Halide Timings.

[mad pierre]

Hi Guys,
My new 14k 150W halide bulbs have eventually arrived from the US and I must say what a difference in the corals!
Question is, is it OK to increase the time the halides are on in one go or does it need to be done gradually? im assuming the latter but arnt sure.
My old 10k lamps were only on for 2 hrs a day as I knew they were knackered. Ive increased that to 3hrs as soon as i put the bulbs in (2days ago). When can i increase it again and what total time should I be aiming for?
Tank is mainly Fish, soft corals and recently a few LPS (Torch, Branching hammer and candycane frags).

Peter

[wayne]

I increased mine over a week peter to the desired time, im sure other peoples will differ but as long its a gradual increase im sure there wont be any problems;)

[Tangman]

Hi Peter i would do it slowly as you will light shock the corals, and also lift it up as the new bulbs will be a lot stronger than your old ones. HTH Twiggy:D:D

[mad pierre]

Hi Peter i would do it slowly as you will light shock the corals, and also lift it up as the new bulbs will be a lot stronger than your old ones. HTH Twiggy:D:D

Hi Eric,

can do the slow increase (how long between 1hr increases?), but lifting them up is a problem.
They sit directly on the tank surround about 7" above the water (to eliminate light spill) and I couldnt find the beams to attach the hanging wires.

Peter

[Tetley]

Hi,

As Wayne as said if you increase slowly you should be fine. :)

ATB

Tets.

[grumpy_banghai]

7 inch! I thought they had to be a foot away?? I've cut my wires to a foot so I'd need new cables to lower anymore!

[mad pierre]

7 inch! I thought they had to be a foot away?? I've cut my wires to a foot so I'd need new cables to lower anymore!

Just measured them- 6and a half inches. didnt know anything about minimum height. I would have thought the lower the better (as long as they dont get splashed) to increase light penetration (2ft deep tank) but I might be wrong, never looked into it.


Peter

[grumpy_banghai]

geeeeez it's hard enough to work in the tank with them around a foot!!

[mad pierre]

geeeeez it's hard enough to work in the tank with them around a foot!!

I just slide the lamps to the back of the hood if I need to get my hands in.

Major work requires the removal of the surround anyway as I cant reach the bottom/back with it in place.


Peter

[Tangman]

Hi Peter most folk have them at between 10 to 12 inch above the water as any lower and they could burn the corals, also it keeps salt splash off the glass. HTH Twiggy:D:D

[mad pierre]

Hi Peter most folk have them at between 10 to 12 inch above the water as any lower and they could burn the corals, also it keeps salt splash off the glass. HTH Twiggy:D:D

Hi eric, is that the case with 150W halides or just the bigger ones? Its going to cause me a lot of problems if I need to move them.
cant say I have any probs with splash.

Peter

[Tetley]

Hi eric, is that the case with 150W halides or just the bigger ones? Its going to cause me a lot of problems if I need to move them.
cant say I have any probs with splash.

Peter

Get some hanging wires, looking at your pic, that halide is to close and sooner or later will cause you problems.

ATB

Tets

[grumpy_banghai]

You can get the wires cheap as chips. if they were 250w halides the water would be soaring to 90 in no time.

[mad pierre]

Get some hanging wires, looking at your pic, that halide is to close and sooner or later will cause you problems.

ATB

Tets

Have the wires, just cant find any beams in suitable spots. I tried when first setting up he tank.

Peter

[mad pierre]

You can get the wires cheap as chips. if they were 250w halides the water would be soaring to 90 in no time.


Dont have any probs with water temp, the room is quite cold, the top of the lamps is mostly mesh, and the halides are on during the evening rather than mid day.

I will have to look into hanging them again when I get the big tank, hopefully in a couple of weeks. I might just leave them on for a short period then until I can lift them up.

I dont want to go poking the ceiling again with the tank underneath as I doubt plaster in the water will do anything any good. Might have to use some strong wall brackets if I cant find the beam.
This proposed tank change is getting more complicated by the minute!

Peter

[Tangman]

Have the wires, just cant find any beams in suitable spots. I tried when first setting up he tank.

Peter
Hi Peter if you are in an old house most beams are at 16 inch centres, and some new houses they are at 18 inch centres. If you go to the room above the tank and see which way the boards go the beams will run the other way, and if you measure from the wall side and put the tape over where the nail holes are you will be able to transfer the measurement to down stairs on the ceiling so finding the beams. If the beams dont line up to where the wires will go, you can screw a piece of batten say 4x 1 inch to the ceiling joists and then screw your wire hangers onto the batten then youcan pull your lights up and down to suit. HTH Twiggy:D:DPS ask Tetley he did his LOL:eek:

[mad pierre]

Hi Peter if you are in an old house most beams are at 16 inch centres, and some new houses they are at 18 inch centres. If you go to the room above the tank and see which way the boards go the beams will run the other way, and if you measure from the wall side and put the tape over where the nail holes are you will be able to transfer the measurement to down stairs on the ceiling so finding the beams. If the beams dont line up to where the wires will go, you can screw a piece of batten say 4x 1 inch to the ceiling joists and then screw your wire hangers onto the batten then youcan pull your lights up and down to suit. HTH Twiggy:D:DPS ask Tetley he did his LOL:eek:

thanks for that Eric.
I have just had a look in the loft room (its a bungalow) and I cant see where the wall is. There is space between the room edges and the wall supporting the roof so its difficult to work out where you are. Also the floor up there is sheets of 4x2 chipboard so I cant see which way the beams are running:(
I will take one of them up before the new tank comes so at least I will know which way they run, and then get a stud detector to find them over the tank.

Good idea with the batten of wood. I will try that if they arnt in the right place. No point in trying it now though as I will have to do it all again when the 6ft arrives.
not looking forward to all that light spill though. Dont get any at all with the way it is a present:(

Peter

[moorish]

increase the time over a week,i keep mine about 10in above the water.derek

[grumpy_banghai]

you can get a beam detector that bleeps when a beam, joist a stud post is found. I did mine using metal brackets from the wall. I had no bleeper so just tapped @ the wall with a little hammer until it didn't sound hollow.
If you get the job done you'll be glad, it will look more neat & professional! :)

[tonyponty]

well i could not find joist either so got some plaster board plugs and had twice as much weight as the haldie unit on the wires and it seams solid enough but i only have a single halide unit but i will put something on top of tank for a few nights to make sure though

[tonyponty]

also been told you can get shield that slide in to the unit to stop light spill anyone heard of this as i might need one with it been in living room lol

[Tangman]

also been told you can get shield that slide in to the unit to stop light spill anyone heard of this as i might need one with it been in living room lol
Hi Tony the Arcadia ones have barn doors on, which is like a flap that you slide in from the end and it tilts down to block out the glare. HTH Twiggy:D:D