MH & protein skimmer ?

reefnut

reefnut

Member
Hi guys I'm going to be upgrading from a 65 gal to a 110 gal 48x18x30 soon.
I will have soft corals, lps and clams, and I'm looking for a good MH system. do the HQI DE bulbs put out as much heat as the SE bulbs? how many watts would you guys recommend for this size tank?? I am also looking at
ASM skimmer what size do you guys think i should get with this type of setup?
 
D

DaveK

Well-Known Member
reefnut said:
... do the HQI DE bulbs put out as much heat as the SE bulbs? how many watts would you guys recommend for this size tank?? ...
Click to expand...

Usually DE bulbs tend to put out more heat. This is because they are usually used in much smaller fixtures, and the fixtures do not tend to use cooling fans.

I don't think there is a major difference between SE or DE bulbs as far as the reef itself goes, but each has some minor advantages and disadvantages.

Since you want clams, I would use two 250w MHs. You could possibly use some actinic supplemental lighting, but this is more a matter of preference, rather than a requirement.
 
burning2nd

burning2nd

Well-Known Member
im a fan of my sunpods.... ither 2x250 or 2x150... and if your in to 6 footers... then the 3x250 and 2x150...

but Im happy...
 
Adam Black

Adam Black

Member
48 inches is pretty long for just 2 MH. You might get away with only 2-250 MH if using a wide rating reflector like lumenarc. Even then I would recommend Vho or t-5 to cover the dark spots.
 
kimoy

kimoy

Member
I would go with the 120 (48x24x24) instead of the 110. you will have more depth for aquascaping. and regarding the lights I would suggest 2x250 MH and supplement it with T5HO
 
burning2nd

burning2nd

Well-Known Member
i would stay away from anything more then 26" deep-28

the deeper it is.. the harder its gonna be to get light to the bottem...
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
Each halide is going to cover 2 feet of tank space so a 48 inch fixture with 2 mh would be the way to go. I have 150w DE bulbs and love them but have never had SE bulbs so I cannot compare. I can say that mine did come with 2 fans to help with the heat but they do still increase the temp dramatically.
As far as the skimmer, I would go with the biggest ASM you can fit in the stand. I have a g4+ on my 125. Works great and when I upgrade I already have the skimmer for the new tank. Really you would be fine with a G2 unless you overfeed etc.
 
Jammin

Jammin

New Member
I agree with Kimoy on the tank size...used to have a 120 and was very glad I went with the wider tank. It was lit with 2 250 watt Halides and 2 vho actinics. I had clams down on the sand and they florished under the 250's. If you decide to stick with your 30" high tank absolutley get the 250 watt set up!
 
reefnut

reefnut

Member
So you guys dont think I would have to go with 400 watt MH like my LFS told me,because I would much perfur the 250's.
 
Frankie

Frankie

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
400 will fry your tank. on a 110 you could do 2x175 easy. 250w will be great for it.
 
reefnut

reefnut

Member
Awesome! you guys probably saved me from frying my corals. It's getting harder and harder to trust these guys, well thks you guys for all your help.
 
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