Matt's 225g Build Thread
- Thread starter meschaefer
- Start date
That seems to be two votes for VHO.
What type of bulb, ballast, reflector combo are you using for your MH and what size VHO?
I won't be using a hood. I am going to make an aluminum frame to mount the reflectors, and suspend the whole thing from the ceiling.
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
When your supps move to the outer edge (front & back) due to the MH reflectors, you will loose a lot of efficient lighting IMO.
Case in point, when I had my 4' 120g set up in LI with a stand & canopy, I was able to have two 110w URI actinics about 5" from the front and from the back. Tank was lit rather nicely and bright. Now that I moved the tank to CT and did a inwall jobby & utilized lumi mini stealths, the spread of the URIs are about an inch from the front and 2" in the back. While you can position the bulbs somewhat because of the internal reflectors, the lighting efficiency has dropped a good amount. I would say close to 30%.
IMO, if you utilize four 39w T5s, it would be even dimmer and a big disappointment unless you overdrive them with an IC ballast. Your T5 reflectors will get very funky if you have them too low to the water surface also.
Case in point, when I had my 4' 120g set up in LI with a stand & canopy, I was able to have two 110w URI actinics about 5" from the front and from the back. Tank was lit rather nicely and bright. Now that I moved the tank to CT and did a inwall jobby & utilized lumi mini stealths, the spread of the URIs are about an inch from the front and 2" in the back. While you can position the bulbs somewhat because of the internal reflectors, the lighting efficiency has dropped a good amount. I would say close to 30%.
IMO, if you utilize four 39w T5s, it would be even dimmer and a big disappointment unless you overdrive them with an IC ballast. Your T5 reflectors will get very funky if you have them too low to the water surface also.
Are you suggesting that I use VHO (That would be Three Votes for VHO, Zero votes for T5), or are you saying that both VHO and T5 are a waste of time?
What ballast and bulb are you using for your MH, and do you run the actinics while the MH are on, or only when the MH are off?
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
1) VHOs
2) You will need supp lighting with your 10k as to not shock the inhabitants and also to keep your 750w of MH on less
3) I use IC with XM 10ks. Tried all the different 12k & 14ks and they are just too dim for me
4) I used to for years run the VHOs for 12 hrs and the MHs for 8 hours together. I now recently changed over to running my VHOs to 10 hours and the MHs to 6 hours. I shut down the VHOs 15 minutes after and before the MHs come on and off. With just the XMs on IC ballast, they are not yellow at all, very crisp white with a smootch of blue IMO.
2) You will need supp lighting with your 10k as to not shock the inhabitants and also to keep your 750w of MH on less
3) I use IC with XM 10ks. Tried all the different 12k & 14ks and they are just too dim for me
4) I used to for years run the VHOs for 12 hrs and the MHs for 8 hours together. I now recently changed over to running my VHOs to 10 hours and the MHs to 6 hours. I shut down the VHOs 15 minutes after and before the MHs come on and off. With just the XMs on IC ballast, they are not yellow at all, very crisp white with a smootch of blue IMO.
Excellent, that is the type of info I am looking for.
Just to clarify... you have a total lighting period of 10 hours, with the VHOs off while the MH are on (except for 15 minutes of overlap on either end of the MH lighting period). So the VHO are on for 2 hours 15 minutes on either side of the 6 hours of MH.
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
Just jumpin' in.
Hey There Matt,
Just cruisin' the board and thought I'd add another 2 cents worth on the lighting issue. I vote actinic VHO + 10k MH.
The nicest SPS tanks I have seen in person all used this combo. That's not to say other tanks with other lighting aren't beautiful; its just that that combo was on the "nicest" tanks that I have seen. Also, I have tried everything from three 1000 watt bulbs (yes Virginia I said 1000 watt) to 150 DE German bulbs to T5 to power compacts to VHOs and my best purple and blue coloration came with actinic VHO + 10k MH. The down side for me is that I don't particularly care for the 10k color, but since the halides are off in the evening I mostly don't notice. As for time on, I played with this as well and although my experience is subjective and impossible to quantify I believe that 6 hours of halides on seems to be the lower limit for good coloration. I am intrigued by the idea of turning the VHOs off while the halides are on that's one I'll have to try myself. I will add that Rick Souta of ReefStuff.com once told me he believes that 1 to 2 hours of pure blue VHO actinic light in the morning and at night are key as well to good coloration. I have zero proof for that also, but if its a myth it is one to which I subscribe as well.
