New Tank

[mark456]

hi, right im getting a new tank soon which will be 36" x 24" x 24" , which works out around 340 litres, im going to be getting a BTA so was wondering should i go with a 150W halide or 250W with the tank being so deep, also the tank has a glass brace bar across the middle, would this effect the halide much with it being a glass brace bar or are the only effected with black brace bars?

cheers

 

[SkiFletch]

A center brace really kills the light from a halide. You've got 4 options here IMO .

#1 - Remove the center brace and replace it with clear acrylic (simple enough) then use a single 400watt halide over the center.

#2 - Leave the brace as-is and use dual 150 or 175watt halides (this is what I do on my slightly thinner tank)

#3 - Remove the center brace and repalce it with clear acrylic then use a single 250watt halide and dual 3' T5s

#4 - Use a 4 or 6 tube 3' T5 fixture with individual reflectors.



Your three challenges here are the 3' length (halides really only cover 2' each), the 2' depth (requires a lot of light to punch down that low), and the center brace (requiring modification for single halide options). For simplicity's sake, I chose with dual 175watt halides on my 65g tank (18" front to back, otherwise identical to yours). Works really well and I get good light penetration down to the sand bed that way. Only trouble with it was that nobody sells a dual halide fixture which is 3' long, so I had to build my own hood or hang my own pendants...

 

[mark456]

hi, skifletch, thanks very much for your input, what do you think about this halide?

http/www.1st4aquatics.com/90cm-2-x-150w-...ubes-3117-p.asp

ive never heard of the make but it seems pretty good to me. i was looking at the arcadia series 4 but there just so expensive.

thanks again

 

[Crazy fishes]

Those units are fine, if you have the cash for that then do that. If you have a little more cash the two 250w MH would penetrate to the bottom of the tank better.

Regards

 

[SkiFletch]

If you're looking to keep SPS, then a 250watt model might be warranted. if not, the 150watt would be fine. That pretty much looks exactly like what you'd want in a fixture for an 89g tank. Good find

 

[weathermen]

hi mark456

I have the same size tank as you from seabray! I have just purchased the same make with 2 x150w, should be delivered today or tomorrow, I'll let you know what I think about it!

 

[mark456]

hey weatherman, good luck with your tank, let me know ho the lighting turns out, that will be great, and if you could get pictures please post them good luck

regards

 

[weathermen]

Hi mark

good news and bad news , light unit has arrived but no stand brackets! as soon as they come I will hook it up and post pics,

unit does look very nice though

 

[mark456]

unlucky! does the unit come with the cables to hang it from the ceiling or do you have to buy them seperately?

 

[weathermen]

Hi Mark

the unit does come with the cables to hang,

Bad news is I got intouch with 1st4aquatics to chase order and I have now been told that it will take two weeks for the light stand to come , I was like you are joking, "so why send the light unit ahead"? they said so you can wire it in! WHAT!!! all it needs is a plug! what a joke,

it does me when these company's take your cash and never send the whole item or even tell you that items are not in stock,

like I said as soon as it's all here i'll take pics! I gotta say it's very heavy, if you are using the cables they will need to go into a joist