kindve a newbie question?

[tommy6905]

im going to set up a 10gal nano, i just posted asking if someone would like to trade the 175w mh i have....the question i have is if i were to keep the fixture, replace it with a 14k bulb would this be to much light? how far above the water should it be placed?

also plan to build a box like canopy around it so it will look nice..

 

[jpnasty]

the Kelvin will not affect the wattage. idk what k you have now but simply put the higher you go in kelvins the bluer the light will be and the lower the more yellow the spectrem will be

 

[gadolinium]

Be careful with the 175w halide and a 10 gallon tank. That light will put out a lot of heat. You might have problems controlling the temp and need to top off the tank daily.
I've been running a 12 gallon nano now for 4 years with a 70W halide. The 70W is enough light to grow any SPS, LPS, or Clam.

 

[jpnasty]

true 175 does seem pretty big for a nano . how high up is your light from you tank?

 

[tommy6905]

its not set up yet, im trying to plan ahead, i thought about the heat as well....im thinking im just going to retro 2x24 t5, and i only plan to keep mostly softies, zoos, shrooms, maybe some lps, figure as i go with the small amount of room..thanks for the replies. pics soon to come

 

[jarrodsanborn]

you can still use the 175, but i would go with a 20k bulb. the bluer it is the less likely it is to burn your coral. as far as heat, is this a retrofit 175, or a fixture with fans? retro.....no way. fixture, sure. I had a 150 on a 10g for a long time. it had good fans and kept most of the heat out.

 

[inverted]

the Kelvin will not affect the wattage. idk what k you have now but simply put the higher you go in kelvins the bluer the light will be and the lower the more yellow the spectrem will be

The kelvin will effect the PAR. Most high kelvin bulbs have less PAR. Par being Photosynthetically Active Radiation, which is just a measure of light that is potentially available for photosynthesis, although the actual spectrum required for any individual coral may vary.

As to the light, 175 is too much for a 10. IMO, for a small tank, I really like the PAR30 or PAR38 spotlights. They are fairly inexpensive, should last 5-10 years or more and put out almost no heat. Perfect for a small tank.

for example:

http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-PAR-Bulbs/Categories

http://www.boostled.com/products/par30-reef-lamps

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewi...campaign=mdcsegooglebase2&utm_content=XX06850

 

[KSC]

I have a few par38's with cree led's. They have lost about 20% of their par output in about 15 months. I would say their usable lifespan is about 2 years or less, depending on species kept. But for a 10g, 2 par38's with 60-80 optics would be a good starter light.

"should last 5-10 years or more"

 

[tommy6905]

im just trying to work with what i have from my old setup, yes the mh is retro, and i decided to go with t5s instead, thanks for everyones input

 

[inverted]

I have a few par38's with cree led's. They have lost about 20% of their par output in about 15 months. I would say their usable lifespan is about 2 years or less, depending on species kept. But for a 10g, 2 par38's with 60-80 optics would be a good starter light.

"should last 5-10 years or more"

The biggest issue is heat. Heat kills LEDs. So, maybe not enough air flow, or possibly that particular bulb. However, many people, myself included have run PAR bulbs longer than that without issue. If LEDs aren't over-driven and are kept cool, they last a very long time.

 

[tommy6905]

its really just cost, i can afford t5 bulbs right now, not so much the leds, in a few months or so wen i get some dough ill make the switch for sure

 

[inverted]

its really just cost, i can afford t5 bulbs right now, not so much the leds, in a few months or so wen i get some dough ill make the switch for sure

That's cool, nothing wrong with T-5s. I'm surprised you can get them for less than the LEDs, but whatever works. Some of the new T-5 bulbs really have some nice color.

 

[tommy6905]

i already have the retro kit from a previous tank, 2 24'' bulbs would only be about 35-40 opposed to 80 or so for led,