well, I've educated myself on nearly all aspects of fluorescent lighting, but HID seems to be another ball-park entirely, so I need some tips from those who've done it already!
I have a real bad 'itch' to have an open-top tank, to try growing emersed plants as well as increase O2 exchange with the atmosphere
fluorescent, being soooo very difuse doesn't seem well-intended for this purpose, since the higher the lights above the tank, the more light spills onto the walls / floor / anywhere but into the tank
so I was hoping to cook up some sort of HID fixture with a 'tight' spot-light-like reflector to put most of the light into the tank, even with the light mounted 2 - 2.5 ft above it
I found a place online that sells a 250watt mh ballast kit for $46, which is the cheapest I've found anywhere for a mh ballast (core and coil design)
http://www.lightingcloseout.com/product_detail.cfm?ProductID=42&CategoryID=3
Is this ballast suitable to run an Iwasaki(sp?) Super-Daylight 6500k bulb?
I've also noted the Iwasaki bulb varies A LOT in price, some sites have it for around $60-80, others want nearly $200 for the 250w with mogul base
also, is it true these bulbs only last a year??? or is that only for the radiation that corals need to grow ... I plan on just using it with freshwater plants/fish ... I'd hate to have to buy a new $80 bulb every year - ouchies!
other than DIY, is there anyway to get into Daylight* MH for under $200? Sure I can buy a 175watt mh flood light for $75, but it's only like 4100k, which looks awful under water (been there, done that)
what about taking that 4100k floodlight, and putting it behind a piece of blue-tinted glass ... not a heavy tint, just enough to soak up some of the red and green light?
thanks
glm
I have a real bad 'itch' to have an open-top tank, to try growing emersed plants as well as increase O2 exchange with the atmosphere
fluorescent, being soooo very difuse doesn't seem well-intended for this purpose, since the higher the lights above the tank, the more light spills onto the walls / floor / anywhere but into the tank
so I was hoping to cook up some sort of HID fixture with a 'tight' spot-light-like reflector to put most of the light into the tank, even with the light mounted 2 - 2.5 ft above it
I found a place online that sells a 250watt mh ballast kit for $46, which is the cheapest I've found anywhere for a mh ballast (core and coil design)
http://www.lightingcloseout.com/product_detail.cfm?ProductID=42&CategoryID=3
Is this ballast suitable to run an Iwasaki(sp?) Super-Daylight 6500k bulb?
I've also noted the Iwasaki bulb varies A LOT in price, some sites have it for around $60-80, others want nearly $200 for the 250w with mogul base
also, is it true these bulbs only last a year??? or is that only for the radiation that corals need to grow ... I plan on just using it with freshwater plants/fish ... I'd hate to have to buy a new $80 bulb every year - ouchies!
other than DIY, is there anyway to get into Daylight* MH for under $200? Sure I can buy a 175watt mh flood light for $75, but it's only like 4100k, which looks awful under water (been there, done that)
what about taking that 4100k floodlight, and putting it behind a piece of blue-tinted glass ... not a heavy tint, just enough to soak up some of the red and green light?
thanks
glm
. In a recent discussion with Kevin about MH lighting, he expressed the opinion that coral growth might be better under the 6500's, but that coloration would be better under 10,000k bulbs. I would rather have a little slower growth rate and better color. I expect the 6500's or even 5500's would do very well over plants though. If you get MH ballasts, you'll have more versatility as far as which bulbs you use. If you went with the MV ballasts, you're stuck using the Iwasakis. Some dilemma....
