Reef Lighting ?'s

[highdesertreef]

I am fairly new to reefkeeping. I am currently running a 10gal nano FOWLR howeverI plan on running a 250W MH fixture on my new tank. The color temp of the bulb is 15.000K. Do I need actinic supplementation for when/if I start adding corals? Or will the 15,000K be fine?

[Amphibious]

Many of us run actinics with MHs to bring out the vibrant colors in corals. What size tank is your new one going to be?

[poppin_fresh]

I hope you aren't going to put that 250w over a 10g! The water would be boiling in no time.

[highdesertreef]

Its going over a 35gal hex.

[Amphibious]

That would be overkill. Too much light, too much heat.

[highdesertreef]

are you talking about for the 10g or the 35gal?

[Amphibious]

35 gal. Why do you want so much light?

[highdesertreef]

The tank is 24" deep. Theres only one bulb it's not a multiple bulb setup.

[poppin_fresh]

Even at 24" deep thats way too much light, especially since everything will be directly under the light. I would do 150-175w pendant over a tank that size. Plenty of light to keep anything.

[lReef lKeeper]

i would go with the 175w MH. 15k, tells me it is an XM bulb, and the par really stinks on those bulbs. i would recommend a 12k Reeflux over that 15k XM.

[highdesertreef]

okay. I went with the 250watt because that is what about every site i coul find on lighting said would be needed for that depth. Could I run a 175watt on a 250watt ballast?

[lReef lKeeper]

nope, the 250 ballast would burn the 175w bulb up in no time.

[highdesertreef]

Thats what I thought.

[highdesertreef]

Does it make a difference if its a HQI dubble ended?

[lReef lKeeper]

yeah, it probably wont even fire a single ended bulb. but since you already have the ballast, try to find a pendant without the ballast for a double ended bulb that has a couple of actinic power compacts in it. i think that 250w might be a little much for the tank size, but we should be able to work with it.

[highdesertreef]

Thats basically what this fixture is, I think.