MH DE lighting question

[brewercm]

I'll be having three DE pendants on the new 140. My question is since there is a center brace on the tank would it be fine to run the middle light sitting over the brace without the shield to get more light into the tank?

What are your thoughts.

[Bill S]

Cliff. My opinion? Nope. Not unless ALL of the light from the pendant goes thru the glass. If you have even a sliver of it leaking out, it will burn your corals & fish.

[brewercm]

Yea, that was the part I was worried about with any light that may go out the sides and hit without the glass. It should get a decent amount of light and just make sure any high ligh requiring corals stay more on the sides. Not to mention the sunburn I'd get when working in the tank.

[blueboy]

so is that a 5', or 6' tank? 2 250 DE's lit my 120 quite well, of course it was only 4' long, but there was a barely noticeable dim area under the brace.

[brewercm]

It's a six footer. 72x18x24.
I should get enough light under the brace as long as I keep it nice and clean between the other lights flowing to the sides and this one directly over the brace.

[brewercm]

If it works out that the light gets under there enough that I could get away with two that would be great (especially on my elect bill). I'll have to see the difference but most likey with the center brace there won't be any high light requiring corals right under it. Maybe I'll make that my zoo colony area.