Lighting

I will like to start a new tread for lighiting tips and recomendations ....

Im looking for... low energy consumption, low heat generation ...

My Tanks is 2 feet depth.....

Saludos,

Well I decided I just was sick of having a tank that could be seen from space.The 2 250s I had over my 75 were (to me) just too much light.So I picked up a T5 setup and I love it.
Sure theres no shimmer,, but theres also no crazy heat issues or blinding lights..also the fixture is all in one so no ballasts and alot fewer cords and timers.
I was having to run T5 actinics anyway to get the colors I wanted so I just through another 2 bulbs in there.
After 3 days all the corals (even ...

Well, I found the site by the way of melev's reef... his 29 gallon is definitely the inspiration for mine.

I started a saltwater tank 3 years ago when I got my apartment. Frankly I always wanted a fish tank, the parents would have nothing of it, so when I got my own place, it literally was the first thing I did. My wife really got interested in it too after we had some diving trips in jamaica for our honeymoon, so she's one of the reasons we've had to turn it into a reef tank (oh ...

My tank has a footprint of 36x18.

I'm running 2 x 150W MH powered by a blue wave ballast. I'm currently using Ushio 14K bulbs. I don't care for the look of the bulbs by themselves at all so I supplement with T5's.

Currently I have 4 T5's over driven by an Ice Cap 660 ballast. My bulbs are ATI Atintic, Geisman Atintic, Pro color and Blue +. Combined with the white MH's I really like the look.

My T5's come on at 9:00 AM.
MH Comes on at 11:70 AM
...

I have been having some pretty heated debates with myself, over the wattage of lighting that I would like to use in Lumen Bright Mini Wide pendants. I want to hang my pendants at least 24" above the surface, and maybe even an inch or two higher.

I know this sounds extreme, but my tank will be 36" deep, so the spread will be important. Now, the arguements have been over 250w vs 400w bulbs and ballast. I feel like I will need 400 watters to achieve the results that I have ...