Still can't make up my mind.

[epidemic]

I am still having issues deciding what type of lighting to use on my new 120. I will have a 6 bulb retro kit,minus bulbs and some little parts. I also have 2 400W magnetic ballasts, that overdrive the bulbs a little too much for me, I have 1 luminarc 3 reflector and I have 1 ARO 250W electronic retro. I want to keep a good amount of SPS and possibly a huge deresa clam so intensity is the issue. So its either, 6x54w T5, 2x 250W in L3, or 2 400w in L3, of coarse I will have to buy more stuff with any route I take. Opinions?

[stuckey_t]

on that size tank i would run DE 250 phoenix or AQ bulbs in the 14,000K range with the lumenarc reflectors supplemented with t9 actinics. that would be an awesome lighting setup

[epidemic]

yeah, but I would have to buy two new Lumincars to fit the DE bulb.

[epidemic]

If I am going to go halides, I want to keep it to just that.

[Turf]

If your going halides I'm partial to the 2x 400watt 20k's... very nice I've used that setup on a 55 and a 90 gal but think it would be better on a 120 like yours. However, I didn't have an overdrive ballast. One other thing to consider, even though you get better growth on a lower k rating I still had awsome growth w/my 20k Radiums.

[mattb]

Since the Pheonix are blue enough, you could just got with them, I'd think (not knowing your color preference) they'd work just fine. One thing that I've found with the HQI and T5 in one hood (a Hamilton), the fans in the hood are not adequate to keep the temp down to allow for good performance of the T5 (I have no PAR meter to confirm this, just "eyeing" it) I wish I had gone with VHOs rather than T5 for this reason. But I have 3 * 250 HQI over a 120 so there is that extra bulb adding more heat.

I am running 3 of the gieseman marine whatever, they are rated as 13k, bu t on Sanjay, they are actually rated around 10K, they are bright white. I prefer the white to the blue look. I do like them, they seem whiter than the Hamiton 10Ks that came with them (though I liked those too).

Whatever your lighting, your derasa won't require much relative to maximas and croceas.... It'd be fine with the two halides....

[mattb]

I wouldn't run Radiums unless the ballasts are HQI... They are really blue without being overdriven.... I don't know if your 250w are HQI or not.... I run 250 HQI but run Radiums and they blue-white... nice. Also remember that most 250 HQI ballasts will consume about the same wattage as a 400w non-hqi... and there for output wise, pretty comparable.

[epidemic]

I have a radium on one of the mag ballast I have and it looks about 13-14K

[Turf]

the difference of course being bulb life.

[rihanssu]

derek i was wondering about that when you said tehy look look white on your ballast. i wonder if you have a bad bulb?

[epidemic]

I dont think so Hot soup. Ive tried 2 XM 20K and 1 Radium, none looks very blue

[rihanssu]

wierd. maybe its the ballast. i havn't heard to much about the one you have i got a 400 watt PFO and the 250 wattt bulb i run is real blue (and thats overdriven ;)