Help me plan my 215g

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

How many bulbs?

[geoff_tropheus]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

Sounds like you have done a planted Discuss before.

Why not try something new?

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

I have had several planted discus tanks.
It is always a challenge to make it perfect like I see it in my mind.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

Yeah I have the same problem....they always look good in my mind...

Also with MH which penetrates to the bottom you can have a super lush foreground like HC or glosso which would look amazing in a large tank.

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

I believe I can keep gosso in mine. I 12 bulbs at 54w T-5's.
So thats 648 watts or 3.6 per gallon

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

How much did 12T5's with ballast and endcaps cost though?

I Can make 2x150 MH fixtures for about $200.....

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

Ek the bulbs alone will cost 80.00 each for MH. The reflectors are at least $30.00 for one. So that would be $220.00 for just the bulbs & reflectors. Now you will have to buy the Ballast for them as well. This is just for the retro. So you will need to include the canopy in to the cost as well.
With MH bulbs they will need to be replaced every 6 to 9 months.
Now you will have to factor how much more your electric bill will be to run the MH with only running them 8 hours a day.

For the one I am using which is 72" brand new price is $986.95 for complete unit. With 1 reflector per bulb.
The bulbs only need replacing once every 18 months. My electric bill did increase by little less then $5.00 per month. I run my T-5's 12 hours a day.

I did make a mistake on the amount of bulbs it is 14 bulbs is this unit not just 12 bulbs.

Yes I do know that deal can be made on used lighting. Just like I made a deal on this setup brand new.

[supaflyz]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

Walter has some good points.  The metal halide set up are really expensive.  Even when you have them you have to worry about the electric bill.  Also the bulbs dont last as long.  But if you have the money to spend on the set up and the electric bill why not go for it.  I try it once on my tank the shadows are really good, and they do a much better job focusing the light right in the tank.  With my t5 right now the spread throughtout the kitchen.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

I have actually sourced out all the parts for it and it will be right under $100 per MH fixture...bulb, electronic ballast, reflector/housing and endcaps and you could hang it cause it will be decent looking but a canopy if you wanted oh and it will all be brand new :wink:

I plan on doing 2x150w MH on my 30g that I am setting up and my next Tropheus tank which will be at least a 6ft will be running 3x150w MH. I modded a 70w MH into my 12g Nanocube and payed real close attention to my light bill cause it's just two of us here and the same electrical stuff is on and there was maybe a dollar or two increase.

[supaflyz]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

Wow really seems really good deal.  How long do you run your mh for your nano cube? If its only a few bucks increase im thinking of running my metal halide as well.  I dont know though but my cousin run his and its really high.  He went skiing for a month and left the light running on a timer.  I think it was 3x250mh and 3x96 pc bulbs and the other was 2x250 with 2x110 bulb.  Only ran for like 10 hours a day but the bill came close to 900 bucks.  He also has a chiller but I dont think it effect it by much.  Only a few bucks wow.

[Smokin_Cache]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

Well I got to looking and it might be 2009 before I can get it set up. I was reminded on the phone last night by my niece and nephew that I promised them a trip to Disney Land next summer. I might be able to pull enough overtime for both but I dought it. That will just give me more time to plan and make sure I get it right.

As far as trying something new. I just have not found anything as nice as a planted Discus tank. I have spent the time from when I sold mine untill now try to find something. If someone thinks they have a tank that would convert me to something else I would love to come see!!!!

You are right about the two feeds into one pipe. I did like the flow patterns of the spray bar though.

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

EK send me the sites of were to get the parts at. I might just have to go with MH. If I can get them that cheap.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

I'm at work right now and posting through my phone but when morning comes and I'm set free I will gather it all for you.

Its really cheap when you compare what you get compared to just about anything....after figuring it all out I find it hard to not change everything to MH.

Smokin....a trip to disney land? Hell Ill clean your tanks if I can come along!

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

No big hurry . When you get time it will be fine.

[supaflyz]

Re: Help me plan my 215g

Walter you might try aquatrader.  They have some metal halide setup for a reasonable price.  The quality isnt that good thats what I heard.  I have never bought from there so I dont know  but you can look at their site to see what they got.