Ok..I have about $1000 to blow

[patsfan1130]

Ok I need a lil help deciding. Tank is a 120g AGA reef. I do not want to have any limitations on what livestock I can keep due to lighting issues. My only concerns are with heat and with lighting up my living room and not the tank (I do not have a canopy) What does everybody think? I believe I have narrowed it down to these. Does anyone use either of the following setups?

Hamilton Reefstar MH Pendant

• Available in 150w HQI or 250w HQI
• Designed to hang above the tank to eliminate heat build up.
• Internal SuperBrite hammer tone (20% more light output) reflector.
• Powder-coated, steel fixture has matte black textured finish.
• Remote HQI Ballast
• UV absorbing tempered glass lens.
• Suspend above your tank for easy tank maintenance.
• Fixture dimensions: 16.5 x 10.25 x 3.5"

These are approx $375 each + shipping with 250w 14k bulb

Aquaspacelight 2

Aquaspacelight 2 - 250 watt HQI Metal Halide with 2 - 24 watt Osram true 03 actinic power compact in a powder coated black extruded aluminum housing. Includes all bulbs and steel cable hanging hardware. The cable hanging system allows for easy one-person height adjustment of the entire light system (great for acclimating new corals). Made in Germany by Aqualine Buschke. Dimensions - 48' x 12' x 3.2' (LxWxH).
Weight: 60 Lbs.

Price: $899.99 + shipping


Or does someone have another suggestion? Money does matter of course. I'm not thrilled over forking out the money but hell...who is? But I want to get this right the first time.

Thanks,

Mark

[Poseidon]

My vote goes for the Aqua Spacelight... I'm pretty sure that is what Ninong uses on his 120...

[AquaticCo]

IMO your paying way to much money

Doug

Ok I need a lil help deciding. Tank is a 120g AGA reef. I do not want to have any limitations on what livestock I can keep due to lighting issues. My only concerns are with heat and with lighting up my living room and not the tank (I do not have a canopy) What does everybody think? I believe I have narrowed it down to these. Does anyone use either of the following setups?

Hamilton Reefstar MH Pendant

• Available in 150w HQI or 250w HQI
• Designed to hang above the tank to eliminate heat build up.
• Internal SuperBrite hammer tone (20% more light output) reflector.
• Powder-coated, steel fixture has matte black textured finish.
• Remote HQI Ballast
• UV absorbing tempered glass lens.
• Suspend above your tank for easy tank maintenance.
• Fixture dimensions: 16.5 x 10.25 x 3.5"

These are approx $375 each + shipping with 250w 14k bulb

Aquaspacelight 2

Aquaspacelight 2 - 250 watt HQI Metal Halide with 2 - 24 watt Osram true 03 actinic power compact in a powder coated black extruded aluminum housing. Includes all bulbs and steel cable hanging hardware. The cable hanging system allows for easy one-person height adjustment of the entire light system (great for acclimating new corals). Made in Germany by Aqualine Buschke. Dimensions - 48' x 12' x 3.2' (LxWxH).
Weight: 60 Lbs.

Price: $899.99 + shipping


Or does someone have another suggestion? Money does matter of course. I'm not thrilled over forking out the money but hell...who is? But I want to get this right the first time.

Thanks,

Mark

[Reefland]

The Aquaspace lights are undoubtedly nice and in your case without a canopy might be an option for you. There are other "finished" fixtures available that may cost a bit less; I know SSL has a new DE/T-5 fixture available that you might look into.

If you wanted to come up with a canopy, you could probably add halides to the tank for around $600.

Scott Z.

[AquaticCo]

The SunLight Supply Fixture is called Maristar. Below is a link to Sunlight's website

http://www.sunlightsupply.com/aquari...tml#mariblack1

Doug

The Aquaspace lights are undoubtedly nice and in your case without a canopy might be an option for you. There are other "finished" fixtures available that may cost a bit less; I know SSL has a new DE/T-5 fixture available that you might look into.

If you wanted to come up with a canopy, you could probably add halides to the tank for around $600.

Scott Z.

