# Lighting a 125g



## therizman1 (Apr 16, 2006)

I am going to be setting up a 125g planted tank in August. I am trying to decide what to do with the lighting. ODNO is not an option for this for a variety of reasons... largest being it would have to be completely to code which it wouldn't be. So I have a few choices... it has the typical 125 joists ever 2 feet. The choices I have come up with so far is one 4' 4X65w CF fixture that I would center on the tank. Another choice is a 4' 4X65w CF and then a 2' 2X65w fixture, and the final choice is 3 2' 2X65w fixtures. These would all be Coralife Compact Flourescent fixtures with 6700K bulbs and this tank will have pressurized CO2 running as well.

I have also looked at some metal halide pendants, but they appear to be rather expensive. This tank will have glass lids on it due to the fish I will be keeping (an 11" piranha). If it is thought to be worth the money I wont have a problem spending the extra, I would just like to know if is worth the extra money and trouble of hanging them and such. I think it would be around an extra $300 to do metal hallide.

If you have any other ideas, I am open to those as well. Thanks for any advice or comments!


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## erik Loza (Feb 6, 2006)

It would be more than $300 to do multiple pendant MH's. Probably twice that price, in fact. That being said, getting equivalent light output from PC fluorescents would not be that much cheaper, either (huge myth, in my book, that output-for-ouput, PC is a lot cheaper than MH, because it really isn't...). 

What type of plants will you be growing? I ask because I used to use your 4 X 65w Coralife fixture and and while it was probably OK for my 4', 75-gallon tank, I don't know if you'd be happy with the results on a 5' tank, even if you added this supplemental, smaller fixture. On paper, the wattage looks OK but I don't know how well cobbled-together systems like this work. 

An idea: Have you considered fabbing your own canopy? Guaranteed that it would be cheaper than buying a pre-built one and you could spread the bulbs out to more efficiently distribute light. Just some thoughts. Good luck.


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## therizman1 (Apr 16, 2006)

I cant really do my own canopy. The main reason being I am in college, and they inspect houses twice a year to make sure everything is to code, and that would not even be close to code for my area.

As for the metal halide, I was saying it would cost an additional $300 or so on top of what I would already be spending for CF lighting. Somewhere around $600 for three pendants or a little more. If it will make a difference and will make the tank look nicer and the plants grow better Ill do it, but if I will get just as good of results from doing CF fixtures then Id rather save the money for now and do metal hallide later on.


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## therizman1 (Apr 16, 2006)

Here are the MH lights I am looking at: http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/mercha...ight_150_hqi&Category_Code=d5&Product_Count=0

If I went the CF route it would be one similar to this: http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/mercha...ght_4x65_48&Category_Code=d2&Product_Count=13
or this: http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/mercha...ght_2x65_24&Category_Code=d2&Product_Count=10


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## erik Loza (Feb 6, 2006)

therizman1 said:


> Here are the MH lights I am looking at: http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/mercha...ight_150_hqi&Category_Code=d5&Product_Count=0
> 
> If I went the CF route it would be one similar to this: http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/mercha...ght_4x65_48&Category_Code=d2&Product_Count=13
> or this: http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/mercha...ght_2x65_24&Category_Code=d2&Product_Count=10


I have seen quite a few of those Coralife pendants running over tanks, in person. No kidding: They are less than half as bright as my 150w Novas. Cheap Chinese ballasts and bulbs, even less efficient reflectors than my Giesemanns (believe that or not...). There are many other options for you. Build your own 150w HQI for about $285 and it will walk circles around that cheapie Coralife MH. Here...

http://www.championlighting.com/home.php


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## therizman1 (Apr 16, 2006)

Thanks for the suggestions Erik, I really appreciate it.

Any other opinions out there?


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## DWIZUM (Jun 8, 2006)

Coming from the reef world, I'm a HUGE fan of MH light rigs. They put out a ton of light, are easy to work with, and can be cheap.

Regardless, there's one advantage they will always have over any style of flourescent lighting - the look of point-source light. It's very subtle, but absolutely stunning in the right tank. With flourescent tubes, you get bright, even light everywhere in the tank. With MH bulbs, you get a totally different (again, very subtle) look - shadows playing across the aquascape, ripple effects from water movement on the surface, shafts of light penetrating down between your plants, etc. It's a much more natural look in my opinion, and can be a very special touch on any tank.


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## DWIZUM (Jun 8, 2006)

PS - in addition to the above, check out www.hellolights.com for lighting supplies.

PPS - not sure why a home-made canopy wouldn't be "to code." You can fab up a system that would look and act identical to a commercial system, plugging into a wall jack just like any other light.


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## erik Loza (Feb 6, 2006)

DWIZUM said:


> Regardless, there's one advantage they will always have over any style of flourescent lighting - the look of point-source light. It's very subtle, but absolutely stunning in the right tank. With flourescent tubes, you get bright, even light everywhere in the tank. With MH bulbs, you get a totally different (again, very subtle) look - shadows playing across the aquascape, ripple effects from water movement on the surface, shafts of light penetrating down between your plants, etc. It's a much more natural look in my opinion, and can be a very special touch on any tank.


Werd...


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## algae grower (May 2, 2006)

Hi.how about 6x 96w from AH supply?

http://www.ahsupply.com/96watt.htm


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## spinnerbayt (Feb 22, 2005)

I run a 6 x 65 watt setup and it does a good job for me. I have mine set up with two 2 x 65 watt units and then two 1 x 65 watt units so I can spread them out and have good coverage. Here have a look.


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

I have 2 wpg over my 125 natural planted tank that I put together for cheap with pvc, work lights and compact fluorescent bulbs.


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## erik Loza (Feb 6, 2006)

DataGuru said:


> I have 2 wpg over my 125 natural planted tank that I put together for cheap with pvc, work lights and compact fluorescent bulbs.


Wow! "Friday Night Lights"... Plants look great.


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## therizman1 (Apr 16, 2006)

What about getting three of the ADA 150w Metal Halide Solar lights? Center each fixture over every 2 feet of the tank.


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## erik Loza (Feb 6, 2006)

therizman1 said:


> What about getting three of the ADA 150w Metal Halide Solar lights? Center each fixture over every 2 feet of the tank.


Perfect...


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## therizman1 (Apr 16, 2006)

Ok... just a matter of finances.. $1200 is a lot... gf looked very shocked when I told her lights would cost that much


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## erik Loza (Feb 6, 2006)

You should be able to do all three for <$1K if you shop around.


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