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| View Poll Results: what wattage MH do you use with 24'' depth | |||
| 150 watt MH 24" depth |
   
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5 | 18.52% |
| 175 watt MH 24" depth |
  
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2 | 7.41% |
| 250 watt MH 24'' depth |
  
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17 | 62.96% |
| 400 watt MH 24" depth |
  
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3 | 11.11% |
| Voters: 27. You may not vote on this poll | |||
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#1
12-25-2007, 03:16 AM
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I think there would not be a huge difference in heat between 250W and 400W.
heat will be an issue regardless. unless your tank is in the basement. May be you need to decide what kind of SPS you want and how much light do they need . Even though i am T5 user; in your situation (you already have the fixures) i would get a good air flow through the canopy and go with 400W+T5 AquablueSpecial (60%actinic&40% blue)for getting super bright colors out. Just make sure to get a good ballast like M80 and good reflectors all these things are KEY points especially reflectors. If you look at Web based SPS retailers that is what they use 400W+T5. seems to work just fine. 
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#2
12-25-2007, 03:29 AM
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Andresont
i have to disagree. There is a HUGE difference in heat between the 250 and 400. Scum If you're mixing LPS and SPS, i would go 250W and keep the SPS higher up on the rocks and the LPS closer to the bottom.
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____________ If people don't die, it wouldn't make living important. And why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.
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#3
12-25-2007, 04:43 AM
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Thanks for the input guys. I should have been more specific. The 400w fixture is a PFO system and has dual 96w VHO's. and the 250w fixture is a Hamilton HQI and has dual 56w HO T5's. The tank will start off being mostly SPS ( acro's & monty's) but feel that I will start mixing in more LPS as time progresses. I'm not going to get rid of the SPS but I miss the vivid colors and beauty that LPS bring to the tank. I'm not going to get rid of the SPS. Heat has always been a problem for me. I have dual chillers. One for the daily chore of chilling, and one for backup just in case the primary one quits.
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#5
12-25-2007, 06:35 AM
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you missed an option, 250 watt SE bulbs driven by HQI ballasts. suprisingly will give you a higher output than a 400 watt. at anyrate a normal 250 should be good, anything deeper than 24" and I would recomend the HQI 250 ballasts and SE bulbs or the 400's
Steve
__________________
 *everything said above is just my opinion, and may or may not reflect the views of this BBS, its Operators, and its Members. If cornered on any “opinion” I post I will totally deny having ever said this in a Court of Law…Unless I am the right one*Some strive to be perfect.... I just strive.
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#6
12-25-2007, 08:46 AM
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Good point. I may as well go that route. I have the 250watt ballasts. All i need to do is put 250watt bulbs in the 400 watt fixture, and run it with the HQI ballasts. More light than the 400's with the power consumption of the 250's. Great thinking. Why didn't I think of that?? thanks.
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#7
12-25-2007, 05:54 PM
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I see the majority of people are using 250 watt lights. Do you keep the more light demanding SPS? and how low are you able to keep them in the tank? The way I understand it is that 250w is enough light, but penetration becomes an issue. Will high light SPS (acro's) flourish at the lower depths?
I can't seem to find any concrete data on running 250 watt SE bulbs with HQI ballasts. I understand that the light output is more, but can't find anything stating just how much.
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