actinic lighting??

Discussion in 'Reef Lighting' started by juliew, Nov 11, 2008.

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  1. juliew

    juliew Coral Banded Shrimp

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    I want to add actinic lighting to what we already have (Sunpod HQI 2 x 150w MH). The MH fixture sits on legs & takes up a good bit of space, so I'm not sure there is enough room.

    I have a few questions.

    Can they be mounted directly to the wooden hood? (it's 10" deep)

    Would a single 48" bulb do any good? (thinking of the space issue)

    What brand and/or kit would you recommend?

    Thanks for your help!

    julie
     
    juliew, Nov 11, 2008
    juliew, Nov 11, 2008
    #1

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  2. silverwolf72

    silverwolf72 Skunk Shrimp

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    T5 UVL super actinic retro with SLR reflectors
     
    silverwolf72, Nov 11, 2008
    silverwolf72, Nov 11, 2008
    #2
  3. Lunchbox

    Lunchbox Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Lunchbox, Nov 11, 2008
    Lunchbox, Nov 11, 2008
    #3
  4. Otty

    Otty Giant Squid

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    You could go with VHO URI 420nm bulbs. They are a T12 with built in reflectors.
     
    Otty, Nov 11, 2008
    Otty, Nov 11, 2008
    #4
  5. Dr.Fragenstein

    Dr.Fragenstein Panda Puffer

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    Honestly I would just either save yourself the work(if you aren't too handy) and by a complete retro kit, or get a reflector Aquactinics are nice as they are only 2" wide whereas Tek for example are about 3.25", and I believe Icecap's are 2.5". I would save the money and get a simple Universal or Workhorse ballast. If you are only planning on running 1 48" bulb IME there is no need to buy a ballast that is like 4 times the price. Some people like the overdriven bulbs but w/ the fact that you have only 1 bulb it will be IME serious overkill. Unless you plan to add more bulbs in the future I would save the $$.
    On bulb choice I use Gieseman, for my mix I have Actinic+, 6700K and Aquablue+-which BTW is acutally a WHITE bulb. In your setup I would recommend the Actinic+ or if you want MORE actinic do the true actinic.
    You could mount to the wood, but most people try to get the T5s as close to the water as possible. You will need to find a place to mount the ballast and then the reflector, but the reflector will have standoffs and those will be drilled into the wood or whatever you choose. I will try to post some pics of my retro tomorrow and hopefully that will help you make sense of my gibberish.

    Good luck
     
    Dr.Fragenstein, Nov 11, 2008
    Dr.Fragenstein, Nov 11, 2008
    #5
  6. juliew

    juliew Coral Banded Shrimp

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    Thanks for your input!
    julie
     
    juliew, Nov 12, 2008
    juliew, Nov 12, 2008
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  7. Dr.Fragenstein

    Dr.Fragenstein Panda Puffer

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    Julie here is a couple pics of MY retro, maybe this can help you....

    [​IMG]
    Here is a over all shot...

    [​IMG]
    Lights from the side... Only half are on, I took them this A.M

    [​IMG]

    Inside of the retro...

    [​IMG]
    Kids messing around!!;D
    Granted I have a canopy on usually so you don't see all that

    Hope this helps!!

    Good luck
     
    Dr.Fragenstein, Nov 12, 2008
    Dr.Fragenstein, Nov 12, 2008
    #7