What lights should I get for a 75G

[Splitskull]

Hi
What lights should I get for a 75G(48*20*18)?

3 or 4 URI VHO 48" (what colors)?

3 or 4 T5 HO 48" ?

Also which one runs cooler URI VHO or T5 HO?

MH lights are out of question (tooo hot... no AC)

TIA

[Simon O'Keeffe]

MH are no hotter than any other form of lighting.
If fact with the remote ballasts their often less hot watt for watt than
other forms of lighting.
You kidding yourself if you think those other lights are cooler than MH.
MH seems hotter because of the heat being produced in a smaller area
where as the fluros are spreading it out much more.
I use MH and HPS exclusively these days as they are the cheapest light
and also the best.
I have been through the fluro stage and wasted money.
Do yourself a favour and just get the MH in an equivalent wattage that
you were looking for in fluros.
Fewer larger bulbs are cheaper to run that more smaller ones so maybe 2
x 250w MH 10ks.
You can get kits for under $200us for decent 250w MH setups, over the
years this work out cheap as bulbs should go for at least 18months
sometimes over 2 years before they need to be replaced.
I've read the same stuff over and over through the years regarding MH
hotter than other lighting and it's simply not true.
I run 2200w over my 2 x 4x2x2 tanks and live in Brisbane Australia and 2
small 5" fans are all I need to keep my tank cool when the temps reach
40 degrees C, my tank does not go over 29 degrees C.
Both tanks are enclosed in stands with the bulbs being only about 6"
from the water surface.

good luck

Simon
Splitskull wrote:

>Hi
>What lights should I get for a 75G(48*20*18)?
>
>3 or 4 URI VHO 48" (what colors)?
>
>3 or 4 T5 HO 48" ?
>
>Also which one runs cooler URI VHO or T5 HO?
>
>MH lights are out of question (tooo hot... no AC)
>
>TIA
>
>
>
>

[Andrew Pejta]

Simon O'Keeffe wrote:
> MH are no hotter than any other form of lighting.
> If fact with the remote ballasts their often less hot watt for watt than
> other forms of lighting.
> <snip>
> I run 2200w over my 2 x 4x2x2 tanks and live in Brisbane Australia and 2
> small 5" fans are all I need to keep my tank cool when the temps reach
> 40 degrees C, my tank does not go over 29 degrees C.
> Both tanks are enclosed in stands with the bulbs being only about 6"
> from the water surface.
> <snip>

Hey, thanks for the post! I'm coming back into reefing, and was
wondering what to boost my lighting to.

I have a 600L tank (180G) - approx in feet: 2 x 5 x 3 deep.

I've decided on 3 400W MH.

But some guys here are saying that I'm crazy and that I won't be able to
keep the tank cool etc etc. So I was beginning to wonder if I was going
over the top.

I'm in Adelaide, and we get a couple of 40 degrees C days, but not as
many you guys get.

cheers
Andrew