Couldn't believe my ears

[JM]

This past weekend i was at a family party and i was talking to my uncle about my 75g tank. I brought up lighting and how i want to upgrade to halides and how expensive it would be. To my suprise my uncle said "i think i have a halide light in my garage if u want it just stop by my house and dig it out from the back of my garage and its yours" Of course i jumped all of that and went directly to his house after the party. What i found made me the happiest person alive. I 400W halide ballast, complete with fixture and bulb. The only thing i need to do is make a reflector out of alluminum flashing and hang it above my tank. I would buy a reflector off line, but its an older fixture and its a little bit big so idk if a new reflector will fit.

Now for my questions. Its going on a 75g tank and it will be hung from the ceiling above the tank. How much temperature increase should i expect and am i going to need a chiller or can i get away without one. Also i am thinking about ordering a 250W bulb because i think the 400 is a little overkill for what i need it for.(not planning on doing hard corals or clams) Will the difference in wattage from a 400 to a 250 make a huge difference in temp or should i just get the 400W.

 

[ccCapt]

One 400W bulb over a 4 foot tank is not a very good idea.

1st you do not need 400W for the depth of a 75, which I believe is about 21". 400W is primarily used for deep tanks...not to mention it's a huge waste of electricity.

2nd one bulb over a 4 foot tank will leave the middle of the tank very bright and the sides quite noticably dimmer.

3rd if it's a 400W ballast, you can not use a 250W bulb. Also check what kind of bulb he had. Chances are it's a low K rated bulb (probably about 4K) and you would need 10K or higher for an aquarium.

As far as temp increase, you will definitely see an increase, but it depends on your set up and how much air movement you have between the water and fixture.

 

[JM]

Just curious, but y can't i use a smaller bulb with a 400W ballast? Doesn't that just mean that it will be able to accept up to a 400W bulb. I thought u could use lower wattages just not higher wattages according to wattage ratings. Also when i buy a new bulb i can't i just buy one with a higher K rating.

 

[exodus]

When it comes to arc lighting, the ballast and lamp have to be matched. Thats like trying to run a T8 on a T12 ballast, it just shouldnt be done although it might work for awhile.

 

[lando]

It is a good find but I agree that a single 400watt MH will not work that well on a four ft tank. First off, the edges would not be lit all that well and the center brace would cast a shadow over the middle of the tank. Two 175s or 250s would be a better option.

 

[JM]

oh well, if i can't use this one i'm definatly not doing halides. I'm not payin all that money unless i really need them. I guess i'll just by some PCs.

 

[lando]

Depending on what you want to keep, CF may be a better choice. They certainly do have advantages.

 

[JM]

I've read a lot about lighting, but i still don't understand a lot of it and i never needed to because i never wanted coral. However, now i have a pair of clown fish and i want an anemone for them and i like some of my friends soft corals. What is the most affordable lighting to keep a BTA alive. And what is the minumum watts one requires. I have heard that i can keep one alive with much less wattage than any corals require.