2x250w HQI on a 90 too much?

[manderx]

i'm setting up a 90, and the only lights i have laying around is a 2x250 spacelight (with some old 10K bulbs). it's not my first choice, but at the moment i've already gone over my hobby budget and really shouldn't buy anything else for a while. i already have CO2 and i don't want to sell the spacelight. heat won't be a problem for a while, i'll actually appreciate it since my place it pretty chilly all winter and it'll just take some of the load off the heater.

-matt

[GulfCoastAquarian]

Wow, 5.6wpg! With older bulbs, intensity will be a little subdued, but I'd be worried about color. Still, if you suspend the MH's a good 6-8" off the top of the tank, the intensity should seem much more like 4wpg, which is still high, but workable. It's going to be a tough tank to keep balanced, especially since you're just getting back into plants. Nutrients will get sucked up quick, causing you to have to test and dose far more often.
It's doable, I'm just trying to prepare you for the difficulty it might cause.