# MH/PC or MH or PC for 40 gallon breeder?



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Hey everyone,

I've read these thread a few times and I'm very interested in it.

$70 DIY 70W HQI Metal Halide - Page 3 - The Planted Tank Forum
$100 DIY 150W HQI Metal Halide with eballast and bulb! - The Planted Tank Forum

I just got a 40 gallon breeder tank with a 2x96w Custom Sea Life fixture. It also came with a canopy that the person didn't use.

2x96w would give me ~5 WPG, which is definately high light. When I setup the fixture the other day, one of the bulbs started flickering and buzzing. I'm thinking I have to replace it soon. 

OK, so I'm thinking I have a few options. For sure, this will be a high light/high tech tank.

1) Just replace the ballast on the fixture. This gives me ~2.5WPG with one bulb on, and 5WPG with both bulbs. ~$45 for the ballast? Haven't checked yet, but have read that it's somewhere around there.

2) Go with 2 x 70w. This will cost ~$140 to build. The canopy I have is about 6" off of the top of the tank with an open back. I have no wood-working skills so installing fans on the sides of the canopy would be out of the question. Can I still mount fans inside the canopy and have the air circulate and blow out the back of it? Or would 2 x 70w MH be too hot? The problem with this is that right off the bat, I'll have to be working with ~3.5WPG of MH. I like flexibility in my lighting options. Of course there'll be two ballasts, but since I plan to have the reflectors next to each other, I'll need both on at once to have even lighting.

3) Go with 1 x 70w plus 2x36w PCs. This will give versatile lighting options. I can have the 2x36w on for 8 hours for 1.8WPG and the MHs on for 5-6 hours for high lighting during those periods. The AHSupply kits are $58 for each 1x36w setup, for $116 total. That's the price of a DIY 150w MH! I can't get the 2x36w kit because that only comes with one wide reflector whereas I'll be needing two of them. This setup will cost close to ~$190.

This is the proposed staggered plan:

xxxxxx ==== 36 w ====
xxxxxxx 70 w MH xxxxxxx
==== 36 w ==== xxxxxx

*Another question is...is the spread of the 70W or 150W MH enough for a 36" long tank? * The 150W reflector is from: 150W HQI (Double Ended) MH Reflector and the 70W reflector is a Halogen floodlight reflector (pics in the first thread I posted).

4) If so, my last option would be a DIY 150W MH setup mounted right in the middle of the canopy. This will be about ~$100 from co2's thread and give me 3.8WPG. The cheapest option yet. =)...would heat also be an issue?

I think the shimmering effect of the MHs would definately be a plus in this tank.

Thanks for all your opinions!


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## turbomkt (Mar 31, 2004)

Nick,
Think more like $25 for a 2x96 ballast (Fulham Workhorse 7) or about $40 for a pair of Workhorse 5's to allow for independent control. This would be for #1.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Yep. Just opened up the fixture. WH5 ballasts. =)

I thought they had Advance ballasts or something.


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## turbomkt (Mar 31, 2004)

Be glad. That's a good ballast.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Why not go with the 2x96w and have separate ballasts? One bulb 4 hours, two bulbs 4 hours, one bulb 4 hours? Like a mid-day blast type setup.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

I'm gonna have to be spending ~$23 for one bulb if I buy two and $29 for one if I buy it by itself. Plus $20 for a new ballast if my existing one breaks down.

For $43, I could add only about $27 more for a nice MH with the shimmernig effect. 

Bulbs and shipping are expensive for this fixture! Plus the LEDs are going out on this fixture.


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