Lighting

[~Mykle~]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Hey guys, I've got a 175 watt metal halide bulb ready for my 42 gallon tank, I just need to know, How far up should I mount it? I was thinking like 6-8 inches but if someone could give me a more specific answer that would be great, Thanks!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[zoo-a-holic]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#For 2 250s they have been telling me at least 9-10 inches from my 90 if that helps!?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

8-10" might serve you a bit better. Even a little more if you have the space and a good reflector. I like ours at almost 12" over the water. Gives you a little more room for airflow so you don't heat up the water as much. A splash of water on a running MH won't do it much good.

Most of all it'll give you some working room under the bulb(s), else you will end up with a rather distinctive burn patter on the back of your hand where it meets the running halide.

[zoo-a-holic]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Dakar, is there any way you could send me or post a pic of your lighting system??#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[~Mykle~]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Alright, Thanks for the help like BR said If you could send a picture that could help alot thanks#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

Take a look at the pics in this thread.

http://www.captivereefing.com/viewtopic.php?t=728

The lights are still in the same locations, pretty much everything else has changed around them, the wiring is fastened and such, the 250w on each side are now 400's. Getting ready to upgrade the actinic lighting some more as well. The tank really looks empty back then.

[graphixx]

I would go ten to twelve inches for a couple of reasons number one you dont overheat the tank. and your not allways cleaning off the plastic on the lights from the splash also gives a better distribution of light over the tank. I have to actually raise mine up in my frag tanks. I am in the process of rigging a system where they hang over

[Guido]

Do MH lights have to be wired up independently or do they have a plug for an outlet on them?

[dakar]

MH's require a ballast to operate, they don't just plug into the wall. Now there are some ballasts that are designed to fire multiple bulbs, they can be difficult to locate and can get expensive. The more normal method is one ballast per bulb.

[Guido]

OK.... This could create a problem for me. For me to operate an MH, what would i need and how would i do it? My brother is an electrician so wiring it up would be no problem.

Also, when buying the MH lights, do they come with the ballast?