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Anyone used MH lighting


Davo

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Has anyone used/anyone using MH lighting on their tanks? I am setting up a 6x2x2.5 tank for geos and discus and was wondering if it would be overkill. I have been looking at a 2nd hand Aquaone MG 1500 (5ft long) which consists of 3 x 150MH bulbs, 4 x 24w & 2 x 18w compact fluoros. Obviously you don't have to run all the lights at once.

The light can be suspended above the tank or it can sit on the tank on adjustable legs. I would not suspend the light as I do not want to drill holes into the ceiling. I have seen MH setups on marine and freshwater tanks and the shimmering effect of the water is fantastic.

I was wondring will the heat be too much and is there a way to calculate the power consumption of the light? Any other advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave.

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howz it goin mate

I have some experience with MH lighting they look great but its a good idea not to have the lights too close to the water surface because they get bloody hot.

The best way is to suspend them above the tank.

and as for power consumption a 150w lamp will draw something like 160w due to the losses of the ballasts so overall the whole fitting will consume about 600 watts. thats if the cfl's use electronis ballast if not might be more.

Cheers Jayb

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Thanks Jayb,

what would be the minimal height you would place the light above the water surface?

Dave

the suggested distance above the tank is 25mm [read in us marine books] any closer you may need a small fan to force the heat out quicker. be sure to use the uv cover, if it comes with one.

but don't you think this light setup is really overkill? geo's don't really appreciate overly bright lighting. mine realy show better under subdued lighting.

this type of lighting is designed and required for marine reef tanks where 15/20k lights are neede for optimum health for corals. the shimmering shadows from the water movment add a dramatic effect. though i doubt this will replicate in a f/w tank. that's a lot of $'ss for what 'we' want to see, and the fish don't like.

but? that's just me, have fun!

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i use a MH on a discus/planted tank and find it works really well, if you are going to use it i would defentily consider hanging from the roof, not only does it help with the height and heat issuse, but it looks damm good, mine is hanging from the roof and have seen many good pics with the hanging aswell, the wholes you need to drill are samll, i placed a beam over the roof beams and screwed it that way, looks damm good

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i use a MH on a discus/planted tank and find it works really well, if you are going to use it i would defentily consider hanging from the roof, not only does it help with the height and heat issuse, but it looks damm good, mine is hanging from the roof and have seen many good pics with the hanging aswell, the wholes you need to drill are samll, i placed a beam over the roof beams and screwed it that way, looks damm good

The MG 1500 I am looking at buying is 1/4 of the retail price and is still in good condition. Regarding the intensity of the light I can always turn one or two of the MH lights off or vise versa the compact fluoros.

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I have two tanks with MH. You will get the "shimmer" you talk about with fresh water. That is a property of the light not the water. It looks just as good in a fresh water tank btw. They are a great "first" on light as they take a minute or two to warm up to full power which gives the fish's eyes a chance to adjust.

An old rule of thumb is 1 watt cost $1.00 per year to run. That means your MH will cost you more to light your tank compared to fluros.

I use mine on one tank as a dawn lighting for about half a day and the rest of the day the tank is illuminated with fluoro.

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I agree that shimmer you get and the caustic effect on the bottom is awesome. It's a result of the light being more of a point source (like the sun).

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I picked up the light tonight for $350. I will have to change the compact fluoros as they are acintic (blue) with some tri phospher 7.1k tubes when I set the tank up.

I am waiting on a 2nd hand Eheim 2260 that I won on Ebay in Germany. It should get here in about 2 weeks. I will also be buying a Eheim 2080 over here. This should be ample filtration. I will fill the 2080 with the 2080 filter media pack but I am undecided on what I should fill the 2260 with? Any suggestions?

I already have the 6x2 cabinet and I am in the process of buying a 6x2x2.5 tank. Has anyone had any dealings with aquamaster aquariums supplies? I have had a quote from them and they will build the tank 12mm glass for $650. If you have had dealings with them and you do not wish to post you can PM me with the info.

Regards,

Dave

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