OUTER ORBIT HQI Metal Halide

I have a 120 gallon salt water tank. 48 X 24 X 24 (I think)
It is built into my wall- open top -no canopy or glass. The wall
chamber is big, open and well ventilated
Currently I have some fish, bubble tip anomie and a few leather /
mushroom corals.

My 48" ORBIT 1024 light had blown a ballast and a fan so I thought I
would upgrade to the Outer Orbit model 1042 as I think I was under
lighted before and would like to start stocking my tank. (2 x150 and
blue 2x130 tot output=560)

Well.... after installing the new light my water temperature rose from
a steady 74 to a whopping 85

Can you please help me understand how I can try to regulate the temp
with out buying a 700 dollar chiller? I have unplugged my heaters, and
suspended the light assembly about 8 inches off the top of the tank. I
tried to start out slow-run the light for 4 hours and then increased
each day....

My bubble tip anemone is horrified and has shrunk way down in size, the
green mushrooms have curled up, and my toadstool mushroom has not
extended its polyps since I put the light in 8 days ago? I developed a
gross greenish black chunky alage on the tank bottom- and I need to
clean the tank glass once a day to remove thin green film?
PLEASE HELP WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS. or I will be having fried fish for
diner!

What do you recommend for light cycle times-do I need to run the
Halides for 6-10 hours ?
How far above the tank can I hang the light with out losing the
benefits of the high output ?
Can I run an external fan over the surface of the tank ?

wrote on 3/15/2006 6:00 AM:
Can you please help me understand how I can try to regulate the temp
with out buying a 700 dollar chiller?

Yea, buy a 600 dollar chiller :-)

Actualy you can cool the water quite inexpensively by
installing a fan to blow accross the water. With this
method you can cool up to 9 degrees below air temp.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets

I did this and you are 100 % correct - Thanks,

Now any advice how I can get rid of that chunky alagee that formed in
the substrate due to the heat rise?

I did do a 20 gallon water change but the sand top keeps turning a dark
purple-ish - green.

wrote in message ups.com...
I did this and you are 100 % correct - Thanks,

Now any advice how I can get rid of that chunky alagee that formed in
the substrate due to the heat rise?

I did do a 20 gallon water change but the sand top keeps turning a dark
purple-ish - green.

How long was your tank running without ligt after your lamp broke ?
It had acumulated some waste/nutrients and it needs time to cycle
them into the algae bodies...
Make sure your grazers crew is alive. Check phosphates/nitrates.
20 gallon water change for a 120 gallon tank is a weekly maintenance.
In case of emergency or big waste buildup you need more massive
water changes. Check the levels of phosphates/nitrates and keep them
low: temporarly with water changes, later - long term with grazers
feeding on algae growing in your tank.
Do not forget the live fish tank is a very dynamic system and big
change in lighting will need proper time to reach new equilibrum.