OP
OP
spspirate
Tidepool Explorer
Do you how long it took them to build the Georgia Aquarium!..lol
spspirates 150 gallon build
- Build Thread
- Thread starter spspirate
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Do you how long it took them to build the Georgia Aquarium!..lol
OP
OP
spspirate
Tidepool Explorer
LOL...Probably..LOL!!!!
OP
OP
spspirate
Tidepool Explorer
While Im waiting for the weekend to plumb I thought I'd throw up the ballasts I'll be using. Im going with the Lumatek LK400 400W electronic ballast with the optional selectable dimming from 250W mogul or HQI or 400W mogul or HQI. In my system I'll be running 250W Muguls (Radium) along with the ReefBrite HALIDE HYBRID fixture.
Last edited:
gettaReef
Valuable Member
i like that purple color of the ballasts. Every piece of equipment these days is pimped out, lol. the ability to switch from 250w to 400w is really nice also. What's the difference between the 250/400w mogul and HQI?
OP
OP
spspirate
Tidepool Explorer
The purple is pretty sweet. I used to run Galaxy ballasts on my older reefs but decided to give these a spin and really like the way they run a Radium. The big difference between a Mogul and HQI or double ended bulb is that a HQI needs to be run with a protective UV shield. A mogul is already incased in its own protective glass envelop. It also seems to me that a HQI bulb tends to put out more of a focused beam of light. Maybe even more PAR. Because of the protective shield with a HQI (that comes with most fixtures that are built to run HQI) you can run them a little closer to the water versus a mogul you should run between 7"-12" inches. HQI reflectors seem to run smaller also which in turn will give you a smaller photo foot print versus a mogul bulb which usually because of the size of bulb will run under a bigger reflector which will give you more spread with out having to raise your light and sacrificing PAR. A mogul is more versatile and are a lot easier to deal with when removing the bulb from the fixture for replacement. A mogul unscrews and a HQI kind of "pops" out with caution. I've broken my share when trying to remove them. I'm a fan of halide and very partial to a Radium bulb. It seems to be the right fit for me.
gettaReef
Valuable Member
Ahhh...thank you for the explanation. I run a fixture with x2 250w MHs and x4 T5s. I went with ATI T5's and phoenix halides. Haha I guess my MHs are HQI bc the are the double ended, fragile ones. Just the last time I changed MHs one broke when taking it out. For such an expensive bulb they are fragile. It's a good thing mine is HQI bc I run my fixture very close to my tank, like 6-7". Idk if mine has a "protective shield" though, as it appears to just be a piece of glass, but Idk for sure. Again, thanks for the info
Last edited:
OP
OP
spspirate
Tidepool Explorer
And thats what it is..a piece of glass that usually slides out for cleaning. The glass filters out the harm full UV rays that are dangerous to our eyes and to the tank inhabitants. Without the shield it would burn up your corals.
EW_Fish
Valuable Member
The only water he is seeing is when he washes the dishes!
skinz78
10K Club member
He's ignoring me now... :smash:
OP
OP
spspirate
Tidepool Explorer
What Chris? :lalala:
Daniel@R2R
Living the Reef Life
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2012
- Messages
- 38,516
- Reaction score
- 67,449
- Location
- Fontana, California
- What state or country do you live in
- California
Andy doesn't actually plan to put water in there. It's just for show
EW_Fish
Valuable Member
Lol, Your going to need a screen top for all those lady bugs....
OP
OP
spspirate
Tidepool Explorer
After this weekend I'll be looking for some pukani....hope my LFS can pull through...lol Im a little iffy about buying rock off line you never know what your going to get but I may have to go that route. If anyone has any online suggestions I'm open to them.
Last edited:
