Height Of Mh From Water Surface

[reefdude2003]

guys i have a pendent metal halide 150 W. How high should i suspend from my 3 feet tank water surface. thanks in advance

[Tanzy]

6" minimum to allow your hands to reach into the tank.

[Achilles Tang]

It depends on the reflector spread. Too low and you will get less light reaching the sides. Too high up and you lose intensity.

Too low also means you will get more salt spray/creep into your light fixtures. And you have to watch for water splashes as it may crack your bulb or your protective glass cover if the temperature change is too much.

[reefdude2003]

Ok is 1 feet too high? or should I just stick with the minumum which is 6 inches? I intend to keep all the cool stuff. clams, hard corals, etc etc. I have no chiller yet:) But am loking for a second hand one:)

[panlee]

Ok is 1 feet too high? or should I just stick with the minumum which is 6 inches?

I think there is no fix rule. You need to adjust the height to see which suits you. You need to lift it high - so that the chance of water splashes the bulb is low as water might crack the bulb (sudden temperature diff) - so that you have space to work in your tank - so that light is spread across the tank

You can not lift too high as then the intensity is not there.

[stonefish]

Saw in Arcadia catalogue.Recommended min.abt 8" above water surface.

[reefdude2003]

Thanks guys for the advice. Mine has a protective tempered glass below it. So I'm gunning for best optimum distance for a 150W as I'm DIYing my stand. I guess the consensus is between 6 inches and 12 inches.

[PornStar]

Thanks guys for the advice. Mine has a protective tempered glass below it. So I'm gunning for best optimum distance for a 150W as I'm DIYing my stand. I guess the consensus is between 6 inches and 12 inches.

How are you DIYing your stand?

Care to share some ideas?