metal halide hight

[scabbedwings616]

I want to hang my Metal Halide combo above my tank. The tank measurements are 48 by 18. 75 gallons. What is the height at which I should hang it?

 

[ReefBum]

It depends on the fixture but I typically hang mine about 7 inches above the water to minimize water splashing on the lens and to give me sufficient room to reach into the tank.

 

[scabbedwings616]

It's the odyssea t5 combo. I changed our both ballast and saving up for new bulbs. I have the hanging kit and all but just curious on how high it should be above the tank.

 

[WetWhistle]

What wattage MH?

 

[scabbedwings616]

250 watt. It's 36 inches as of right now. It's a little short for the tank but I think the mh will brighten it up all the way

 

[scabbedwings616]

I also changed out the ballast to luxcore.

 

[WetWhistle]

At that wattage I keep them at the 10 inch mark. You might want to start a little higher if you did some changes and slowly lower it down so the corals can adjust.

 

[zoomonster]

To me the height is determined by what it takes to get good light spread to cover your tank. Especially since your running a light shorter than your tank you will likely need more height. I ran my old Hamilton Cebu 72" on tank with legs so it was only maybe 8" off water.

 

[scabbedwings616]

Would you hang it from a ceiling or shelving? Is there a good way to do this