Show your Metal Halides tank!

[Ancient Mariner]

I'm running a 400 watt 20k Radium with a Sunlight Supply e ballast. Is your Ice-Cap ballast running Radiums? I would like to buy a backup ballast just in case this SLS ballast dies.

I bought the Icecap ballasts from aquacave.com. I strongly recommend them. They have them in stock and they ship immediately.

 

[Maximus]

I bought the Icecap ballasts from aquacave.com. I strongly recommend them. They have them in stock and they ship immediately.

Awesome! Are you on the regular 400 watt setting or the hqi (super lumens) setting?

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Awesome! Are you on the regular 400 watt setting or the hqi (super lumens) setting?

Regular. I don’t need any extra output and I don’t want to rock the boat. I just want to keep things going as is and have a backup ballast.

 

[Smite]

Need to get a PAR meter over here. This doesn't look bad at all as far as coverage...

 

[zheka757]

Very impressive tanks! I have being using Leds/t5 for the past 6 years. Switched to MH/t5/led combo. Here are few pics, tank is restarted couple month ago.

 

[zheka757]

There is 2 month and 10 days difference between these 2 pictures. notice the amount of coralline algae in that time frame have grown with MH, love them!
Sep 10

Nov 20

 

[Smite]

There is 2 month and 10 days difference between these 2 pictures. notice the amount of coralline algae in that time frame have grown with MH, love them!
Sep 10

Nov 20

Awesome looking tank! I love the clean look of an in wall system.

 

[nick0206]

Hi all.
I have no experience with metal-halide. The previous tank was T5 + Kessil LEDs.
In the near future I will install 2 x 250 watts 20K, I already bought everything (the tank is on a cycle). I install 2 MH and 2 Kessils.
I usually set the light to a 12 hour cycle.
I'm going to repeat this and turn on the MH for 5 or 6 hours.
This will be enough?
Thanks

 

[zheka757]

Hi all.
I have no experience with metal-halide. The previous tank was T5 + Kessil LEDs.
In the near future I will install 2 x 250 watts 20K, I already bought everything (the tank is on a cycle). I install 2 MH and 2 Kessils.
I usually set the light to a 12 hour cycle.
I'm going to repeat this and turn on the MH for 5 or 6 hours.
This will be enough?
Thanks

I'm still new to halides, I run my MH for 8 hours t5 for 10 hours, leds for 12 hours. Just personal preference for me, no true reason behind it.

 

[reefnfun]

240 gallon 2x 400 watt 20k radium's with 1 250 watt 14k double end phoenix bulb in the middle. I use reefbrite XHO led for color pop.

 

[zheka757]

240 gallon 2x 400 watt 20k radium's with 1 250 watt 14k double end phoenix bulb in the middle. I use reefbrite XHO led for color pop.

any particular reason for going with mix of 14/20k?

 

[reefnfun]

any particular reason for going with mix of 14/20k?

not really other than I had a double end bulb pendant. I like the color of the phoenix bulb and it puts out a ton of light. Radium bulbs only come in mogul design. I have never used a par meter because I don't have to. Par is good just about anywhere. Its one of the positives of Metal Halide.

 

[zheka757]

Oh completely forgot about par numbers. Couple days ago I had a buddy of mine lend me his par meter.
So my tank is 30" tall. I'm using 4 250w 20k radions, 8 t5s with actinic bulbs, 4 48" led strips, and 3 chinese version of Kessels.

Par is in 700's couple inches from top, 300s middle of the tank, 150s sandbed.

 

[Reefahholic]

Some color references for MH 14k, some with XHO. I'm waiting patiently for next July when Hamilton will get some Cozumel Suns back in stock. 2 of those will light my current tank perfectly.

To anyone contemplating going MH with a near standard sized tank 24-30" front to back don't sleep on the ReefBright pendants. They do a great job of resolving the heat "issue" that turn so many away from this lighting source. Well, I should say so many reefers who have no actual experience with MH.

Which 14K bulbs. Color is very nice! I wanted to go with Radium’s on my new tank, but they only come in 20K? I’m more of a 10-14K kinda guy.

What reflectors would you use on a 48x24x20 tank.? I also have 3x G5 XR15’s to supplement. Trying to figure out how I want to hang or position everything.

 

[Reefahholic]

Need to get a PAR meter over here. This doesn't look bad at all as far as coverage...

Do you go with the ReefBrites?

 

[MtnDewMan]

My old MH tank. 75 gallon, two 250W 10000k bulbs with VHO actinic to supplement them.

 

[zheka757]

Seems alot of you posting pictures of old tanks you use to have, assuming now you run leds.
Since switching to metal halides. I still can't ajust my calcium reactor right. Having to large of alk consumption. And most of it is from coraline algae growth right now. I'm growing coraline algae underneath the rocks!!!! I never seing that happen with leds I had for 5 years.

 

[RedoubtReef]

My old MH tank. 75 gallon, two 250W 10000k bulbs with VHO actinic to supplement them.

Looks great. Good to see another Reef Frontiers member from the 'ol days

 

[MtnDewMan]

Looks great. Good to see another Reef Frontiers member from the 'ol days

Awesome! I was the Reef Frontiers Founder and owner from the 'ol days

 

[MtnDewMan]

Seems alot of you posting pictures of old tanks you use to have, assuming now you run leds.
Since switching to metal halides. I still can't ajust my calcium reactor right. Having to large of alk consumption. And most of it is from coraline algae growth right now. I'm growing coraline algae underneath the rocks!!!! I never seing that happen with leds I had for 5 years.

Correct, I left the hobby for 15-20 years and when I reappeared, Metal Halides were no longer the premiere lighting although I really wanted it. Equipment was hard to find, heat was always an issue. So now on my smaller tank back in the hobby I went with LEDs supplemented with T5s.