lighting for my 50???

Rbacchiega · #1 09-20-2010, 03:56 PM

Go with Olga, retrofit her a bit to make her pretty and make sure you have ways to keep her cool.

lockrookie · #2 09-20-2010, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rbacchiega

Go with Olga, retrofit her a bit to make her pretty and make sure you have ways to keep her cool.

i am leaning toward olga a bit i can always add t5's down the road replacing the pc bulbs. it is a one piece unit id have no fear of it coming apart when cleaning. i have to change my hood design but since its not built yet i should be ok.. it comes with a fan system but i will add more fans directed at light and water.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastlight

I could comment on you mounting some hypothetical ladeez but I'm afraid I didn't have anything else constructive to add. I'd just do everything retrofit if it were me. Well actually I just DID do that. You can then make it look nice yourself.

the wording wasnt meant to offend i was just trying to be creative as not to step on any venders toes. i thought about retrofitting everything and may do so in the future. this is the only aspect of this build that i wont be building for fear of stray voltage,, especially with it being in a daycare environment.

Rbacchiega · #3 09-20-2010, 05:57 PM

Olga o....Odessea? or whatever the eff it's called?
I used to run a 48" over the 90 gallon....worked fine for what I needed it to do. Didn't over heat with the fans running...mind you, it was in a basement and the tank was open top..

lockrookie · #4 09-20-2010, 06:14 PM

yes you are correct. i had a odysea 48" 4 bulb for my 90 it worked ok but upgraded to a 6 bulb catalina i think and i am much happier. i just figured i would try the mh fixture rather than the t5's worse come to worse i can gut it and build a different setup. either wich way i dont think the kids will complian as much as i will in the end.

lastlight · #5 09-20-2010, 06:16 PM

Hey no offense taken I try and read something into everything. Make's things more fun =)

How would retrofit be a risk for stray current if done properly? Maybe I'm missing something but my setup is certainly very safe...

lockrookie · #6 09-20-2010, 06:39 PM

electrical current and i are very old friends... you know you got zapped hard when your 5 feet from where you once where. i just dont trust myself building it as of yet. i can wire a home i can wire alarm systems (thus how i got zapped thanks to a customers faulty panel) but setting water under my work..that i need to think about.

your tank and lights are excellent and have great color. i figured they where bought lights. you did a great job. i think ill just take baby steps for the light building. keep in mind i havent even been reefing for a year yet. besides this tank is a daycare right off. if i have to build or get new lights down the road ill write that off as well..

Rbacchiega · #7 09-20-2010, 07:08 PM

On my 90 I ran 2x150W Metal Halides and 4x65W PC...worked good. I made sure to leave lots of room for the ballasts to "breathe" and kept the top of the fixture clear too....The newer models don't seem to have the heating issues that the old ones did/do

ScubaSteve · #8 09-20-2010, 07:24 PM

First of all, I think it's a load of s*** it we have to tip toe around these parts and not discuss certain things because certain vendors don't sell those products or it's being sold by a competitor. Granted, they do support the forums but we are all here to discuss the hobby and help each other out, not discuss what the vendors are selling. Sorry, I've seen it happen a few times around here are it bugs the hell out of me... Sorry, needed to vent.

About your lights... Personally I'd go with the Odyssea (though I can't say for sure without knowing what dorothy is); I considered this same unit at one point. The 250W will give you more options down the road with what you can keep and the power compacts actually aren't all that bad if you're just supplimenting a halide (which can even be avoided if you want to use a high colour temperature bulb). My Coralife Aqualight Pro (not bought from any of the vendors here) uses this same sort of MH/PC set-up and it's stellar.

Also, there are some tricks you can use to make an Odyssea cool. Google 'em or we can discuss them here.