how high?

[SKRIZ]

I was going to set up my lighting but had a thought. 2 of the fixtures are going to be over the center braces. the braces are 3/4" glass. I am using 250w mh (xm 10k) with lumenmax reflectors. how high should they be? also, should I measure from the bottom of the bulb or from the bottom of the reflector?

the reflectors measure 24"x24"x8".

Btw, Ninnong, I went through Hell and back with Mitch. I wish I would have a heads up

I like these dudes: that's just funny.

[Reefland]

I think you could safely place them 6" above the surface. We have our 250w about this high from the surface (from the glass to the water surface) and with fans blowing scross them, I wouldn't have any concern with one being over our plastic center brace. With the glass center brace I think you will be just fine.

[SKRIZ]

Thanks Scott.

Now that's 6 inches from the bulb to the water or from the bottom of the reflector to the water?

[Reefland]

I would go from the bottom of the reflector. I went 6" from the bottom of the glass UV shield to the surface.

[golfish]

I wouldn't worry about the center braces, I ran a 400 watt Iwaski over a 1\2" brace for a few years, no problems. How wide are these braces? I see you mentioned Mitch so you must have a IA tank....let me guess, he mesed up the order?

[SKRIZ]

Yeah, it's an IA tank. You got it, messed up BIG TIME!

Golfish, how high above the brace do you have your bulb?

[golfish]

Yeah, it's an IA tank. You got it, messed up BIG TIME!

Golfish, how high above the brace do you have your bulb?

That was an old tank, when I had it I think I ran the bulb no more then 6" above the brace..

again, how wide are these braces? can you tell me a little more about the tank?

I won't go on about Mitch, You've probably heard enough..I will say this. If your not happy I wouldn't go on with the tank.

[SKRIZ]

It's just too late not to go one now. Too much money and too big of a tank. What sucks is that I didn't hear anything negative until it was too late. Only when I had a bad experience did everyone chime in and say "oh yeah, btw, I also had a bad experience..." I just have to make peace with it and make the best of it now.

Anyhoo, the braces are pretty large. 35" x 24". 3/4" thick starphire glass.

The layout of the tank makes it so that 2 lights will be directly over water. the center brace will have 2 lights over it (half over water and half on the brace)-does that make sense?

the tank is 10' long and I planned on using 4 mh lamps. the lumenarc reflectors measure 24" x 24". Initially I will only use 3 (since they are supposed to have a 4' x 4' light spread and I won't NEED too much light). Only when I really get things going do I figure that I will need the additional MH. Then I will encounter the problem with the center brace. I figure I would go ahead and tackle it now rather than later.

[golfish]

It's just too late not to go one now. Too much money and too big of a tank. What sucks is that I didn't hear anything negative until it was too late. Only when I had a bad experience did everyone chime in and say "oh yeah, btw, I also had a bad experience..." I just have to make peace with it and make the best of it now.

Anyhoo, the braces are pretty large. 35" x 24". 3/4" thick starphire glass.

The layout of the tank makes it so that 2 lights will be directly over water. the center brace will have 2 lights over it (half over water and half on the brace)-does that make sense?

the tank is 10' long and I planned on using 4 mh lamps. the lumenarc reflectors measure 24" x 24". Initially I will only use 3 (since they are supposed to have a 4' x 4' light spread and I won't NEED too much light). Only when I really get things going do I figure that I will need the additional MH. Then I will encounter the problem with the center brace. I figure I would go ahead and tackle it now rather than later.

Bummer, For every good story there's 10 bad ones.

I didn't have too much of a problem with my center brace. It bug the hec out of me but the sps under it grew just as well as the others. That tank was only 4 foot long and I had a 400 watt Iwaski with 4x55 watt actinic PC's, all mounted in the same reflector. I also ran 2x250 watt DE HQI's (10K is all they had back then) later on switched to 2x400 watt Radiums. Its just something that your going to have to deal with, you wont know whats going to happen till you get everything set. It might turn out to be a good thing, you could put you less light loving corals under the cross bars.

Mark