Too Much?

CandyCane · #1 05-10-2011, 03:57 AM

Hey guys so im doing a 20 gallon nano, standard tank, and wanted to know if this was to much light. Im planning on suspending it but im not sure. I want to keep a hammer and a torch with a GBTA and a maroon clown. I may in future want a few other SPS or LPS corals but I cant see myself getting any hard corals for this tank.

this is the light its a 150w HQI with two t5 actinics for a total of 174w
http://cgi.ebay.ca/18-Metal-Halide-A...item43a6ea3bab

Thanks

lorenz0 · #2 05-10-2011, 04:20 AM

Sump or no sump?

I put my HQI 150MH over my 20H and in one day it raised 9 degree's to 89... took it off and replaced it with a 4 bulb t5 fixture and it only raises 2 degree's. look into 4 bulb t5 fixtures, you can get a fish need it for $80 before shipping and you can keep what ever your heart desires

CandyCane · #3 05-10-2011, 04:25 AM

There will be a sump under the tank. It heats the tank even with the cooling fan? So basically if I got the one I was looking at for sure hang it to disperse heat

lorenz0 · #4 05-10-2011, 04:34 AM

I ran the same light on the 25gal cube with a sump and only had a 3 degree increase, if you have a fan that will for sure help. Water volume for sure played a part

RuGlu6 · #5 05-10-2011, 04:41 AM

Keep it higher and have a fan bloving across the water serfice, it will cool by evaporation, or have air flow across lamp this will also help.

CandyCane · #6 05-10-2011, 04:44 AM

Okay so if you ignore the heat factor is the light amount okay for the corals?

lorenz0 · #7 05-10-2011, 05:08 AM

lighting wasn't my issue. was able to keep milli as a test subject and it did well

CandyCane · #8 05-12-2011, 06:12 PM

I have no idea what you mean by "milli"?

ScubaSteve · #9 05-12-2011, 07:07 PM

Milli as in Acropora Millipora

I used a Coralife 150W MH with 2x65W actinics on it over a 20G with no sump for nearly a year without issue. As long as you slowly acclimate your livestock to that light level you should be fine. I never used a fan for cooling but it was near a window, so that probably helped.

BlazingArrow here on CanReef is now using this exact same equipment to keep basically the same you are wanting to keep. In there he has 2 candycanes, 2 hammers, a torch, a good number of SPS (which are doing well), an RBTA with two clowns, a wrasse, a goby and a shrimp... no sump. The only heat issue he ever had was when his stealth heater flipped out on him and dropped to cold then to super hot in a day. PM him for a discussion and some pics of his tank.

blacknife · #10 05-13-2011, 04:01 AM

I have a 250 over my 20g side tank. nobody complained being in there.