400 GALLON TAKE 2!!!!!

no I am not using a light mover. the canopy that is going on the tank has a frame that the lights are fastened to and tilts up like a car hood. so that will leave me plenty of space if I need to get in there. AND YES I HAVE A JOB!!!!!! That is actually why this has taken soo long. I am doing this stuff when I get home from work. ssshhheeeessshhhh

LOL

If you used a light mover, you could get away with less halides and lower your electric bill. You could probably get away with two 400W over the tank and actually have better coral growth and a lower 'lectric bill.

Just my 1.5 cents.

Now Eric, what fun would less lights be, man your getting soft in your old age. your a sissy la la

Hmm, let me try to crunch a few numbers....

Your way... (If I remember correctly, your new tank is 8 feet wide)

(All items for reference only. :) )

Luninarc Mini reflectors: $120 each ($480 total)
400W halide bulbs: $60 each ($240 total)
400W ballasts: (we'll go magnetic to save money) $75 each ($300 total)

1600W per day x 8 hrs per day x 4.77 cents per kilowatt hour (Idaho is the cheapest in the US BTW) = 61 cents per day, $18.50 or so per month roughly and $223 per year in electric

Total cost for 1 year of 4x400W lights = $1243
Total cost for 2 years figuring 1 set of replacement bulbs: $1706

My way...

Luninarc Mini reflectors: $120 each ($240 total)
400W halide bulbs: $60 each ($120 total)
400W ballasts: (we'll go magnetic to save money) $75 each ($150 total)
Lightrail 3 kit and rail: ~$200
Lightrail trolley kit to add another light: ~$50

800W per day x 8 hrs per day x 4.77 cents per kilowatt hour = 30 cents per day, $9.10 or so per month roughly and $109 per year in electric

Total cost for 1 year of 2x400W lights = $869
Total cost for 2 years figuring 1 set of replacement bulbs: $1098
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And I'm not getting soft in my old age, I'm getting better, like a $4 bottle of wine baby!

:)

HHHAAAAA!!!! I am only running 2x400 watters and the other 2 are 250 watter. that has got to save at leave 3 or 4 bucks a year!!!!! Man you had to crunch the numbers. no offense buddy but I am deleting that post you made. my wife sees that and I AM A DEAD MAN!!!!! "Naw honey this wont be TTHHAAATTT much to run" ERIC YOUR KILLIN ME

LOL!!! That's too funny.

LOL. I only crunched the numbers cuz you called me soft and I was curious to see what they'd come out to, not to sway you in any particular direction.

lol.. mine would kill me too deleat that post for all of us ....lol.lol.lol.lol.

those are nice (dewalt packages) sure do come in handy are you going to ask for them for chrismas?

Allright baby, its all down hill from here!!!! I got all the plumbing done and finished topping the beast off!!!!! everything is looking good so far. I think I got the flow rate dialed in and seems to be running smooth. I have a few more pieces of LR in the tank. I will do that tomorrow. And then I am gonna get the aquascape how I like it and then let it sit for a week or so just to see how the parameters go. and soon as everything looks good ..............................THE FISH AND CORALS ARE GOING IN!!!!! Its nice having all the plumbing and "noisy" stuff on the other side of the wall. Pretty dang quiet. I am excited for the aquascaping. I think its gonna look really really nice if it turns out how I have it pictured in my head. but then again has anything gone that way on this little adventure.
I am gonna upgrade the pump for the manifold. I need one twice as good. gonna look into some mag pumps, not sure what I want. But as for the time being I have some Powerheads dropped in there. I have 2 return pumps int he sump one for the manifold and one for the built in returns so the flow in there actually very good right now.
But that is where I am at. I will get some pics up tomorrow. right now there is not much to look at just a pile of rocks with a single light over it.
THANKS FOR TUNING IN!!!!