Help!!!!

Checkitout · Mar 23, 2010

Ok I have a dual 400w pfo ballast (m59) and have been using xm 20k bulbs for a little while now. I love the colors I get out of the bulbs but I cant get that great of growth. I heard to use radiums but the ballast I have does not over drive them so they wouldn't work like for some people. I thought about helios, evc, blv, etc. I'm asking for suggestions on what bulb would give me good color still and good growth.

nayrgaijin · Mar 23, 2010

What are the dimensions of the tank?

Troylee · Mar 23, 2010

there isnt very many bulbs you can fire with probe start ballast...radiums wont even fire up on a probe start..nor phoniex etc... it sucks i know i have some and just stick with xm's myself...i have ran xm 10k's with vho's for awhile and got superior growth but everything turned ugly on me so i switched back to 20k's with the vho's for now prolly switch again next month to the 10'ks lol...

Checkitout · Mar 23, 2010

Its 48" x 18" x 29" tall

LegoZ81 · Mar 23, 2010

How high are the lights off of the tank? Is that a 90?

Troylee · Mar 23, 2010

You should be seeing some growth, I do with my 250s... Do you have any supplement lighting?? T5s or vhos?? I run 250s with vho actinics and it grows pretty well I must say... Forgot to add this to my first post..

Checkitout · Mar 23, 2010

LegoZ81 said:
How high are the lights off of the tank? Is that a 90?

About 10" off the water. No a 90 is a few inches shorter.

Checkitout · Mar 23, 2010

troylee said:
You should be seeing some growth, I do with my 250s... Do you have any supplement lighting?? T5s or vhos?? I run 250s with vho actinics and it grows pretty well I must say... Forgot to add this to my first post..

No room for more lights. The way the canopy was built I only have room for the two reflectors.

nater · Mar 23, 2010

i have the same tank. at least same dimensions. i am about to upgrade lighting and am having bulb decision to make too. i was leaning towards elos 14k , or 20k. i am going to tag along

110reef · Mar 23, 2010

I am running 400w reefoptics 14K bulbs and am getting growth. I supplement them with 424 VHO's though...

Troylee · Mar 23, 2010

You can fit some vhos in there... Check out my canopy I notched the lumenarcs out and put the vhos threw them... I have a thread in the member tanks section.. I can't link it rite now off my phone... Lol

ficklefins · Mar 23, 2010

troylee said:
You can fit some vhos in there... Check out my canopy I notched the lumenarcs out and put the vhos threw them... I have a thread in the member tanks section.. I can't link it rite now off my phone... Lol

Here is Troy's build thread for reference.
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/f52/troylees-one-kind-diy-drop-off-35034-2.html

Checkitout · Mar 23, 2010

So do you have the vho's setting on top of the reflectors? Are you using xm 10k's with the vho to get that nice blue tint. I just worry that the vho bulbs would get to hot from the halide bulb. Also by switching to the 10k bulbs I worry about hurting the acans and scoly that I have on the sand.

Troylee · Mar 23, 2010

i was running 10k's for the first 2 months, now i got the 20k's in...prolly change back to 10k soon since all i got is a bunch of frags and i need some steriods..lol
the heat dont hurt them at all i have a single fan in the canopy and all is good....
i actually notched out like 2 inches up from the bottom of the reflector and slid them in...
they have a internal reflector so it helps both ways by protecting it from the mh and not having to use a reflector for the bulb it's self...the worst it would do is burn the bulb out prematurely....hth..i can take some detailed pics if ya need to see what exactly im talking about...