light

[reeffreak]

Good deal David(we need a thumps up emoticon here at Living Reefs)....just didn't want you to spend money on something and want to upgrade again.

Bobby I see you read up on everything like me.

 

[DavidA717]

haha yeah. but say all i wanted to do was have a few zoas, and then just live rock and fish, 130 watt ok? or still need to go to something stronger? because this is my first salt tank. and if i decided to do a bigger tank later on, i would want to be able to save up some cash for that to buy a good fixture, but if i cant get anyone to buy this light i have, i might as well keep it

 

[reeffreak]

130w is still fine for pretty much all soft corals and many LPS including zoas.Use the fixture you have now and when your ready to upgrade look into T5-HO's.After you do upgrade use the old fixture for a fuge,QT or frag tank,so it could serve a purpose later on too.Best of luck

 

[DavidA717]

thanks reef, youv'e been alot of help

 

[DavidA717]

what do you think about this MH fixture. i know its odyssa but it seems somewhat alright for the price.
36" 442W Metal Halide System (Electronic Version) - 504013

 

[bobby]

I think they look good. You will be able to keep anything in the tank with that light, start with softy's thet way you dont have to put new lights in right away then when your ready for higher light things you might still be ok or you might have toput new bulbs in but it does look like a good deal even if you do have to put new bulbs in.

 

[reeffreak]

IMO,way overkill for 30 gallon thats only 12'' deep.,not to mention the heat issues on such a smallish tank.I believe that if you go with that light it would need to be suspended 12''-18'' above the tank and a fan blowing across the surface to possibly not cause a heat issue.If it does cause a heat issue than you would need a chiller,but I don't think you want to go down that route.It should let you keep the intense lighting corals(SPS) but there is a risk of cooking softies.

BTW,not saying it can't be use,just there are risk involved mainly heat and electricity consumptions.

 

[bobby]

I think his tank is 16 deep and 12 wide like mine, not that a whole 4 inches is going to make that big of a difference.

 

[yote]

Im gonna agree with Reef again.
With a 30 gallon tank,that light would probably cook any zoas you put in there unless the light is hanging 18 inches or so above the water.
Any time you run halides you get quiet a bit of heat transfer to your tank.I think 442 watts of MH would be way over kill.

 

[DavidA717]

so 130watt would be ok for some zoas and maybe a few other softies?

 

[yote]

Yep,130 watts will be fine with most of the softies.You could most likely keep a lot of LPS corals too.

 

[DavidA717]

ok sweet. i guess ill just use the light i have now and later on maybe when i get a larger tank, get something stronger, thanks yote

 

[yote]

Any time.