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[APD] 2x175W Metal Halide and 72" Tank (135G)
I am in the planning stages of a 135G planted tank. I previously had a
75G planted tank that was a resounding success. On that tank I had 4x55W
compact fluorescent from AH Supply. The plants did great. Everything
from rotala to ludwigia were colored well.
I am thinking of going with MH for my 135G tank (72" x 18" x 24").
Keeping in mind that my previous tank was running 220W for 48", it
seemed reasonable that 350W for an additional 24" should cut it. That
makes 2 x 175W MH, but I have seen it recommended that you have one MH
for every 24" of tank length. Since electricity costs me 11.9 cents per
kWH, I am not keen on having 525W of lighting running for 12 hours per
day. Not to mention that I probably won't be able to use my microwave
while that setup is running without tripping a breaker.
Anyway, I want to know how bad the "dark spot" in the middle would be if
I placed only two 175W MH hood-mounted retrofits over a 6' tank. Of
course, each would be placed 18" from the ends of the tank. Would it
really be so bad? My plan is to have a rather large sword somewhere in
the middle, and since they don't need a lot of light relative to some
other plants, this shouldn't be too bad. Am I off base?
If someone has a 6' tank with only two MH over it, I would love to see a
picture so I could get some sort of idea.
Thanks.
--
Jerry Baker
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