Lighting

[blur one]

When suspending a MH light over a planted tank, what is the height above the water level ??

How many MH lights are needed for a 6ft by 2.5ft tank (Width) ??

[Simon]

should be 1-2ft away from the surface.. what plants do you intend to have? high maintenance or low?

[loupgarou]

minimum 2, ideal possibly 3.

[blur one]

hee hee...have not thought of it yet...just that the tank is quite deep so getting the MH light, then fill tank with water to get temperature reading then select plants that will do well. At least that is the plan....

How many MH lights do I need ??? 2 or 3 ??

[Simon]

like chris mentioned, get 3 if budget isn't a prob.. otherwise, 2 should be fine

[blur one]

ok did not see the post....3 lights are ideal....Can I use any MH lights from the lighting shop or only special MH lights ??

[sherchoo]

MH lights are not specilly made for aqurium lighting. Homes, offices, tal structures and shops do use MH lights too..... so if you go to lighting shops (not all) they should be suitable. Do check the lighting temp cos most come with 5000K default.

[kadios]

Juz curious, are you going to get a chiller to cool down your large tank?

Cheers!

[sherchoo]

IMO, using MH does not mean you have to use chiller. In some cases, using MH tends to be cooler due to the fact that it's further from the water surface allowing more ventilation and heat dissapation by air.

[blur one]

nope...no chiller...too ex....hope that the MH lights being higher up will help... also, there is an A/C unit above the tank so may use it to reduce temp. if it gets too high.... that is why I want ot get the lights, fill the tank and run for a while with the lights to get temperature readings. Then can select plants according to the temperature range.

Also I think that by having a large body of water, there is a better possibility of the water being slightly cooler.

The idea is also to turn on the lights at nights so I can see the tank when I am home and also the evenings and nights should be cooler..... thats the theory anyway.

[blur one]

oops...got one more question...

If using 3 MH lights suspended 2 ft above water level with a water depth of 2 ft...Do I use 150 W bulbs or higher ??

[sherchoo]

Don't worry too much about the height. Just use the 150W lights. Should be OK.