150 watt metal halide and 2 orphek strips enough?

[bobnicaragua]

Would 3 150 watt reef brite halides paired with 2 rows of orphek or3 bars be enough light for an sps dominant 72" x 18" x 25" tank?

I'm wondering if running the lower watt halides would minimize or eliminate heat issues.

 

[A. grandis]

Use 3 X 250 W halides.
ReefBrite systems are know to produce less heat anyway.
Use some ATI Blue PlusT5s instead of the LEDs for better results.
It's the perfect combo IMO.

 

[A. grandis]

I' assuming the tank is 18" high. If the tank is actually 25" high you still have to avoid placing the light loving corals on the bottom of the tank and plan your landscape accordingly to be able to use the 250W bulbs and get the max out of it. Make sure those ReefBrite fixtures will cover the foot print.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Should be effective- get the OR3150 which are 60” and have been released

 

[bobnicaragua]

Tank is 25" high

 

[jda]

That is going to be pretty good light. 150w on real HQI ballasts are great for mixed reef that is SPS dominant. Great light with low heat and a great bulb available in 150w Phoenix. The LED bars will just add to this.

If you use electronic ballasts, then the output will be lower.

 

[bobnicaragua]

I'm planning on using reef brite ballasts

 

[A. grandis]

Tank is 25" high

250W IMO. Reef Brite has lower output.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Going to be running 2 orphek bars all day. Planning to run 4 t5s half the day then t5s off and halides on for 2nd half of the day. This should help keep the canopy cooler and I can enjoy the halides in the evening.

I'm thinking the 175 watt reef brite halides will be enough, but I don't really know what im doing here!

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I would never go less than 250 unless using just one on a small tank. Your using t5 also? I am getting good results with halides and four or2 bars.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Finally ordered the Halides!

I'm in Dallas and lost power for 5 days during the freeze. My tank was wiped out completely.

I'm all restocked with fish and stick frags and hoping to see some fast growth!

I decided to run:
3 x 175 Reef Brite Halides - Twin arc bulbs 10K and 20K
2 rows of T5 - Blue Plus and Coral Plus
2 rows of Orphec OR3 Blue Pus

Tank is 135 gal. 72"x18"x25"
Lights will all be about 12" off the water.

Would I be safe going straight to 12 hours of LED, 10 hours of T5, and 6 hours of halides? (Plan to eventually work up to 8 hours of halides)

 

[A. grandis]

Finally ordered the Halides!

I'm in Dallas and lost power for 5 days during the freeze. My tank was wiped out completely.

I'm all restocked with fish and stick frags and hoping to see some fast growth!

I decided to run:
3 x 175 Reef Brite Halides - Twin arc bulbs 10K and 20K
2 rows of T5 - Blue Plus and Coral Plus
2 rows of Orphec OR3 Blue Pus

Tank is 135 gal. 72"x18"x25"
Lights will all be about 12" off the water.

Would I be safe going straight to 12 hours of LED, 10 hours of T5, and 6 hours of halides? (Plan to eventually work up to 8 hours of halides)

No way... go slow! The worse to deal with there is the LEDs in terms of leaving for too long! I would use the LEDs only to view the tank, if so, cause you won't need it anyways. Get halides going for like 3 hours first and go from there slowly increasing a hour every week. The T5s can be on for like 6 or 8 hours a day and then you increase slowly with the halides. Adaptation is very important, no matter what type of lights they are used to. Common sense with your brand new system! Observe everything and judge accordingly! Good luck!

 

[X-37B]

One you really dont need 12 hour of anything.
The halides only need 8 hrs.
The 2 OR3 light bars are all you need.
4 if you have the money to replace the T5's? But with the halides 2 is all you need.
I only have 1 on my 120 and run it for dawn dusk viewig.
I only run the light bars for 1/2 hour before and after the light are off and on.
I run them for 1 1/2 hours when the halides are on for a total of only 4 hours on.
One light bar is equal to 2 T5's.
T5's are great and I have used them with great results.
I will never use T5's again as the OR3 light bars are that good, imo.

