minimum safety height for mh

[oldManReefer]

I will be setting up my first salt tank ever over the next few months. Currently asking some hardware questions.

Have nice place for 20g but would be limited to 3" to 4" clearance between bottom of 175 10000K and top of tank. Dangerouos? Foolhardy?

Could go with 110pc but think the 175 would be more versatile and look better. Don't want to cook anything.

Michael

 

[Anonymous]

That would be fine however youre gonna need either 1) a chiller or 2) some fans placed around the tank directed at the lights to prevent over heating from the MH..MH's put out a good amount of heat that would easily warm up your tank above temp standards, especially at that height...I have mine 8" above with no temp issues but any lower I would have to compensate...

HTH

Oh yeah welcome to Reefs.org

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Mine's about 8" off the water too. The only thing I would be concerned with is the possibility of water splashing up on the bulb. The bulb might break - glass in the tank.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm gonna put my 250 about 6" off the water...I anticipate no problems at all...

Peace,

Chip

 

[coralfarmin]

hey
I put a 175 20k over my little girls 10gal nano..about 6" above the water..I mounted a small fan behind it..it dont heat but evaporates alot when the halide was run
currently I dont run the halide over it and removed the corals cause my little girl is only going on three and likes to over feed her fish

 

[Anonymous]

i've always positioned the halides i've used as close as possible to the water-usually 2-3" between the waterline and the outer glass of the bulb

i had up to 2x 175 watt halides over a 20 long-needed some badass fans though, on the canopy, even w/a 29 gallon sump below

having said that, many things will do better under flouros in a nano than you might think :wink: