cheapest MH?

[reefmaster]

Hi, i was wondering if there was a cheap way to get metal halide bulbs set up inside my aquarium hood. I dont mind if i have to do some work myself to save me some money. It seems like all of the ballasts on sale are a rip. I would prefer a 250 watt bulb if that makes a difference. Its a 100 gallon BTW.

 

[Salttanker]

I bought both of my 250w MH for $180 each shipped. Retro module kits. These don't get much cheaper due to the cost of the bulbs. Maybe check the classifieds on this site to see if anyone is selling any.

Mike

 

[revhtree]

www.hellolights.com

 

[noteworthy]

I was lucky enough to buy two 250W MH retro kits for $110 shipped. Shayland was awesome. I was very fortunate to find someone online willing to sell it to me at that price.

The bulbs do need to be replaced in a few months tho.

 

[Tex]

Somewhere I have a bookmark for DIY aquarium lighting projects. There is an article written by a guy who built a retrofit single bulb MH for less than $100. I'll see if I can find the link.

 

[ellisz]

A guy on ebay from Greenwood, IN sells 175 and 250 single kits for 115-125 shipped. I was considering one for my frag tank and this seemed like a decent setup. Came with a bulb too, although not sure how good it would be. Magnetic balast as well.

HTH

 

[Serpentman]

Here's the link Tex:

http://aquarium.union.rpi.edu/articles/DIY_MH.html

I followed the instructions step by step with success. The article is a couple of years old. The total cost was about $125 for the parts listed.