Lighting Help

[Rodney]

Hello all,

I have an Oceanic 30 cube and need some lighting suggestions. My celings are two high for hanging lights so I want them built into the canopy. I dont want to go above a 10-12inch canopy. The tank is 20 inches deep dry. I want to go with MH and need enough light for clams. Anyone have any suggestions on the lights I should go with? Thanks.

[alexwolf]

i would go with a 250w MH if it were me, make sure you can vent the heat though. I am ordering the PFO setup with the spider reflectors. Its a good deal.

[JeffCo]

My favorite is an electronic icecap 250 watt ballast, reefoptix III plus double ended 250 watt pendant, (they put out more par than the regular mogel 250 watt) then what every double ended bulb you want - ushio 10k for white light, AB 10k, or xm 20k. They have the ballast and pendant on sale at premium aquatics. Its easy to mount the pendant in a canopy. Check my gallery I have a pic with 1 mounted.

[R.Allard]

IMO a 250w 10k XM or Ushio would be your best bet as far as the
mogle or HQI. i think the only reason the HQI has more par is because the fixture is smaller and directs the light into a smaller area. if your lookin for a more fluid (light across the whole tank )
color i would go with the mogul if you want the light directed
at one place then go with the HQI. also i would go with the Electronic
ballasts. check Champion and Ocean Encounter they both have good package deals.

Robert

[Tim Marvin]

I'll second Jeffco! I use 3 of them on different tanks and they work great. I used to use 400watt moguls and these, reef optix III, put out way less heat and keep the color on all your corals.