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Connie 
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 Topic: Does this lighting make sense??
Posted: March 30 2004 at 8:59am |
| I have a 120 gallon 48 long. I have two 250 watt 10K MH. I have a bulb that is too blue/purple and one that is too yellow. I have all sps, clams or high light coral in the middle and feathers, sponges, ect on the outer sides. I was thinking of putting one light in the middle horizonal and one in the middle in front of it vertically to help balance out the light colors? Does this make any sense to any one but me or so you have a better idea?? TIA |
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: March 30 2004 at 10:19am |
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I'd have to see it to make a decent recommendation, but placing both lights over one spot doesn't sound like such a good idea, because of how it would double the intensity in the center. It would give a bad sunburn to whatever is underneath. This could be compensated for by raising them higher above the water. You definitely would want to decrease the photoperiod initially and increase it gradually over 2-3 weeks.
In the end, your tank might be best served by opening your checkbook and acquiring two MH bulbs that you like.
My 2 cents
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Carl
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Posted: March 30 2004 at 1:21pm |
Go ahead Adam... say it.... "you can NEVER have __ ____ _____".
Personally speaking, it would be less expensive to balance your bulbs than get a new MH ballast, socket and bulb, wouldn't it? I run 2 x 250w xm 20K's on a 125-gal spaced to about divide the tank into 1/3's So, about 8" from each side. Works for me. Plenty of high and low light areas.
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In Syracuse
"I believe that forgiving them is God's function. Our job is simply to arrange the meeting." - Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf
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Adam Blundell
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Posted: March 30 2004 at 1:29pm |
You got it Carl! Thanks for answering for me.
Adam
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Connie
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Posted: March 30 2004 at 1:49pm |
| So your saying it might just work?? Thats the thing, I just got my new bulb/ballast/pendant yesterday via my favorite internet shipper. I have never been thrilled with my blue bulb but the new one is not it either. I think the two together might work. I was worried about to much light but I love SPS...And I like he darker places where you can still see livestock.. I also have 1 blue 1 atinic 48 inch strip for the friont to balance the colors out... I really cant shell out another 200 for a bulb I just bought yesterday... |
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Carl
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Posted: March 30 2004 at 3:47pm |
$200 for a bulb?  Where are you shopping? Wow! What I am saying is if you have one bulb too blue and another too yellow (what are the kelvin ratings of them i.e. 6500k, 20,000k) then you need to find some common ground. To me, balanced lighting is better than overlighting.
You should be able to use the 2 HM ballasts and sockets that you already have. Try to find a bulb with the intensity and color that you like. 250w should give you plenty of light for sps as long as you position the sps in a well lit area. Work with what you have IMO.
I am sure that you could fins less expensive bulbs BTW.
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In Syracuse
"I believe that forgiving them is God's function. Our job is simply to arrange the meeting." - Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf
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Connie
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Posted: March 31 2004 at 6:29am |
| I should have been more specific. They were 95.00 a piece. I got the blue at LFS around 5 months ago and the other just came Monday via UPS. I meant 200.00 for both.... I actually got the ballast, pendant and bulb for 308.00 with shipping. They are 250 watt 10K.. From what Ive seen not a bad price... Thanks for your advise I feel better about going forward... |
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