Anyways, there's my 2 cents. Stop by my website BlueFrags.com if you get a sec, and you'll see I have had decent success with coloration and I'm not just blowin' smoke here. In the end though whatever you choose will be fine. That much I'm sure of :smile:
Joe
Hey There Matt,
Just cruisin' the board and thought I'd add another 2 cents worth on the lighting issue. I vote actinic VHO + 10k MH.
The nicest SPS tanks I have seen in person all used this combo. That's not to say other tanks with other lighting aren't beautiful; its just that that combo was on the "nicest" tanks that I have seen. Also, I have tried everything from three 1000 watt bulbs (yes Virginia I said 1000 watt) to 150 DE German bulbs to T5 to power compacts to VHOs and my best purple and blue coloration came with actinic VHO + 10k MH. The down side for me is that I don't particularly care for the 10k color, but since the halides are off in the evening I mostly don't notice. As for time on, I played with this as well and although my experience is subjective and impossible to quantify I believe that 6 hours of halides on seems to be the lower limit for good coloration. I am intrigued by the idea of turning the VHOs off while the halides are on that's one I'll have to try myself. I will add that Rick Souta of ReefStuff.com once told me he believes that 1 to 2 hours of pure blue VHO actinic light in the morning and at night are key as well to good coloration. I have zero proof for that also, but if its a myth it is one to which I subscribe as well.
Anyways, there's my 2 cents. Stop by my website BlueFrags.com if you get a sec, and you'll see I have had decent success with coloration and I'm not just blowin' smoke here. In the end though whatever you choose will be fine. That much I'm sure of :smile:
Joe
- Location
- poughquag, ny
tank
as a ex-t5 user as my only light's i had great color and growth with them. i myself love the t5's and if they made them in the size for my nano would have went with them again. i used the giess antic plus and had great antintic color, i havent had all the different lights as other's and if i had kept old tank would have gotten the 440 or 660 ballast to run them on over drive
as a ex-t5 user as my only light's i had great color and growth with them. i myself love the t5's and if they made them in the size for my nano would have went with them again. i used the giess antic plus and had great antintic color, i havent had all the different lights as other's and if i had kept old tank would have gotten the 440 or 660 ballast to run them on over drive
Joe,
That is a fantastic looking tank, I especially like the progressions shots.
That's another vote for VHO, and it looks like VHO was the hands down favorite for supplemental lighting.
I am going to order a 2 x 160 retrofit. I was looking at icecap ballasts at Marine Depot. I can get an Ice Cap 430, with
Can anyone tell me the difference?
That is a fantastic looking tank, I especially like the progressions shots.
That's another vote for VHO, and it looks like VHO was the hands down favorite for supplemental lighting.
I am going to order a 2 x 160 retrofit. I was looking at icecap ballasts at Marine Depot. I can get an Ice Cap 430, with
- Acrylic mounting bracket/plate
- VHO lamps with 180` internal reflector
- Endcaps
- Wiring harness with quick disconnect
Can anyone tell me the difference?
The 660 is dimmable and controls upto 440 watts. The 430 is not dimmable and controls upto 320 watts. I think that's it, but maybe someone else can add more . . .
Joe
P.S. Thanks for the kudos
Kudos?.... I restrained myself.
Thanks for the ballast info. Dimmable might be worth an extra $20. At 440w, does anybody know if it will overdrive the bulbs?
- Location
- NY
The IC 660 is only dimmable when used in combination with the Blueline Solar 1000
The 660 ballast can be used with up to 4 bulbs totaling 16 linear feet maxing out at 440 watts.
The 430 ballast can be used with up to 4 bulbs totaling 12 linear feet maxing out at 330 watts.
Russ
The 660 ballast can be used with up to 4 bulbs totaling 16 linear feet maxing out at 440 watts.
The 430 ballast can be used with up to 4 bulbs totaling 12 linear feet maxing out at 330 watts.
Russ
Allright, I feel that I have a handle on my lighting, not that things wont evolve over time, but I at least have a place to start.
