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120g lighting - MH need chiller in Bay Area?

mozymo

mozymo

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Hey All,

I am on the verge of setting up my first reef tank - very exciting times.
It will be a mixed reef in a 120g acrylic tank (4x2x2) with a side over flow.

The last major purchases I need to make is the lighting and controller.

I am trying to decide between a powermodule (8x54W 48") or 2 free floating 250W MH (perhaps ushio, pheonix, or radium on a bluewave7 ballast) or maybe I just go LED!

I live in Santa Cruz so it is not usually very hot in the summer. Would I need a chiller on my tank under the 2 metal halides if I put the pendants 10-12" above the water?

Any thoughts? Any lighting recommendations?


Thanks in advance!
 
I'm of the belief that you prepare for disaster in this hobby. Without adequate safeguards, things go wrong and die. That said - if you have a controller with the halides - you can automate the lights to turn off, when the temperature gets too hot, if you decide not to get a chiller.

I find a chiller to be indespensible, as it keeps the tank temp a bit more stable than running a tank without one.

Best,
-Kyle
 
^+1

Since it doesnt get too hot in Santa Cruz, you can get away with some fans that you can control when it does get too warm. Azoo sells some nice looking ones that you can set up to blow over the top of your tank or sump.
 
SC does get rather warm in the summer, says me, a 36 year resident. We hit above 100 numerous times last year. If I didn't have a basement in my house that I could pull 55f air from, my tank would overheat with just a 150mh on it.

It only takes 1 day in the upper 80's to kill your entire tank.

If would get two LumenArc III minis with the "air cool" option and vent the heat outside. It helps to have a cool area to pull from and it does require a couple 4" vent holes to be drilled. Then you just get a nice inline fan and off you go.

I would still consider a chiller though.
 
I do not have a Chiller for my set up. I live in Martinez and it gets a 100+ here in the summer. I luckily have not had a problem yet and I run 2 LumenArc Minis with 250 watt radium bulbs. But my wife also hates the heat and with the inlaws living with me, the AC is on a lot during the summer some my house never really gets that hot.
 
AC = Chiller

Same thing really just a chiller is more efficient at cooling the water.

Most in SC do not have AC.
 
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