Lighting a 5' long 24" mainly sps tank???

[koda_dad]

Hi all,

I am close to pulling the trigger on my new tank.

As much as I want to go to a 6' tank the room just doesn't work super well with one in it. So I have decided to go to a 5'

The tank I am looking at is made by Miracles and has starfire glass on 3 sides. Shipping is retarded..... thats honestly the hurdle at the moment.

But...... in the meantime I am trying to figure out what I am doing for skimmer and lights. It will be a custom canopy and stand.

I am trying to decide between 2 - 250 MH with icecap ballasts or 3 - 250 MH with icecaps

I also will be adding in either 2 or 3 VHO's or 4 t5's for atinics.

What combo would you use?

I am leaning 2-250 and 4 t5's..... thoughts?

 

[Bifferwine]

Does the tank have a center brace spanning it? If so, if you get 3 MHs, there will be a big shadow in the center of it.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

What are the dimensions of the tank? I know its 5ft long, but how deep and wide? Bracing could determine where you need to place the lights. The T5's will help fill in the gaps if you go with 2 MH's.

 

[koda_dad]

Does the tank have a center brace spanning it? If so, if you get 3 MHs, there will be a big shadow in the center of it.

Damn good point. I think it has a strip of euro brace....

 

[koda_dad]

What are the dimensions of the tank? I know its 5ft long, but how deep and wide?

The tank is 5'x 18.5" w x 24" tall

 

[Hiker4twenty]

You're looking at roughly a 115g tank. I think you'll be perfectly fine with the (2) 250W MH's and T5's. You'll have all the wattage you need to keep any coral and the 250W MH will have plenty of PAR to penetrate the depth.

 

[reeffreak]

Damn good point. I think it has a strip of euro brace....

A euro brace tank doesn't have cross braces.Find out what kind of bracing and where they are going to be before they get done with the tank.

I was so close to getting a Miracle tank.The $600 shipping to the US stopped me in my tracks.