I want the best 250w DE MH reflectors

Well... as a recent thread I started, I suggested Ill be retrofitting a canopy with upgraded lighting.

I want some top of the line reflectors I can buy for 250w DE MH reflectors.

Keep in mind its going in a canopy so footprint cant be too big.

Im not price shopping. Im looking for quality. That will get me the most out of a bulb for my tank.

Tell me what youd get if you were me and why?

 

The biggest issue is space, especially on a 18" deep tank like a 90g.

What lighting in addition to the 2x250 halides will you be running?

If you only want 2 x 54w of t5ho, and go with IC reflectors, that will allow you the most room for the pendants. IC t5 reflectors are like 2.25" wide. So take 4.5" off of 18, and you get a maximum of 13.5" for the pendants. That might barely leave you enough room for lumenbright minis or similar pendants. Depending on how much room is in your canopy, that might leave you with no real room to feed fish. All those nice lumenbright, max etc reflectors are really designed to be used on tanks at least 24" wide, even if they are the mall version.

 

I definitely want to go with the t5's. Individual reflectors for the t5's. I was hopin to go with two in front and two in back.

 

what would be better in a 90 gallon due to space, 2 250 mogul base bulbs with huge expensive reflectors or the same bulbs with moderately small reflectors and t5 or pc side lights. The canopy is the restriction to do everything

 

Im gonna avoid the mogul base due to the space.....

Ive seen some DE reflectors that do not have bigfoot footprints.

 

I'm having the same problem right now. There doesn't seem to be very many compact, yet efficient reflectors out there. I have been eyeing the hellolights 250 W pendant. I can not seem to find many people who have them out there.

 

well I know it can be done.... just gotta find the right combination

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These seem aight
IceCap 250/400 Double-Ended HQI Metal Halide Pendant

or

Sunlight Supply Reef Optix 3 Plus Double Ended HQI Reflector

or even but these leave me limted space front and back

Aquarium Specialty

 

Even the IC one is 8.75" the sls one is 9" wide. If you want 4x 54w of t5ho, that will take up about 9", leaving 9" for the halide pendants. You could mount the t5s up higher than the pensandts, giving you more room and at least access to the tank, but that will make them less efficient, and a little light will be blocked by the pendants.


Is this a RR 90g? If not, you could put the back 2 t5s on the same plane as the halide pendant lower edges, and hang the front 2 t5s up high.

What equipment do you have at the back of the tank? Any thing hanging on the back edge??

 

Yea this is a RR tank. Nothing hangin on back or sides.

I really want to maximize all lighting that I put in the canopy. So maybe the IC's will work with the t5's. just be a tight fit.

Will have to plan all wiring and ballst apropriately. I plan on having the MH ballast in my cabinets off to the side that Im having made.



and heres a rough draft of the canopy.... probalby gonna rais the 9" to 12". also gonna have an open back probably.... or open between the two mh reflectors for the ven with two fans on each side blowing in.