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	400W On 80 Gallon Overkill?
just beginning Moderator Literature Nerd Posts: 1879 Kudos: 1380 Votes: 198 Registered: 17-Dec-2000	I've found a metal halide system on eBay that is very well priced. It comes with 2 150watt metal halides and 2 55watt T5s. That's just over 400watts, to go on my 80 gallon tank. Is this going to be serious overkill, and am I just going to be constantly fighting algae? I'm planning on an anubias and moss-heavy tank with a nice foreground plant. I like that this will give me a wide range of choice on the foreground plant and also allow me to set it up with different, more light-demanding tanks in the future. I wasn't planning on doing c02 or using any nutrient-loving stem plants, so am I going to have serious problems with this? I suppose I could just not use the t5s or something, if that would help. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde
Posted 13-Jan-2007 03:14
mattyboombatty Moderator Tenellus Obsessor Posts: 2790 Kudos: 1507 Votes: 1301 Registered: 26-Mar-2004	Yep, that's waaay too much light. For an anubias and moss tank, the two 55w T5s would be enough. Add the halides and you could grow almost any coral you wished, let alone plants. If you do go with that much light, run the halides for maybe 2-3 hours and get some CO2. Honestly the halides alone would be too much as well. Without CO2 and growing low light plants, I'd stick with more than 1 wpg and less than 2 watts per gallon. Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients
Posted 13-Jan-2007 06:09
FRANK Moderator Posts: 5108 Kudos: 5263 Votes: 1690 Registered: 28-Dec-2002	Hi, Honestly, I would skip this one. Here is a site about them: http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/mwmhl/abstract.asp Note the Kelvin rating... its wrong for plants. Your bulbs should range from 6700K to 10,000K for a planted, freshwater, tank. Frank -->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--
Posted 13-Jan-2007 09:06
just beginning Moderator Literature Nerd Posts: 1879 Kudos: 1380 Votes: 198 Registered: 17-Dec-2000	Oh dear, I've jumped the gun on this one! I did go ahead and buy the lights, but I'm okay with that because I want to do a reef tank eventually anyway and at least I got them cheap. I'll try a few different combinations and see what works (or rather, what doesn't work). If the two T5s are enough, more the better really as it saves the halide bulbs until I really need them. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde
Posted 13-Jan-2007 10:07


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