I have been working hard on getting my stand ready. It looks like the tank will be in place next Saturday. I still have allot of work to do before it will be ready to fill with water, but I am getting there.
Because of the room dimensions, it is hard to get a good picture of the stand. the following picture will give you a good idea of its construction. I have since reinforced it a bit and put 1 1/2 coats of paint on it to help seal it.
I still haven't made a final decision on what to do with my sump, I need to build a plumbing manifold and I need to build a light rack. In my orignal plan I was supposed to be done this weekend, but I am busy and have a tendency to underestimate how long it will take me to do something. Once I have the tank in place, i will order the pieces I need for the plumbing. and get that together along with the sump. That should get the tank up so that it can cycle. I will then work on the lighting rack.
I have been working hard on getting my stand ready. It looks like the tank will be in place next Saturday. I still have allot of work to do before it will be ready to fill with water, but I am getting there.
Because of the room dimensions, it is hard to get a good picture of the stand. the following picture will give you a good idea of its construction. I have since reinforced it a bit and put 1 1/2 coats of paint on it to help seal it.
I still haven't made a final decision on what to do with my sump, I need to build a plumbing manifold and I need to build a light rack. In my orignal plan I was supposed to be done this weekend, but I am busy and have a tendency to underestimate how long it will take me to do something. Once I have the tank in place, i will order the pieces I need for the plumbing. and get that together along with the sump. That should get the tank up so that it can cycle. I will then work on the lighting rack.
It In!!!
Its been awhile since I uploaded some pics, but there wasn't much to show. BUT OH HAPPY DAY...THE TANK IS IN PLACE!
I had the tank stored in my friend's garage, so I needed to rent a van again to move it. I wasn't able to borrow suction cups again, but moving into the van was a piece of cake. I kept the frame we built last time, to keep from sliding around the back of the van, and everything fit into the van without a problem. Piece of cake.
The hard part was when we got it to my place, as it needed to be brought around the side of my house and through a gate which is a very tight space. The scution cups would have been a great help from here on, but we just muscled it. We kind of passed it through the gate and onto a furniture dolly and then rolled it through the gate while my wife placed another dolly underneath it.
We rolled it down the side of my house to a side door leading into the basement. To get it through the door we had to tip it up on its side, rotate it around and then tip it through the door as there was no room to turn the tank through the door. (did that make sense) These pictures where taken from a balcony over where we were working.
Shortly after this point my designated photographer (my wifes friend) had to leave so we don't have too may pictures from this point. After it was through the door, it went back onto the furniture dollies, and over to the the stand. The tank was picked up and passed through the hole in the wall and swiveled into place.
I then went upstairs and made dinner for everybody. When my wife went downstairs later, it hadn't taken long for the cat to hop in for a nap.
Anyway here is a pic of the tank in-wall, and a slightly blurry pic of the tank from behind.
Its been awhile since I uploaded some pics, but there wasn't much to show. BUT OH HAPPY DAY...THE TANK IS IN PLACE!
I had the tank stored in my friend's garage, so I needed to rent a van again to move it. I wasn't able to borrow suction cups again, but moving into the van was a piece of cake. I kept the frame we built last time, to keep from sliding around the back of the van, and everything fit into the van without a problem. Piece of cake.
The hard part was when we got it to my place, as it needed to be brought around the side of my house and through a gate which is a very tight space. The scution cups would have been a great help from here on, but we just muscled it. We kind of passed it through the gate and onto a furniture dolly and then rolled it through the gate while my wife placed another dolly underneath it.
We rolled it down the side of my house to a side door leading into the basement. To get it through the door we had to tip it up on its side, rotate it around and then tip it through the door as there was no room to turn the tank through the door. (did that make sense) These pictures where taken from a balcony over where we were working.
Shortly after this point my designated photographer (my wifes friend) had to leave so we don't have too may pictures from this point. After it was through the door, it went back onto the furniture dollies, and over to the the stand. The tank was picked up and passed through the hole in the wall and swiveled into place.
I then went upstairs and made dinner for everybody. When my wife went downstairs later, it hadn't taken long for the cat to hop in for a nap.
Anyway here is a pic of the tank in-wall, and a slightly blurry pic of the tank from behind.
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