Potential Future Upgrade; Want some opinions

I was also wondering if anyone had any input on this fixture. I have now pretty much settled on MH lighting, but now debating between getting a 2 x 250 w MH fixture or a 2 x 150 MH fixture. What do you guys think, keep in my I will eventually like to upgrade to a 90 in a few years and would like to use this fixture. Thanks again for any input.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~action~view~idProduct~GL1233~idCategory~FILTFIMHMTMDNMM5~category~48in~vendor~.html

 

I would do 250's...

 

That's kind of what I was leaning towards. I thought about the 150s, but I didn't want to upgrade and then be unhappy again with my lighting.

 

I have 2 150's over a 46. You have to get 2 250's. The Maristar looks nice. I am sure its better quality than Current or Coralife fixtures at least I would think so when you pay that price. I would just have it raised over your current tank high enough then lower it for the 90. What brand 90 gallon tank are you looking at? My future tank will be a rimless 90-120 gallon starphire. Good Luck

 

i have the 8x54watt tek light on my 90 gal and have sps and clams growing awesome all the way down on the sand bed!

Good idea but the problem is that every two lamps is in series with each other. so if one lamp is out then the other lamp in series with the lamp you arent planning to run wont fire up.

 

do you mean - even if you remove 1 tube- the other wont light up? -


Steve

 

well the 8 lamp fixture is wired like this...
starting from front of the tank to the back.

lamp one and two are actinics...they are wired in series with each other so if one lamp is out the other wont work.

Lamp three and four are for your daylight lamps and wired in the same fashion as lamp one and two...

Lamp five and six are also daylight lamps and wired together the same as the above stated.

lamp seven and eight are actinic and again the same deal.

So, lamp one, two, seven and eight are on one switch and lamps three, four five and six are on the other switch. Since they are wired like that you cant stager the actinics and whites one after the other and still be able to independently turn on the whites or blue cause all of 4 middle lamps are on one switch...
Make sense?

 

What you say makes sense to me - and please forgive my ignorance - are the ballast different for the actinic and the daylight?

could you not swap the tubes round so you have alternate Actinic and daylight ones
so switch one operates 4 x actinic and switch 2 operates 4 x dalight

sorry of its a dumb question on your thread Guitarman

 

you would have to take the whole thing apart and switch the actual endcaps. Just switching the tubes wouldnt work unless you dont mind not being able to just turn on the actinics or just turn on the whites....

 

noted and understood - thank you