Upgrade Halide/Canopy Build

Discussion in 'I made this!' started by Robman, Mar 18, 2010.

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  1. CrazyA

    CrazyA Feather Duster

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    Nice !!! Looking forward to the after pics :) Do you have measurements of the canopy height yet? I built mine so my 3-400w bulbs were 13" above the water line and i get a slight creep in temp, but not much. I left the entire back side of the canopy open for breathing room. I do not have a chiller nor fans yet though.
    Looking forward to pics tomorrow evening. Congrats

    Tank looks great BTW
     
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  3. slocal

    slocal Doot!

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    Just wait man. When I started my 80g, I made a promise to go to MH. The "flicker" effect that the MH's cause in the tank is well worth it alone besides the obvious power they have. Your rockwork will really make a great looking SPS or mixed reef tank. You've got a touch.
     
  4. Robman

    Robman Great White Shark

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    The canopy will be 11-12" in height. I will decide tommorow. I have been lurking in the LFS's with a measuring tape, stealing ideas and incorporating them into one. I have a 1/3 hp chiller, so no heat worries. It will have a killer fan system, and the back will be open.
     
  5. Robman

    Robman Great White Shark

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    I am thinking about actually going with the double island look, with some Tonga bridging the 2. There is one like that at one of my LFS, and I still stare at it every time I go in there. That will be down the road though. First things first!
     
  6. Dingo

    Dingo Giant Squid

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    you will love them :D
    nice choice ;)
     
  7. Robman

    Robman Great White Shark

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    Whew!!! Tangster is not a huge fan of them, says they are older technology. He prefers 20k xm's. I wanted to start somewhere in the middle. These Ushio 14k's seem to be the popular choice. There is even a website that used them as the standard while doing side by side ballast and reflector testing. Over and Over these were rated high. Don't get me wrong, I highly respect Roger's wisdom and opinion. He may be right, and I might change my mind later. My gut told me to get these.
     
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  9. CrazyA

    CrazyA Feather Duster

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    Excellent. With a chiller and bulbs that height i would be comfortable in saying you will be just fine on water temp. Keep in mind (i have heard) that with fans the water evaporation rate will be accelerated a bit. Good luck tomorrow and keep us posted :)
     
  10. slocal

    slocal Doot!

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    In the end, it's your tank and your money. I can attest to my coral's happiness with XM 15k's. A lot of white and a hint of blue. This saves me from running my actinics for pure aesthetic effect.
     
  11. CrazyA

    CrazyA Feather Duster

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    Ya I hear ya, chooseing a bulb was a difficult task for me too. I took the advise given to Otty about the SPS 400w 14k bulbs and I LOVE them. But that color output is exactly what I was looking for, might be different for other people though.
     
  12. Robman

    Robman Great White Shark

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    Oh!!! I forgot..I have a 2x54 T-5 retro kit that is going in there as supplement, and also moons. I already bought the kit, and reflectors last week for the t-5's. I have 3 different actinics in my current lights. I will see which ones look the best with the Halides. I have 420 and 460nm (Blue and Purple).