Optimal Orientation of MH Bulbs?

[GMGQ]

Hah! Very funny that you mentioned about the "blinding" factor. Yesterday I was syphoning out cyano, and I couldnt take the blinding light anymore, so I put on my Oakleys! So this is a good point. I did think about it, but I was wondering... Whichever side the socket is, that area will get less light, right? Being the front of the tank is the deepest (no LR, just the sandbed), I though that it would be best not to have the socket on that side? Or is it too negligible?

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Just a thought, but when I put my lamps in the perpendicular orientation, I made it so that the tips faced back instead of front, so that I wouldn't get blinded too too badly when I would go to feed the fish and so on.

Yes, I currently have (2) 48" T5 Actinic+ bulbs on the front and back of the hood. Since my MH and reflectors are like the first picture now, I have to squeeze in the spider reflectors, so that the reflectors dont cover the T5 reflectors. That's another reason why I'm considering the 2nd picture.

The software I use is Maya by Alias Wavefront. It's the software Pixar uses, haha. (I took a 3D animation course before).

Anyhow for a 48x18 footprint and Spiderlight reflectors, and no concerns about fitting the supplemental actinic (if wanted), then I would go perpendicular. (I notice in your drawing that the fluorescent tubes fit on the side anyhow.)

BTW what software did you use for those drawings? That's way cool!