Changing From T8 To Metal Halide?

[Puffer punk]

I'm upgrading my lighting from 3 T8's to 1 x 150watt MH!!!! the tank is a 36x18xx18 you think ill be able to keep plants?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Puffer punk]

will this be to much light?

 

[George Farmer]

I'm not experienced with MH but I would say 1 x 150W should do fine if you follow the "rules" that I have explained to you in the past.

Plant heavily and get CO2 stable at 30ppm (pressurized ideally) before your new lighting.

Figure out a fert dosing schedule.

Keep light loving plants in the center as this is where most of the light will be in a 36" tank, I imagine the edges will be less well lit.

 

[Puffer punk]

yeah i have the co2 on at the moment and even with the nutrafin units i was getting 30ppm .

so this lighting is good enough for glosso ?

 

[George Farmer]

so this lighting is good enough for glosso ?

Yes.

3 x 30W T8 would grow glosso too providing you have decent substrate, CO2 and ideal water.

 

[oldwhitewood]

It's a tricky one, your tank is 36" so with one MH light you will get dark sides, as a rule of thumb a 150w MH will cover about 2ft of length. Amano uses one MH light and two twin power compacts over a 90x45x45cm tank so that should give you some idea. Have you considered T5s? Although MH looks the best the bulbs pack out a lot of heat and are pretty power hungry.

 

[Puffer punk]

iv not considerd T5's but thats another idea