling (2 weeks)
i have 20 snails and 20 hermit crab...algae control...
i ran the halide for 4 hours a day...
and actinic for 6 hours a day...
i'm kinda new to saltwater...any help or tips will do...

i look around here locally for a replacement bulbs...i can't find any...
my best bet is online store...any suggestion?

thanks.
jun
 
#16 ·
Hamilton sells the bulbs under their name but when you get them they are Ushio bulbs. If you can't find them pm me and I'll give you the name and phone number where I bought mine.
 
#18 ·
mtkas29,
As far as tips, read, read, read. There is a list of recommended books under the heading Books at the top of this page. If you can't find what you're looking for or just don't like reading feel free to start a new thread on whatever the current problem is or you can pm me if you want. I am in no way an expert so you will probably get better advice from others on the board by starting a thread. Good Luck and welcome to TRT
 
#20 ·
ballast: icecap HQI, it has high sweeping frequency as part of its normal function, it will fire any bulb (I have not found one that it will not fire yet) and they run cool and are quiet. Long term it would prolly take 4 years at 6cents a kwhr to pay the difference, but if you can affort it, these are definitely the way to go.

I run Iwasaki 6500K and VHO's on the display tank, 2 of the 12kK sunbursts on the prop system, both with mogul sockets.
the new tank will have Iwasaki bulbs as well with vho actinic supps, although I may consider the double ended HQI's for this system alone.
 
#24 ·
I use DE 250W HQI's and 150w HQI's on my system. I also have a few 400W mogul's on the system. I absolutely love the 250W DE AB's If I could only run one bulb that would be it.

Regarding penetration. I have a T. maxima that has been on the sandbed for over a year. It is located 32" below a 250W DE AB bulb and is... happy as a clam :)
 
#26 ·
I noticed tremendous growth increase when I went from 175W MH (mogul) to the lesser wattage 150W HQIs. And also in a tank that was 6 inches deeper than my old tank.
 
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