65 gal. with 2x150 MH

I was going to setup a 50 breeder tank but was looking at a 65 today. It is 24 inches tall. LFS said 2x150 would be fine for anything I wanted to keep. What do you guys think? Also would this mean I would need a chiller?

 

I think 2X150 will be fine, that tank is the same deminsions as mine, and i ordered a set of lights the other day for mine that had 2X150's in it

 

Cool, what fixture did you order?

 

https://www.fish.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=720018 036

this one it was suppose to come in today, but when it got here it only had one metal halide, so they have got to resend it.LOL

 

yeah those lights will be great for it

 

Yeah that looks like a super nice light! I think that would be perfect for a 65 gal. Make sure you let us know how you like it after you set it up. I am really interested to see how warm your water gets. Keep us posted please.

 

How many think that one fan blowing in the sump would be enough to cool the tank? house is usually 77-78

 

My only concern with (2) 150 MH is the depth of the tank. It is recommended to use 400w MH for tanks 24" and deeper. Do some research so you get the right lighting for the corals you want to keep. Luna

 

I was at the LFS last week talking with a buddy who works there. He has been working for them for some years now setting tanks up and maintaining them. The store has been open for about 30 years. Anyways he was the one who told me that 2x150 would be fine to keep anything. Are you sure 150's are not good enough? A two inch sand bed and the fact that there is a 3/4 inch space at the top of tank since it is not filled all the way to the top. This puts the actual water depth at about 21 inches deep. See if I get 2x250 I'm almost sure I would need a chiller. I do not want to have to run a chiller.

 

Im not saying that (2) 150w will not do the job, it could. Thats why I said do some research. My only concern is if you want to keep sps's, you might have to place them a little higher than normal.
As for the chiller issue, I have (2) 250w MH and I dont even use my fans to cool the water, granted I know I have a 90g. The only fan I have is cooling the ballasts. In fact, I had to buy a heater for the very 1st time to keep my water at 77-78. The only factor that might be different between you and me is that I keep my A/C at 73. If heat becomes an issue, placing a fan either blowing across the waters surface or in your sump. You would be surprised what a difference one fan makes. Just food for thought. Luna