Metal halide wattage recommendations
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SynDen
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I run DE 250w MH on my big tank. I have 4 of them with a mix of nico bars too. The tank is mixed reef, mostly LPS, but the sticks I do have, grow really well. That being said if I was going to go SPS dominate tank, the only choice for me would be 400w MH. 2x 400w fixtures with some led bars for accent would look great and grow sticks like crazy on a 72" tank.
Something like 250w Radium 20k on real HQI ballasts have about the same output as a standard 400w system. They are about 330w though. What you will need to consider is 250w, HQI (about 330w) or 400w setups. Electronic ballasts with HQI settings are not the same as real HQI ballasts, but they will fire the bulbs.
If you want to grow acropora anywhere in the tank, then you will need 400w x3. If you can put the acropora up and under the lights and grow other less demanding SPS in the other areas, then 250w is probably fine.
SPS is a broad term. If you can narrow it down, then easier to make recommendations. If you only want to keep MBP&S, then 175w halides are probably fine.
If you want to grow acropora anywhere in the tank, then you will need 400w x3. If you can put the acropora up and under the lights and grow other less demanding SPS in the other areas, then 250w is probably fine.
SPS is a broad term. If you can narrow it down, then easier to make recommendations. If you only want to keep MBP&S, then 175w halides are probably fine.
I was planning on going with 3 of the Reefbrite MH/LED hybrid fixtures since they seem to be the last man standing, but I just got an email from Giesemann saying they're still making the Spectra. It's pretty difficult to source ballasts. Not sure if there's some commercial lighting places or something that still offer them. I might just go with the 400W SE Spectra with the Reefbrite ballasts.
You can use hydroponics ballasts for standard 250w or 400w stuff - most are better than the typical reef hobby stuff outside of some German or older US stock. If you want HQI, I have 25 or 30 ballasts and will sell you some... you can find them around if you look for a bit, but people hoard them and snatch them up.
Spectra is amazing all-in-one unit that looks great in a room. I have two and they will stay with me until I die. If the cost does not bother you, hard to have any gripes with them.
AquaBright still makes MH stuff for reefs - used to be Hamilton. They are another source. Most people that I know have a stockpile of Phoenix 250w for double end, use Radium 250w HQI or go to AquaBright for 400w and 1000w bulbs.
Spectra is amazing all-in-one unit that looks great in a room. I have two and they will stay with me until I die. If the cost does not bother you, hard to have any gripes with them.
AquaBright still makes MH stuff for reefs - used to be Hamilton. They are another source. Most people that I know have a stockpile of Phoenix 250w for double end, use Radium 250w HQI or go to AquaBright for 400w and 1000w bulbs.
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Ya I use all AquaBright bulbs in my 250s now days and they are great bulbs. Glad they started making reef bulbs because it was getting pretty difficult to source bulbs before they came along.
I believe @Dr.DiSilicate had some MH fixtures and ballasts available. He grew some amazing sticks under those too. Might check with him if you want to save a few bucks on fixtures.
I believe @Dr.DiSilicate had some MH fixtures and ballasts available. He grew some amazing sticks under those too. Might check with him if you want to save a few bucks on fixtures.
I just shut down a tank that was 30 years old. Oceanic 210 made in 1988. Here are my tips:
No controllers or electronics on major components EVER - return pumps or heaters. Italian (askol block) or German return pumps - nothing made in China. Multiple heaters on a Ranco - no inkbirds or hobby controllers... Ranco is industrial grade and real companies trust millions of dollars of goods to them. No cheap auto top offs - need to be at least as reliable as Tunze Osmolator.
No equipment that is less than 5 years old and tried and true. Newer stuff is OK for gadgets like flow pumps, but not for things that can crash tanks like dosers, calcium reactors or the like.
At least two power circuits, but if you are going to run 3x halides, then get a 20a third just for them. Split return and flow pumps between the circuits.
No controllers that actually control anything... just monitor and alert. The probes are not reliable enough. You don't even need to really monitor and alert if you buy reliable equipment... it just works and works and works.
For acropora, get a good Calcium Reactor with an Eheim pump. The brief learning curve will get you decades of reliability. Get a 10 or 20lb co2 tank and have a spare.
Backups of skimmer pumps, return pump and a few heaters. On hand. Not only is this safe, it helps down the road when you buy the skimmer pump for $120 and it is $300 in five years.
Tech does not crash tanks, but tech crashes wallets. Buy reefing equipment, not tech that can double as reefing equipment - most of the tech is garbage anyway. Ask anybody if they are happy with the money that they spent on stuff like Trident or any other hot item over the years.
Understand how phosphate binds to aragonite. There is no such thing as old-tank syndrome, just reefers who don't understand chemistry and can suffer when aragonite can no longer mask their bad husbandry.
There is no new equipment in the last two years that is better than what was out there when you were still reefing.
No controllers or electronics on major components EVER - return pumps or heaters. Italian (askol block) or German return pumps - nothing made in China. Multiple heaters on a Ranco - no inkbirds or hobby controllers... Ranco is industrial grade and real companies trust millions of dollars of goods to them. No cheap auto top offs - need to be at least as reliable as Tunze Osmolator.
No equipment that is less than 5 years old and tried and true. Newer stuff is OK for gadgets like flow pumps, but not for things that can crash tanks like dosers, calcium reactors or the like.
At least two power circuits, but if you are going to run 3x halides, then get a 20a third just for them. Split return and flow pumps between the circuits.
No controllers that actually control anything... just monitor and alert. The probes are not reliable enough. You don't even need to really monitor and alert if you buy reliable equipment... it just works and works and works.
For acropora, get a good Calcium Reactor with an Eheim pump. The brief learning curve will get you decades of reliability. Get a 10 or 20lb co2 tank and have a spare.
Backups of skimmer pumps, return pump and a few heaters. On hand. Not only is this safe, it helps down the road when you buy the skimmer pump for $120 and it is $300 in five years.
Tech does not crash tanks, but tech crashes wallets. Buy reefing equipment, not tech that can double as reefing equipment - most of the tech is garbage anyway. Ask anybody if they are happy with the money that they spent on stuff like Trident or any other hot item over the years.
Understand how phosphate binds to aragonite. There is no such thing as old-tank syndrome, just reefers who don't understand chemistry and can suffer when aragonite can no longer mask their bad husbandry.
There is no new equipment in the last two years that is better than what was out there when you were still reefing.