Metal Halide Lights

[Aquattro]

Dual MH or T5 48" strips are your best choices. Personally, a 4 ft tank for me would mean 2 x 250MH

[andresont]

If you go with MH prepaire for the heat battle, might need a chiller (~$800)

[fkshiu]

If you want to have enough light the first go round for anything you might throw in the tank I'd do 2x250W MH with T5 actinic supplementation.

The T5 allows you to run a MH bulb with better PAR but balances the more yellowy look of such bulbs and give you the neat dawn/dusk effect. Whether you go DE or SE is up to you, but if you are serious about growing stuff fast, I'd go SE which has a PAR advantage over DE at the price of compactness.

You probably don't need to go up to 400W MH with your tank. The heat and added electricity can't justify the increase in PAR versus a good 250 SE setup for a 25" deep tank.

If you want to keep things simple, there are a number of plug and play systems on the market including the Outer-Orbit fixtures by CurrestUSA, the Maristar by Sunlightsupply and omnipresent Aqualights by Coralife.

[Sam1969]

I have 2 se MH 250 on my tank, its only 44 g but is narrow and 4ft long. I dont have a problem with the heat as I leave my canopy open on top and the back. even when its really hot out I drop a couple of 1L pop bottles of ice in the sump and I'm good to go.

[bv_reefer]

-so what can u keep with 2-250's in a 44-gallon, cuz my cuzin has 2-250 watt bulbs on his 46-gallon(with a 175-watt ballast!??!!), and he thinks he can keep sps,i think so 2 but i donno

[Mik_101]

I have heard stories from both sides and LOL they were at the same store 2 different people.(at ocean aquatics)

Wendell(gotta love Wendell)-If you want to keep brown sps corals thats fine.

Janet(makes you laugh no matter what)- Yeah you should get color about half way down the coral.

[bv_reefer]

-o ya the guy who sold u crabs