gopens Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 well today was a spendy day. i finally put the final touches on my tank with 2x250 metal halides. the shop only had the 20k bulbs. i bought the 20k, not relizing how blue they are. i want to get some 14k. i have heard the 14k are a great bulb for the blue and white look. but now for the question. i had no diresctions on were to put the reflectors. so i put them 13 inches from each side of the tank. is this a good length? it seem the center on the tank is much brighter than the sides. i am sure the reason for this is the over laping of the 2 bulbs. here is the pic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gopens Posted October 1, 2006 Author Share Posted October 1, 2006 oh, and one more thing. does anybody know of any tricks to making this huge ballast look good. the only place i can think of putting it is on top of the canopy. but the ballast is flippin heavy. well this make it that much more top heavy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 You might want to turn those lights and reflectors 90 degrees. it will spread the light through the tank better as well as not burn your eyes out when you open the canopy doors for any reason should they be on. Your tank is gonna LOVE them though. : ) I put my ballasts on top of my canopies. Nice, dry and safe up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCCP Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 i agry with fly guy, turn it horizontal, and about 20k bulbs " are they xm. xm are really blue that's waht i got 2 400w 20k XM the good thing about those bulbs are that after few month it will loose some of that blue and will become 14k bulb, if youll buy 14k bulb after few month your tank light will be yellow, bulbs burn out tooo fast and loose its color, so if i was u just keep the 20k bulb and wait month or 2 youll see the color diference, or maybe you didnt wait long enought for the bulb to heat up. because when u turn them on the bulb will get to it's 100% brightness after 30min or more depends on the bulb and the temperature of the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gopens Posted October 1, 2006 Author Share Posted October 1, 2006 thanks for the advice. i will be turning them around tomorrow morning. i was told bny my LFS guy to run them the way they are. i have also been told that the bulb will take a month+, and the bulbs will get some whit to them. so i guess i will just wait a couple months. i will post some new pics tomorrow on the MH setup... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefboy Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 actualy your local fish guy is correct youll get more light the way they are think about if you turn them the reflector puts light out to each side so you lose light the other way its spread across whole tank sry guys you get more light if he leaves them alone but id agree that its probly not enough to matter and getting blinded is another down side lol so etheir way will work lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Actually now that you mention it reefboy it does make sense......more concentrated equals more, rather than more spread out equals more. Although, like you say probably not a very large difference. Thanks for the correction. The funny thing about it is...that you have to admit the thought of opening that canopy with thoselights like that in the middle of the day to mess with something in your tank and melting your eyeballs is kinda humorous. : )..........or i just have kind of a warpd sense of humor(whistle) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 I also agree that the bulbs are most efficient mounted horizontally, with base in a front to back orientation. I began using MH in 1989, and have heard and read a few discussions on the subject. Here is a quote from the article "Ultraviolet Radiation and Aquarium Lighting" By Dana Riddle Riddle Aquatic Laboratories (It was written in 1998, but still applies, nevertheless.) "Influences of Lamp Burn Position Generally, fluorescent lamps are mounted horizontally (the electrodes are on a horizontal plane) and the operation position (called the burn position) is not much of an issue. The same is true for power compacts (although it is possible to mount these lamps vertically). With metal halides, burn position is critical for proper lamp performance (PAR output, color temperature) and lamp life. Metal halide lamps can be mounted vertically, horizontally or at an angle. " http://www.masla.com/reef/uvlighting.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 In both the way gopens has it mounted in this pic as well as the way the cccp and myself recommended, Both of those ways are horizontal arent they??? And the only real difference would be the concentration because of the reflector. Im not trying to be argumentative here......honest.......just trying to understand completely myself. ; ) If you look at the way those lights are mounted in those pics......if his reef was full fo rock there would be corals in the top center of the reef that wouldnt be getting any MH lighting, but common sense does now tell me that the corals that were getting light on the sides would be getting more of it, than if he did fliop them 90 degrees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 If I had a working scanner, it would be easiest to show you an illustration, but since I don't, I will try to explain. The most intense light is