2X175w or 2X250w

i am very interested in halides, as my PC's aint much for my 55gal. i was looking on marine depot and found these lights called "captive sun", i am thinking of getting the retrofit version and making a wood frame for it. I was thinking of getting the one that has 2X175 watt halides and 2X110w VHO actinics. But......then i saw that they had one with 2X250 watt halides and 2X110 watt VHO actinics. Would two 250watt halides with two 110 watt VHO actinics be overkill?

 

the 250's and then 2 48 in VHO are more necessary then overkill for a 55 if you want to go reef and this set up will take you to a 90 gallon or 150 gal even if you stay at 48 inches of tank length. If you need some used stuff ? P/M me I have ballast and a few fixtures for 250 HQI's less then a yr's use on them.. Also have a case of 10,000 K ushios HQI bulbs for 250's and 150's far less then what you'd expect..

 

im very interested! what kind of fixtures?
i guess 2x250w is the way to go!

 

general rule of thumb: 7-10 watts per gallon for a reef tank
if you use 2-175 mh with 2-110 actinic thats 570 watts total for 10 watts per gallon
if you use 2-250 mh with 2-110 actinic thats 770 watts total for 14 watts per gallon
depth of 18" is the breaking point for either 175 or 250

heres a site for starters:
Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Feature Article: Spectral Analysis of XM 15000K Metal Halide Lamps

a par distribution chart of a particular bulb shows the pattern depending on the depth and a luminex meter shows the intensity at certain depths, specific corals require different par levels.

heres another site:
Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Lateral Lines: Classification and Terminology For Reef Aquarium Lighting

the 175 set up puts the tank within range and the 250 set up puts the tank above, the debate over lighting a reef tank will go on forever in the aquarium world.

 

i think im gonna do two 175 watters and add actinincs later on. right now ive got 3 corals over 4 65w PCs that are growing fast. They should suffice under 2x 175w halides until actinics become availible to me, im 14 and have no income other than allowence bacause its winter now and there aint any more lawns to be mowed

 

The 250's are a better choice in my opinion as they allow you more flexibility with the corals you can keep and the coloration associated with them. Alot will depend on the types of corals you plan on keeping as well however. You don't want to make the mistake of purchasing a lesser wattage set-up only to turn around a few months later and decide that they aren't strong enough or afford you more flexibility to do more with your tank thus costing you more money!
Having said this, however, don't get trapped into the hole thinking that lights are the only or most important aspect in a successful reef tank for growth, color and overall vigor of corals! There are many variables that work in a symbiotic, dependency with each other!

Dissolved organics, excess nutrients, turbidity, temperature, salinity, water parameters, filtration and water flow are all keys that need to be addressed to help you maintain great looking vibrant, growing corals, not to mention the fish and inverts etc.!

 

I agree go with 250s or you will always wished you would have. I have 250s in lumenarchs that are brighter then my 400s in regular reflectors and they are they same 20000k bulbs just one is like i said 250 and the 0ther400. its wild what difference reflectors make.

 

well tangster said he could hook me up with 250's so now its savin time!!!!!!! or maybe moochin time!!!!

 

I am sure you will be happier I have the plans for some do it yourself lumenarcs if you need them there not hard to make and work awesome.

 

I also would go with the 250's b/c if you up-grade your tank, as you will probably do like most of us, your light fixture will be adequate for your corals. I also have a pair of 250's over a 90 gal tank and all my corals are great. Just dont forget to acclimate the corals, thats a big jump in watts.