[patsfan1130]

The SunLight Supply Fixture is called Maristar. Below is a link to Sunlight's website

http://www.sunlightsupply.com/aquari...tml#mariblack1

Doug

Ok..more confused now

canopy/no canopy
retro/fixture
halide/PC
halide/VHO
T5

I could prolly balance the country's budget easier than decide on lighting for my tank..heh

[Reefland]

I think a halide fixture with VHO's are your best bet; only you can determine retrofit of fixture.

Scott Z.

[Ninong]

Ok..more confused now

canopy/no canopy
retro/fixture
halide/PC
halide/VHO
T5

I could prolly balance the country's budget easier than decide on lighting for my tank..heh

I have an Aquastarlight Future fixture, not an Aquaspacelight fixture. I didn't need PC fluorescents because I already had a fixture with PC fluorescents and was more interested in getting the moonlight in the middle of my fixture.

I wouldn't even consider the Hamilton fixture. The Aquaspacelight is a very nice fixture but if you get one, consider the version with the BLV 150w 20,000K HQI DE lamp in the middle instead of the one with the two 24w Osram blue PCs. This newer version runs $100 more than the one with the PCs in the middle. The ballast for the 150w 20,000K lamp is electronic and is mounted onboard, as are the two magnetic ballasts for the two AB-10000 250w HQI DE lamps.

However, that new Sunlight Supply fixture looks very interesting, too. I believe that 250w HQI DE lamps in combination with either VHO actinics or T5 actinics would be a very good choice. The AB fixtures are very well made but they are heavy and they get extremely hot. That's because of the magnetic ballasts mounted inside the fixtures. Giesemann has some new fixtures with electronic ballasts but Giesemann's fixtures are much more expensive than anything else out there.

I like my fixture... BUT... it gets way too hot to suit me. It heats up the entire room. In my particular situation electronic ballasts would have been a better way to go regardless of the cost.

[traveller7]

I would highly agree with Ninong on ditching pc's in place of a BLV / Ushio / HIT Colorlite 20K 150wt DE for a center. In my case I run 3x70 or 3x150 and place a single 5.5K to 10K in the center flanked by 20K's. Run them 12 hours of 2x20K and 6 hours of 1x<=10K. Clams, anemones, etc. have been doing well with this config.

Heat from magnetic HQI ballasts can be a bummer, but boy do they get the most from the bulb.

Cheers.

[kevinpo]

I like and use this fixture with a couple of 250W Ushio DE HQI bulbs and 2 110W URI VHO actinic bulbs. You're looking at about $899 for everything.

http://www.pfolighting.com/new%20pfoAq/Acrolight.htm

HTH,
Kevin

[AquaticCo]

Now I'm curious, Ninong why would you even not want to mention the most popular manufacturer out there? In comparing the fixtures what I think would be of more importance would be the reliabillity and Quality of the fixture, not just how cool it looks over your tank. If Im reading the original post correctly this is a 120 gallon system we are looking at with unlimited potential to the amount of corals to be kept and a certain budget in mind.

With a 120 gallon tank I'm going to assume that it's about 24" deep which I believe it is. If this is the case I would not recomend anything under a 250-watt system of any kind because you will need the wattage to reach the bottom of the tank.

With a 250-watt system according to test results; below
http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/...omparison.html
The magnetic ballasts actually burn the bulbs better and more effectivley. But with this being said they are also bigger and put off more heat

As far as what spectrum to choose remember this. The higher in K or Kelvin the bluer the bulb is. Also the higher the Kelvin typically the lower the PAR is.
PAR is what the corals need to grow. The link below actually compares mogul bulbs but you get the general idea.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=254667
Also keep in mind that once the corals need are met the rest is purely what is appealing to you.

Hang in there you have a ton to choose from

Doug

I have an Aquastarlight Future fixture, not an Aquaspacelight fixture. I didn't need PC fluorescents because I already had a fixture with PC fluorescents and was more interested in getting the moonlight in the middle of my fixture.

I wouldn't even consider the Hamilton fixture. The Aquaspacelight is a very nice fixture but if you get one, consider the version with the BLV 150w 20,000K HQI DE lamp in the middle instead of the one with the two 24w Osram blue PCs. This newer version runs $100 more than the one with the PCs in the middle. The ballast for the 150w 20,000K lamp is electronic and is mounted onboard, as are the two magnetic ballasts for the two AB-10000 250w HQI DE lamps.

However, that new Sunlight Supply fixture looks very interesting, too. I believe that 250w HQI DE lamps in combination with either VHO actinics or T5 actinics would be a very good choice. The AB fixtures are very well made but they are heavy and they get extremely hot. That's because of the magnetic ballasts mounted inside the fixtures. Giesemann has some new fixtures with electronic ballasts but Giesemann's fixtures are much more expensive than anything else out there.

I like my fixture... BUT... it gets way too hot to suit me. It heats up the entire room. In my particular situation electronic ballasts would have been a better way to go regardless of the cost.

[Ninong]

Now I'm curious, Ninong why would you even not want to mention the most popular manufacturer out there?

I believe what I said was, "I wouldn't even consider the Hamilton fixture." That's my personal opinion based on my evaluation of the overall quality of Hamilton fixtures vs. the other fixture he was asking about, the AB-Aqualine Aquaspacelight fixture. For one thing, I don't consider the reflectors in Hamilton fixtures to be equal to the reflectors in AB-Aqualine fixtures. The overall fit and finish of AB-Aqualine fixtures is obviously superior to Hamilton fixtures. If money is no object, then I would have to say that Giesemann's fixtures are superior to the AB fixtures, but as far as a comparison of the two manufacturers, AB-Aqualine and Hamilton, I am of the opinion that AB-Aqualine is a better fixture.

In comparing the fixtures what I think would be of more importance would be the reliabillity and Quality of the fixture, not just how cool it looks over your tank.

I agree. Not only that, based on my experience I would say that there are other factors that should not be overlooked. In my particular situation, I underestimated the problems I would face dealing with excessive heat and light spillover due to the height of my fixture. My stand is 36" tall and my tank is 27.5" tall. My fixture is 11" above the water's surface. That means that the bottom of the fixture is above eye-level for anyone in the room not named Shaquille. I successfully solved the light spillover issue with black acrylic shields mounted on the top of the tank resulting in what amounts to an open-top canopy. I have not been at all successful in managing the problem of excessive heat in the room. My room temperature runs about three to four degrees higher than the rest of the house when the halides are on.

With a 120 gallon tank I'm going to assume that it's about 24" deep which I believe it is. If this is the case I would not recomend anything under a 250-watt system of any kind because you will need the wattage to reach the bottom of the tank.

So far everyone in this thread has agreed with that recommendation: 250w metal halides with some sort of blue supplementation.

With a 250-watt system according to test results; below
http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/...omparison.html
The magnetic ballasts actually burn the bulbs better and more effectivley. But with this being said they are also bigger and put off more heat

Yes, magnetic ballasts do burn the bulbs better and more effectively but in my particular situation I wish I had not gone with magnetic ballasts because it makes my room almost unliveable. I have to run a fan constantly to try to circulate the air out of the room. I can't have the rest of the house too cold just to get my room down to a more comfortable level. When the rest of the house is 74 degrees, my room is 78 degrees. I'm sure part of the problem is poor design of the house's A/C system.

BTW, the article you referenced is three years old. Sanjay has a more recent study that is only three months old that happens to include the AB-10000 250w HQI DE lamps: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...4/feature1.htm

As far as what spectrum to choose remember this. The higher in K or Kelvin the bluer the bulb is. Also the higher the Kelvin typically the lower the PAR is.

In general this statement is true but it is not always so. For example, there are 14,000K lamps that are much bluer than some 20,000K lamps. The Iwasaki 6500K lamps are renowned for there high PAR but the Venture 175w 6500K lamps have only one-third the PAR of the Ushio 175w 10,000K lamps according to studies published by Dr. Sanjay Joshi. So both PAR and appearance are not always predictable. Some lamps are better than others. Much better in some cases. Some lamps last longer than others. Much longer in many cases.