Lighting questions for a 300g.

OhioCatman

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 10, 2012
52
0
0
Dayton, OH
Getting ready to setup a 300 FW and I am unsure what to do about lighting. I plan on building a wood canopy to match the stand after it is setup. But at first it will just be glass across the top. So I am needing something that I can use for both stages of the project. A friend of mine has a metal halide setup thats new thats meant for such a canopy, with ballast, reflectors, and such. He said he would give me a good deal. But all I know about metal halides is they are meant for saltwater, especially reef tanks and are very bright. I have also been looking at the LED setups such as marineland or the cheaper knockoff brand beamworks. But I do not even know if they can be mounted inside a wood canopy. I like the idea of the moonlight with the LED's as I have alot of bottom dwellers and it would be nice to see the shyer ones swim around now and then without having to just watch them in the dark. So I guess the questions are.....Which would be a better all around choice, the metal halides or LED's? And can the LED's be mounted inside a wood canopy once I build it?

Thanks
 

mitchb

Candiru
MFK Member
Jun 5, 2011
125
0
46
victoria
Yes when you have the canopy built you can run wood across it to support the led lights. I just got the beam works for my 180. If I had a 300 like you I'd get 4 of the 48 inch freshwater ones znd it should be great.
 

rokit_armor

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Mar 19, 2011
205
0
31
kansas
I just got my lights from Oddysea, three 6500k t5's on each side (two 36" units for 6 total) is really bright for FW, but my plants love it:) My unit came with a built-in digital timer control and blue LED moon lighting and you can't beat the price. I have one of the two on my 46bow until the 200g is done, so it's on glass now, but my 200g's wood canopy, I built supports with 2x4, I notched out the center of the 2x4 so the light sets right in there with no wiggle room- I was afraid someone would jump, bump the light and it would fall in.
 

scott m

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 30, 2010
54
1
6
nw indiana
Lighting is a very subjective issue with a lot of pro's and con's to sift through. I have 2 X 36" "single bright" Beams Work (LED 600) lights on a 300 fresh water (no plants) and am happy with them. They cost less than $50 each shipped to the door (E-Bay) and if you have any mechanical skills, you can install these easily in a canopy.
 

mustang93svt

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 15, 2010
381
13
18
ohio
One thing consider if you mount the lights to the canopy. If you need to remove the canopy, you have to unplug the lights as well. I would get lights that sit on the glass tops, then build the canopy around them. Much easier to take the canopy off that way.
 

OhioCatman

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 10, 2012
52
0
0
Dayton, OH
Well the glass top isnt a proper top. Its just makeshift. That's the reason I am building a wood canopy anyway. If I went with led's should I get 2 x 36 or 48"? I would think it wouldn't be easy to fit 48's end to end with tank being 8' even with the canopy being a little wider then the tank

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

mustang93svt

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 15, 2010
381
13
18
ohio
Two 36" would probably be bright enough or the 48" housing is only 46" long not including the legs which add the extra 2" when pushed all the way in.
 
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