No longer up in the air

So I guess that instead of hanging it from my ceiling, I could rig a bracket to the stand and have it suspended above the tank. Hmmmmm... sounds like that could be the way to go. I have to say that in choosing my equipment, I really felt confident in everything EXCEPT the lighting. Now I find it is still giving me fits!

 

You could save yourself some money by going with the MH setup as stated above. Also, buying a standard size tank that fits under the stand and adding glass baffles...molding it into your needed dimensions (DIY Sump) would save you quite a bit. Switching from LaMotte test kits to Hanna Checkers (more accurate) saves you a little coin and gives you a better product.

 

Building a refugium would be a LOT cheaper, but It's difficult to find a tank under 30" that would be suitable for the sump. A 20 long is 30 inches, so that wouldn't leave enough wiggle room.

 

A lot of people use electrical conduit. You could certainly do it with wood instead though.

As to the sump, what about a 15g?. It would be small, but I think it could work.


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Well, since I'm blowing a wad and a half of cash already, my new lighting consderation is... 30” SunPod 1x250W HQI Fixture by Current USA. $384 including shipping from Aquacave.

Refugium is still an issue, but I think 15 gal is too small.

 

I'm not sure what your time line between steps is or what the limiting factor would be, but it might be a good idea to get the salt, sand and rock in there before the light (especially if you're using base/dry rock). That way you can get your cycle going a little sooner.

Patience sucks. LOL

 

It's OK. For the price you can do better though. The 250 is really more than you need for an 18" deep tank, but you can if you want. You may have heat issues though, especially with that fixture, as the reflector is not designed to be raised very high.

Personally, I'd look at the Aquacave MH retrofit kits. For less than the price of that you could get a 150W, 175W, or 250W with a Galaxy or Lumatek ballast (you could even get a select-a-watt if you change your mind on the wattage latter) and a LumenArc, LubenBright or LumenMax reflector. All of these really get the light where it needs to be and can be suspended higher.

Any of these combos would be way better than teh SunPod and less expensive. The only issue is you'd need to do a bit of DIY, but that' prat of the fun

Also, I am not sure how much the 45g Marineland cube is, but it's 24x24x18 and would make really nice sump, as you have a cube anyways. I'm sure you could fit a lot more than the acrylic sump in there.

 

speaking from direct experience with the cube and my lighting I would recommend a Lumenmax Elite or Lumenmax 2 Mogul pendant with a 250w bulb. I have great growth with my LPS, Softies, few SPS. clams, anemones with mine. The tricky part is getting a reflector that has a good spread over the 30" space. I do have some shadier areas on the outside edges if I have my pendant closer to the surface. I have mine hanging from an adjustable wiring kit which is awesome so I can raise and lower as I see fit in a cinch.

I don't have any heat issues to mention, the tank sits in an AC cooled room though. Absolutely love the color my Radium 20K bulb puts out on the fish/corals.

I did ponder a T5 set-up but if I ever go that route it will def be a 6-bulb ATI Powermodule or Sunpower fixture which is a lot more than the MH set-up I currently have.

 

Arrgggg. So many choices! The room is AC, and I do like the idea of having the select-a-watt. Hmmmm. I'll have to think on it a bit.
Won't the cost of the the pendant, the ballast, the bulb, and the hardware to suspend it exceed the cost of the SunPod. I'll have to check.

 

MoJo, I feel like 250 is overkill on 93g LOL. However, I also have supplemental lighting for dusk to dawn that helps some. Also, the spectrum is important. You said your running 20000K, which is about the same PAR as a 150W 10000K. So, the wattage can be deceiving. It's a good point though, if you want bluer, go higher wattage. I was thinking of switching to 20000K, but then to get the same PAR, I'd need to go to a 400W. I can do so though, because I have a Galaxy Select-a-watt ballast. I think if I was going with the 70, I'd go with the 175/250 select a watt for that reason. Lumetek, has a similar ballast, they are just a newer company, although, they are also owned by Sunlight supply co, so probably similar quality. I just like Galaxy, as they have been the workhorses of the hobby for a long time...

As to reflectors Melev did a good comparison here:
Lumenbright Reflector comparisons - Reef Central Online Community