dual 175's or single 400 ona 65 gal?

[huss]

here is what i need to know. i have a 65 gal tank.
i have built a canopy where i have installed two 55 watt atinics.
now i need to add the halides, do i go with 1 400watt or two 175 watt's. which is the best?
thanks guys

[bertcmg]

one would be better ( one bulb replacement per year as opposd to two )

[Liam]

I went with two 110 atinics and two 175 ushios on my 72 gallon and I am really happy with the results. Having the two bulbs distributes the light nice over the whole tank. My tank is 48inches long.

[huss]

one would be better for replacement costs but what is better for light distribution?

[bertcmg]

2 but for a 4ft tank I doubt that it would make any diff, Not trying to sell you mine just answering your question

[huss]

bert, you need to answer my last email. i was asking what type of ballast you have with it.

[bertcmg]

M59 from cooper Lighting

[kentracey]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say one 400watter. That's what I'm going to put on my tank. I'm also going to try a 20k just to make it even simpler. No VHO's will be necessary. One light.... simple, effective, cheap.... works for me.

[huss]

i also for an extra 20$ have the oppotunity to go to duel 250's instead of 175's is there going to be a big difference?

[Red-Sea]

Huss, go for dual 250's you won't regret it...

[huss]

thank you boys, the order for the duel 250's has been placed.
im getting them from aquarium lights.com

[jastonataquapro]

I have a 48x18x18 tank, with two 175W 10,000K Ushio's. I find my coraline is looking more and more pale every day. I think 175W's would be sufficient, but 250's would allow you to do anything you could possibly image in a 4ft tank.*

* then again, there's probably something that you couldn't do.

[huss]

with the 250's where would i put all my zooz mushrooms and polyps? right down in the sand?

[jastonataquapro]

now see, I don't have a lot of experience with this, but my bet, unless you're keeping some high end acros and the such, stick with 175's. As I said they're already burning my coraline. I run them for 8 hours a day, tank is 7 months old.

[bertcmg]

I am also going to go against the grain here and say that 2X250's are maybe overkill for a 4 ft tank I have a six foot tank running 2X250 and my corals are doing amazing

Stick with the dual 175's or one 400 watter ( Heat is a real issue specially if you have a closed hood like me

[Asmodeus]

for what is is worth i had a single 400 MH 14K sunburst over my 280 !!!YES the 280 and kept sofites in there 30 " down and it looked good.