help me with my lighting

[kris]

hey every one. Well I'm going to get off my lazy ass and do the lighting on my 100g reef tank. I keep a mix of corals but mainly LPS. The tank is 5ft long 2 ft high with a 4 - 5in sand bed. The actinic supplement will be from 2 Uri actinic's run off of a WH7. The MH will be run off of a PFO ballast and the PCs run off of a WH7.


I know this has been asked a millon times befor....... But hey!



... well back to work i go cheers!

[benelux]

Hello Kris,

Is the PFO lighting unit your final decision? What about double-ended bulbs and fixtures? If i understood correctly, your tank is having a +/- 19 " water level!!? In fact, you could run 2 x 150w 10 000k DE bulbs with or without actinic supplement and still have a great lighting environnement for your corals!

What's your objective? Display or growth. Can be both. In any case your choice should respect your need and those of your corals. We distribute high-end DE based pendant fixtures and we may be able to help you. Go have a look at www.giesemann.de and if you like that it will be a pleasure for me to answer your specific question about available fixtures on the matket and their availability. Lighting is a critical and contreversial subject amongs aquarist and the large load of information can become confusing for reefer's.

Get in touch with me if you want at xeniaservice@sympatico.ca

[Jack]

If you go to J&L Aquatics Kris you can see a 2x250w 10k MH + 2 URI VHO 110w Actinic setup on thier clam tank, it looks awesome, nice and bright and not too blue not yellow at all either. It's right as you walk in on your left a bit. This is the setup I'm going for I've got everything but the 10k halide bulbs ($$)

[Troy F]

Benelux, you never did finish replying to your other thread concerning fixtures the company you work for makes.

http://www.canreef.com/phpBB2/viewto...ghlight=#26318

I'd like to know what makes your fixture better than any other fixture besides aesthetics?

As an aside, your posts comes close to commercial advertising and care must be given on your part in this area. You can make announcements of new products, specials and can give information on your product but please don't try make sales. The place for commercial posts is not in the main forum.

[StirCrazy]

Kris, as I might have already told you I think the best bet would be 250 watt european bulbs and HQI ballasts.. if you are waiting till after you come to visit to buy your lights I will have my AB's up and running by then and you can see it in person to help you deside what you want..

I agree with the Giesmen being a nice product.. but for the price they want... it better be solid gold.. way to much money for a few lights and a fancy timer.. but if you have the money to throw away and you have to have the newest thing out there.. then hey.. it woulden't be that bad.. personaly I like closed tanks so if I spent that much on the solid gold lighting no one would ever see it anyways...

Oh and don't go with 150 watt.. you get more bang for the buck out of 250 watts with a good reflector.. all that 150 watt hype was just that hype..


Steve

[benelux]

"[color=black]Benelux, you never did finish replying to your other thread concerning fixtures the company you work for makes"[/color]

No problem Titus, I will do that in respect of not becoming too specific.

Oh and don't go with 150 watt.. you get more bang for the buck out of 250 watts with a good reflector.. all that 150 watt hype was just that hype..

Perhaps i did'nt made myself clear on that but the idea is to take a decision related to the specifics needs of one aquarist (and coral) and too often light intensity is viewed as the ultimate charateristic. Taken from there, you dont need a v10 diesel engine to bring back your grocery home (unless you have a very big familiy or you do your grocery once a year! ) It has nothing to do with 150w DE being more powerful than a screwed 250w but more with what a tank really need! Anyway, you know that a good reflector is the reason why more PAR can be produce from a less powerful bulb! Why DE bulbs in particular? Because their geometry is easier to predict than mogul based bulb. Making a perfect reflector for a DE bulbs is then easier than for a mogul based. Also, light as a shorter distance to travel before reaching their destination.

I want to be clear on one point, Buying a lighting fixture is very personnal indeed but it also has to do with the specific need of your coral.

PS. I took good note of your message Titus ops:

[StirCrazy]

I agree benelux, lighting is very confusing area. The problem is to many companies are making exagerated claims as to there products (I am not talking about the one you work for.. giesmen (spelling) and AB make alsomst identical looking fixtures.. very stylish and sleak looking.. and I am sure they are very good products.. I wished I had the money to buy the AB spacelight for a long time ) but if I was going to go to a DE bulb it would be a 250 watt if I had plans of growing SPS..

I totaly agree that there is more than just light to get result from your corals.. I belive that feeding and water conditions play a larger part than light its self so having said that.. do I need a high tech lighting fixture for !g or more.. or can I meet there requirments with a couple of 250 watt german type bulbs for under 400.00 said and done..

this is what we are faced with and the last two years of my pulling my hair out about lighting has taugh me a couple things..
1, you can grow SPS under PC's but they grow better under MH..
2, DE bulbs give more intense light than a mogual directly under the bulb.. but a mogual will give a more even overall lighting in a 2X2 area
3, spacelights and the copy types are nice looking but unless you are the kinda a guy that drives exotic cars and such... they are nice looking...
4, if I had the money to spend.. I would buy one of thoes nice looking light fixtures.. untill then I will just keep testing lighting systems and dreaming.. even if it is hid inside a hood.. I will know its there

Steve

[benelux]

OUFF! I feel more confortable now. I had no intention to sparke another emotionnal debate over lighting and all related topics and your last post was the one of a wise aquarist.

I think that knowing each corals specific interaction with light is the best to choose a lighting system and not the opposite. It's also true to observe that marketing is playing an enormous role in putting reefer's away from the real questions. People around the world showed excellent result with a various type of lighting device (PC, MH, HO, VHO) over their reef tank. (sorry Kris that dose'nt help :? )

Financial consideration is also to be put in front line. (Efficiency, maintenance costs, replacement bulbs costs, initial buying). Bottom line is that each aquarist look at what they need and what they want!

[kris]

Hey every one.. back from work

Benelux, no the PFO unit is not my final decision. The reason why I picked it is that I'm able to get things at cost. I wish I hade the money for one of your lighting units... very slick!

Hey Jack, long time no talk. Yeah I know it looks great.


Steve as you know money with me can get a little tight here and there... ...so if I can get it at cost then great But id like to see your new set up when its running.


I am willing to change my mind... its definitely far from made up. But the only thing is that I would like it to be reasonable in pricing. I have the stuff to build a nice hood as well. Oh as well i would like to have it so when i set up a new system, if i wanted i could transfer the lighting to that.


Cheers!

[kris]

any one eles cair to share their insights??????????????