A Quick Lighting Question

[Sir Alex]

I live down in Maryland.

 

[Mandarin66]

cool i live there too :P

 

[Sir Alex]

If I use a metal halide would I have to have a water chiller?

 

[Bifferwine]

If I use a metal halide would I have to have a water chiller?

Not likely. Most people don't have a heat problem with MHs. But if you did, it's easier and cheaper just to have a fan blowing across the surface of the water.

 

[Waddi]

+1 biff, this is what im doing and it is fine.

 

[Sir Alex]

This would be a good fixture for your tank. 72in Metal Halide HQI System Advance Plus

From reading the reviews it says that they don't tend to fit the tank they're meant for. Like the legs on the 48" one are the too wide for a 48" tank. What do you think? It also says the light is really white. Is this a problem?

 

[BL1]

I have heard that about the legs but I don't know, I have the older style fixture with different legs. The light may be on the whiter side but, you can change the bulbs out to get the color you're looking for. (you're gonna want to switch the bulbs out sooner then later anyway because the bulbs they come with aren't the greatest.

 

[Sir Alex]

Does the color of the light effect photosynthesis?

 

[Northstar24]

Sure does, I believe the whiter the light, the better it is for photosynthesis, the bluer the light, the more 'pop' corals have when the zooanthellae phosphoresce (totally mispelled that)

 

[meshman10]

now see, that why I built my stand with the dimension's I did, I can still upgrade to 110 (deeper and wider not longer) and not get over a 48" light..when ya cross the length barrier the cost of light's goes from I can swing it, to saveing for a vacation,,

 

[SeaBee]

If you had a hood would it be cheaper to use two 36" fixtures?

TEK makes a sweet 60" t-5.