 

[bobnicaragua]

I'm glad you chimed in A.grandis!
Since I'm removing a couple rows of T5 and my LED 50s, I was going to jump straight to 6 hours of halides. (especially since they're only 175 watt). I'll start with 3 hours per your suggestion.

 

[A. grandis]

I'm glad you chimed in A.grandis!
Since I'm removing a couple rows of T5 and my LED 50s, I was going to jump straight to 6 hours of halides. (especially since they're only 175 watt). I'll start with 3 hours per your suggestion.

No Problem!
In reality you don't really need supplementation at all using halides, if they are used with the proper fixture for the tank. Most public aquariums and reefers don't use supplementation at all, as an example. I've never had ReefBrites, so I don't know how they behave in regards to distribution, but I would think it would be a great fixture for what it is, as many say. Just keep in mind that with T5s, halides work as the "sun" and T5s work as an "overcast day light". When you put them together you will have results similar to the light from blue skies and the sun over the reef altogether. That is the concept of having them as a combo. The T5s would "fill up the gaps", if needed. Halides are a point source, and the T5s cover the system as a sheet of light. Visually the halides will just overcome any other supplementation, but the T5s do play some into the combo IME. LEDs are another point source, like halides, but people use them for the "blues". I do not see any LED as a substitution for T5s. They can "look like", I guess.
After testing for couple of years, using halides and T5 together is what will give me the best results for what I want. I personally don't care for the "blues" from LEDs.
There is nothing wrong in using all 3 over a system, but just keep in mind that what halides will offer to the corals is enough for them to behave most like they behave in the ocean. Halides are pretty strong in spectrum and intensity alone, not to mention the unique shimmer and UV/IR, which in my point of view contribute greatly to the health of the corals and do make a difference visually.

If you want to use all 3 types of light you need to make sure they don't overkill, which is very easy to attain with halides alone!! That said, when using halides with T5s, you will already need to pay attention to prevent excess of light throughout the photoperiod. When you add the LEDs on top of that it's even worse.

My advice?
Use the halides as the main source. max of 4 - 6 hours max.
T5s can be used for up to 9 hours max with halides without LEDs, and that would be enough light. In truth you don't really need to use the t5s while halides are on, if you don't want. I do.
The LEDs for sunrise/sunset hours, 2 hrs a day alone (1 hr. in the morning and 1 hr. in the evening) would be more than enough if you use the T5s and halides already! With you use the LEDs you can use the T5s for 7 hours, instead 9 hours.

I'm not sure why you want to use all 3 types, but you can actually choose between T5s or LEDs for supplementation and still have plenty light. You must have plenty room above the tank to be able to fit everything there. I know the ReefBrite halide fixture allows that type of set up and that is an advantage in your case.
Congratulations! Your system will explode with life! Let us know how you like the ReefBrites! Go slow!!

 

[stanlalee]

I use to run only two 175w halides on a 100g (same dimensions but 6" shorter) with standard bat wing reflectors. SPS did extremely well so I can vouch for all but the bottom 6 inches lol.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Based on the advice above:
10:00-12:20 2 rows orphek OR3
10:30-12:20 2 rows t5
12:15-7:45 Halides
7:40-10:00 2 rows orphek OR3
7:40-9:30 2 rows t5

Starting with 3 hrs halides and increasing each week.

I want a 12 hr photo period, just to have more time to enjoy the tank.

 

[A. grandis]

No... better do something like this first:

10:00 am to 11:00am = 1 Orphek
11:00 am to 12:00pm = 2 T5s
12:00pm to 4:00pm = halides
4:00pm to 6:00pm = 2 T5s
6:00pm to 7:00pm = 1 Orphek

That will be enough as a goal for a young system for the fist months.
You can adjust more as the system matures, if needed.
The schedule above is the goal for the first months. Start with less hours and get to that. Later on, when the cycle of algae goes away you can slowly increase the halides, if you want. Everything very slow. You won't need so much light to start a system!
Enjoy the ride.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Halides are in!

 

[bobnicaragua]

Better view