Reef Brite Xho mounting height

[mrpontiac80]

So I recently scored a few 36” long xho blues only for a great deal off market place.
My tank is a 180 gallon, 72”x24”x25”. I am using reefbreeder photons hanging 18” above the tank.

I do not have the xho lights installed yet, but plan to use 4 of them. Two of them end to end on front and two on back of tank.

I love the reefbreeders but when I look through the viewing side of the tank, I am seeing my acros from the shaded side so colors are dull. Looking from top down they look great. So just holding one of the xho lights in place, just a few inches above the water and nearly to the front of display is where the shadows disappear.

Because of this, I ordered some of the tank mounts so the lights can sit in that location. But after learning a bit more, it seems a higher mounted xho may give more spread.

Anyone have any thoughts on preferred mounting height of reef Brite xho blues?
My other idea is to take aluminum flat bar, and bend it so the bar sits over the photons and angles downward to mount the xho. This could place the xho lights anywhere from maybe 5”-15” above the tank.

 

[mrpontiac80]

Well the lights are currently just sitting on the tank while I wait for the brackets. I decided to turn them on and check par. They add an average of 50 par across the front and rear of tank.

That’s not too much to worry about just adding them to the schedule is it? There is no dimmer to acclimate the intensity.