250w DE

[oceancube]

hey, well i personally think that a 250 watt se mh will work great on that tank, i used it on a 58 oceanic tank same measurements but only taller and my sps grew fast and looked great, 2 de pendants i think is overkill, you will have some heat issues forsure, just my opinion, all that par and other stuff i think doesn't really matter as long as they have some good light, remember that breeder tank you have is only 16 inches high + the 2" sandbed so 14 inches total, your about to cook some eggs with 2 de pendants!

[dwdenny]

If I go retro kit then it will be SE but I am leaning toward a pendant so it will be DE. I think that the DE pendants are better lights and i won't have to worry about having a canopy with a bunch of fans. I can just have a large clip on blowing across the tank.

[Tim Marvin]

I would do the one pendant and 2 / T-5 actinics.

[dwdenny]

Tim that is what I was thinking. But I am going to run the pendant alone and then decide if I want or need actinic light.

[Polkster13]

You can also use the actinics as dawn and dusk lights. Photo period would be Actinics come on an hour before the MH and go off an hour after the MH go off. Or something along those times.

[dwdenny]

Exactly Polkster. If (I mean when) I add them they will come on about 25 min or so before the Halides and vise versa. I had that on my old tank with PC looked cool but I did not have but a few shrooms then. Basically a FOWLR. I wish I hadn't sold all my stuff when i moved know. Besides the point any way.

[Polkster13]

Well, when the MH come on it takes a couple of minutes for them to go full on. It is not a super fast transition from completely dark to very bright. However, when they go off, there is a only slight lingering glow while the bulbs cool down but the change is pretty drastic, at least on mine they are. That is why I would highly recommend the actinics as well (Greg can give you are good deal on the T-5 setup as well) and put them on at the same time. That way you don't freak out the fish when the lights come on or go off and they will be less likely to jump out of the tank.

Just a thought.

[dwdenny]

WOn't be looking at too many fish with this setup. Mainly corals but you know there has to be a fish or two.