lighting question

[kuatto]

would like some thouhts on what is the best all-round lighting that would allow a variety of corals to be kept but not put you in the poor house when it comes to price.This is going to be for a 300gal tank still in the design stage.would it be cheaper to buy a lighting kit,or build myown?
Thanks in advance. :mrgreen:

Jim

[martym]

If you can, build your own. I always support LFS where I can but when it comes to saving big$ I do. Don't know what lights to use, I am new in this territory. :mrgreen: Good luck

[Jack]

A 300gal will put you in the poor house anyways :mrgreen: DIY is always a way of saving money. What kinds of corals are you planning on keeping?

I'd reccomend metal halide.

[kuatto]

planning on building it out of plywood/glass(been researching for over a year on different designs/ideas)there is no doubt its gonna cost $$$$,but i love building/diy.I'll most likely build the tank over the winter while i decide on plumbing,lights,etc.
I will definitley be posting photos as it progresses. :biggrin:

[Jack]

Sounds good.

[reefburnaby]

Hello,

Personally, I would just buy a couple of PFO retros and be done with it. DIY is great if you want to save some money, but it is not for everybody. Screwups are expensive and the results are unpredictable sometimes. A better alternative is to buy used. I have built a lot of DIY stuff over the years, but I have slowly swapped the DIY stuff with the real deal. The DIY stuff works, but it is a pain to maintain and keep it running in the long term.

What are the dimensions of your tank?

With such a large tank, what are your plans to handle the large evaporation from the tank?

- Victor.

[kuatto]

the tank should be about 84 x 36 x 24(314gal)might be narrower(cant remember off top of my head how wide door is).Looking at an auto tp off tank under the stairs for evapuration,plus a big sump.Frame will be 4x4's,so bowing shouldn't be a prob.Garf calculater said i could use 3/8 glass,but i'll use 1/2 just to be safe(i'd be divorced if the darn thing ever broke!).Top will be solid piece with openings cut out,and the front will be the same.will probaly just buy lighting,me and electricity don't get along :neutral:

Jim

[Buccaneer]

would like some thouhts on what is the best all-round lighting that would allow a variety of corals to be kept but not put you in the poor house when it comes to price.This is going to be for a 300gal tank still in the design stage.would it be cheaper to buy a lighting kit,or build myown?
Thanks in advance. :mrgreen:

Jim

I have a 300G and I did all the lighting DIY ... 4 X 400W Metal Halides and 2 X VHO and 2 X overdriven NO ... if you have specific questions on wiring then fire away.

Cheers

[kuatto]

Hi Steve,can you get all the "stuff"at places like HomeDepot?I guess my first purchase will be ballasts,are there spcial ones for VHO,or can i use normal ones?i already have several computer type fans if i need them for cooling the canopy.I've also heard Mh last longer.
Could i get away with running 2x400mh,2xVHO with couple of fans to cool things down?would be great if you could send me a list of what i would need to buy(just so i know what to look for and dont buy the wrong thing and end up screwing things up :confused: )
Thanks.

Jim

[Buccaneer]

We use Brite Lite here in Calgary ... should have something similar in your neck of the woods ... Workhorse 7 electronic ballasts for the VHO's ... and a tar ballast will work for the Metal Halides ... I run 6500K and 10K bulbs on mine. With VHO and MH you will be able to have most every coral ... they say the spread of a MH is about 2 sq ft but you can add more later :lol:

Cheers

[smokinreefer]

i use 2 x 400W MH on my 6' 180. and the corals in the dim area are doing just fine. but having said that, there is going to be a visible dim area, unless you are able to raise your MH a foot or so ablove the tank.

i am thinking of changing my lights to 3 x 250W MH, to provide an evenly lit tank.

having said that, i would probably go 3-4 250W MH and some 6' VHO.

with the 250s you will be able to keep a vast variety of animals.

PS. you'll love the 3' depth of your proposed tank. it will allow for some really nice aquascaping!