Thinking Of Getting A Halide For My Rio 180

[mark456]

hi, im thinking of upgrading my lighting in my rio 180, i currenty have 3 x 39 T5s, 2 marine white and one marine blue, i am thinking about upgrading to a metal halide as i want to keep an anemone, something like a BTA, i just need help choosing a metal halide, i want something not to expensive but pretty good, the tank also has a brace bar across the middle so i will need probably 2 x 150watt so no shadows are cast across my tank, i also would like an actinic in there for nightime viewing of my corals.

thanks

 

[jeasko]

whats the dimensions of the tank?

 

[mark456]

hi, tank dimensions are 101 x 41 x 50 cm

thanks

 

[mark456]

 

[jeasko]

2 x 150 will be more than enough light, are you planning on making the unit or buying it, if buying it id always go ebay as alot cheaper than retail and still good quality, some of the units have actinic lighting built in so would solve all your problems.

On the down side being that your tank is only just over 3ft getting 2 x 150w could prove difficult as most double Mh units are 4ft and over

 

[SkiFletch]

You could always hang 2 150watt pendant halides from the cieling

 

[mark456]

You could always hang 2 150watt pendant halides from the cieling

hi, thanks for the replies, i could do that but then what am i going to do about the actinic lights?

cheers

 

[Crazy fishes]

Apparently if you get a 10000-14000K bulbs you don't actually need the actinics since the halide produce a light from the blue end of the spectrum. The higher the kelvin value the blue-er the light produced. I heard somewhere that the sun produces its maximum light in the spectrum of 6500-7100K I am not sure about the actual figures but I do remember that a 10000-14000 K bulb is more than enough. As Ski said 2 pendants at 150W each is plenty, for most if not, all corals. Just remember they generate lots of heat so not too close to the water surface and think about ventilation.
I was going to covert my Rio180 and found out about all the cost in the end I went nano with the 24g and it is very different from freshwater tropical aquariums; a complete new ball game!!!

Best of luck with your new venture

Regards

 

[SkiFletch]

Yup, if you use 12 or 14K lights you won't really need actinics . I don't use them, have dual 175watt halides myself.

 

[mark456]

hi, how about 2 of these?

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARCADIA-55CM-1X150W-...7QQcmdZViewItem

cheers

 

[SkiFletch]

Looks the part to me. NOt a bad price either from what I know about UK costs

 

[mark456]

Looks the part to me. NOt a bad price either from what I know about UK costs

cheers, i work at a LFS aswell so i can get them for £145 each, not bad methinks

thanks for the help guys