irradiated from the center of the MH bulb. The rays from the bulb do not illuminate like a spotlight, but fan out 360 degrees with greatest intensity from the "sides" of the bulb in this position. If you can envision this, then you can understand that the top center of the tank will also have a high amount of light due to the "overlapping" of the light emitted from each bulb. On the other hand, if bulbs are positioned parrallel with the tank, the areas of intense illumination would be concentrated in two general areas of the tank, and the efficiency basically wasted. No reasons for arguements here though. We learn through healthy debates and discussions. This is a hobby with more conflicting points of view than any other that I know of! More of us should get involved with the Marine Conferences... its great to see people like Delbeek, Sprung, Borneman, Nilsen, Shimek, Paletta, Jackson and others have an opposing view & debate over something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 If I had a working scanner, it would be easiest to show you an illustration, but since I don't, I will try to explain. The most intense light is irradiated from the center of the MH bulb. The rays from the bulb do not illuminate like a spotlight, but fan out 360 degrees with greatest intensity from the "sides" of the bulb in this position. If you can envision this, then you can understand that the top center of the tank will also have a high amount of light due to the "overlapping" of the light emitted from each bulb. On the other hand, if bulbs are positioned parrallel with the tank, the areas of intense illumination would be concentrated in two general areas of the tank, and the efficiency basically wasted. I just made the argument statement to make sure i wanst misread........ Regardless........so in essence, what you are saying is that to get the most out of our MH bulbs, we would want them orientated the way they are in gopens pic, but simply add a 270 degree reflector(instead of the 180) to prevent the melting eyeball syndrome we would get from messing with the tank with the lights on??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Leave the lights as they are, BUT spread the reflectors, JUST DO IT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 If you keep them mounted that way, just get some aluminum foil and cover the 'open' end. That way you don't go blind when you open the doors of the hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefin' Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 yup i agree bulbs perpendicular to tank is optimum, but most of us have them the other way for convienence or fit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCCP Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 i still stick with the fly guy here is what we get aproximatly hand skatch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 i still stick with the fly guy here is what we get aproximatly hand skatch. Yes IFYOU DON'T BEND THE REFLECTORS..... Turn one side off, lights off also in the room. Now, with your hand, in the middle center edge, push it up, and SEE THE LIGHT BAND SPREAD MORE to the unlight side. OK, so bend it!!! do the same with the other side. hhhhmmmmmmmmmmm YES if you use them stock, they do concentrate./ It's cheeper to ship that way, and stack, for the manufactor(clap) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCCP Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 the point is not how they shipped and stuff, but how it's allredy been set up looking at the picture, the point of these thread is to see other posibilities, and choose the best one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Go with T5s!!! Oh wait, what was the question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCCP Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 hey t5 are good, i got myself 8x54 kit those guys are bright as fu*k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 the point is not how they shipped and stuff' date=' but how it's allredy been set up looking at the picture, the point of these thread is to see other posibilities, and choose the best one.[/quote'] DOH! (enforcer) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 CCR!!!! You need a time out!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-3 Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Did someone say T5's? Is that what we are talking about? Later Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 simply add a 270 degree reflector(instead of the 180) to prevent the melting eyeball syndrome we would get from messing with the tank with the lights on??? Proper protective eyewear may also be advisable. rofl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gopens Posted October 2, 2006 Author Share Posted October 2, 2006 well i have decided to open up the reflectors some. it seems to work awesome. but i got to thinking. if i did turn the lights90 degress, would i be able to run a par of VHOs inside the reflectors (one vho on each side of the MH). would the heat from the MH not work with the VHO. just a thought for the future... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Let me go take a picture of what i think was a really good idea as far as the vho's goes. I used velcrow so i can easily move them out of the way when i want to stick my hands in the tank which is far too often. ; ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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