Ok need some Metal Halide help/recommendation
- Thread starter MikeC
- Start date
- Location
- Deer Park,Long Island,11729
- Location
- Deer Park,Long Island,11729
Why is this so confusing ?
Ok I know I want to use Radium bulb 20k but should i go with 150,175,250?
Does Radium even make a 150w or a 175w?
Should I just go with the 250w and just have it 24" above the tank?
Which would be best on the 24x24x10 30 gal shallow tank?
Then it is my understanding that a radium bulb needs a HQI pulse-start ballast to run it at its full potential.
Can any one recomend a proper ballast ?
Ok I know I want to use Radium bulb 20k but should i go with 150,175,250?
Does Radium even make a 150w or a 175w?
Should I just go with the 250w and just have it 24" above the tank?
Which would be best on the 24x24x10 30 gal shallow tank?
Then it is my understanding that a radium bulb needs a HQI pulse-start ballast to run it at its full potential.
Can any one recomend a proper ballast ?
- Location
- port jefferson sta, NY
Mike the radium bulb needs a pulse start to fire correctly, there are a few electronic ballasts out there that have a " hqi" setting which fires the bulb perfect, lumatek is one of them, or you can get a magnetic ballast also. The only radium bulb that has that color people tslj about is the 250, or 400 wt se mogul bulb, the 150 de does not look like a radium 250 watt bulb. Get the 250, I used the 250 on my frag tank that was 24x16x8, I hung it high that's all, another benefit is the heat isn't an issue at those heights, hth
- Location
- Deer Park,Long Island,11729
Thanks Rob 
- Location
- Westchester, N.Y
Mike, nice looking tank. But shouldn't you decide first what you are going to put in that tank? Or MH is what you want either way. Tank of that size to have MH will evaporate water faster and run hot. It's very confusing but decide want you are going to put into the tank. Any thoughts on Kessil 350a or new 360. Would be a nice fit for that tank. I did same thing you are doing. I had a 27 cube and using it as QT for SPS. Than going to use it for frags. Once done Qt will connect it to main tank so I don't need to buy all the other equipment. Than upgrade.....good luck
- Location
- Kings Park, NY
Again if he uses a lumenbrite heat WILL NOT be an issue. Light spill may be a factor but heat will not. I can hold my hand AWL under my 250w halide all day without anything happening. Why is that? It's 16" off the water. Tank has yet to top 83 and that is with a full canopy. And before anyone says that's too hot I have seen ZERO issues from it. You won't be sorry Mike. And that's gonna be one sweet little setup.
- Location
- Deer Park,Long Island,11729
Well this tank was original going to be set up because of Aefw in my DT.
I found eggs on a coral that I threw out. I also removed acro's and dipped what was not encrusted, I found 3 adults that came off after dipping on a acro that was next to the stag that had the eggs.
The next day the two acro colonies that I dipped looked like s#it! So in the trash they went.
It has been two weeks and everything looks great, turkey basting every night and dare I say I have not seen any signs or aefw.
The plan originally was when I found the aefw, I was going to put my acros in the 30 rimless as a quarantine tank and dip every week for a month or two,leaving the DT acro free and letting the aefw die off (I think they die off in 5 days with out food and the eggs hatch in 25 days)
There is no real way for me to plum this into my DT and not really comfortable or confident having it attached ,to me it defeats the purpose of a Qt so now for me it must be a seperate system.
Ok so now the thought process turned into a sepret system but to have it stable for sps to be QT'ed in.
I did not want to spend all the money for a proper setup that basically was a empty tank . I mean how manny acros does one get at a time to QT ?
So I was thinking to set this tank up as a LPS tank or should I just say a acro free tank.
Then when I get a acro I want to QT I will just dip and place it in this tank .
I will keep it in there for a month or two dipping and inspecting weekly to prevent aefw defore placing it in the DT.
I always wanted to try MH and definitely see a upgrade at some point in the distant future of my DT (and since the old-lady said no at this time for the upgrade:irked
I see no reason I cant set up this "needed" 30 rimless/QT and turn it into a perfect opportunity to play with MH.:link:
Sound like a plan?
- Location
- Deer Park,Long Island,11729
Call it what you want Curiosity/Bordum/Because I can?
Maybe it's just me getting older and I have a quest for the tried and true?
Nestalgic maybe?
Have you tried both? Do you know wich I would like better or if the colors are going to get even better or maybe they will grow better/faster? The point is I don't know and I'm going to find out
Does that help you
- Location
- Deer Park,Long Island,11729
Ps the MH are not for my DT they are for a 30 gal rimless build
Call it what you want Curiosity/Bordum/Because I can?
Maybe it's just me getting older and I have a quest for the tried and true?
Nestalgic maybe?
Have you tried both? Do you know wich I would like better or if the colors are going to get even better or maybe they will grow better/faster? The point is I don't know and I'm going to find out
Does that help you
its not the light its the reefer. you will have successes with any of these light. :skull:
i have been an led guy all along seeing ur tank makes me think led have potential. but i do see alot of successful tank with radium.
tagging along :tongue1:
- Location
- Deer Park,Long Island,11729
Thank you but if you have never had MH how can you make that statement ? Lol
Thank you for your confidence in me and I'm sure it will be a cool adventure
- Location
- port jefferson sta, NY
Mike that reefbrite pendant looks promising, wonder if the 250 se has a ballast that can fire a radium bulb?
- Location
- Westchester, N.Y
Mike, down the road you what to upgrade. What size tank are you thinking?
- Location
- Deer Park,Long Island,11729
Was thinking maybe a 60x36x24 starfire ?
- Location
- port jefferson sta, NY
The 36" depth is awesome!! I love my deep dimension
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