Buying MH, have some questions....

[levon15]

I am going to order my MH tonight. I got a great deal on a lumenarc locally and it has the mogul base it came with. I am very unfamilar with anything MH. This receptical on this socket is like an oversized light socket.

I want to run a 250W setup for my frag tank, but would like to use it later maybe in a display tank.

I am leaning towards a electronic ballast hust because of the range of bulbs i can throw in it. Icecap is the front runner here. I need to know if anyone has any input on using/not using this ballast.

For a bulb I am still up in the air. I am looking for decnet growth and a hint of blue. Would not like to add supplemental lighting but will if needed.

Leaning toward the hamilton 14k

 

[Shooter7]

Levi, you've seen my tank. Those are Reeflux 12k 250w's. They have a touch of blue to them and my corals are doing pretty well under them. There are some folks who seem to like them enough over in the SPS forum. Just a thought.

 

[levon15]

Dave do you have any supplemental lights on there. I like your lights quite a bit.

What ballast are you running?

Also are all mogul bulbs kinda oversized screw in's?

 

[Shooter7]

No supplemental lighting on mine...that's why I like these lights.

I'm running ARO electronic ballasts.

And yeah, moguls are the screw ins.

 

[levon15]

Any advantage with the aro over the Icecap.

Hellolights has a sale on the ARO. Might be changing my mind.

Have you had any issues dave?

Where do you get those bulbs. I see the at thereefstop.com but was wondering if you had another source.

 

[Shooter7]

I can't comment as to the comparison to Icecap, but I thought I had been told they were very similar. I have had no issues with them in nearly 9 months of use so far.

I got mine at http://www.reefexotics.com/reeflux.htm . They pretty much always have them in stock.

 

[panaboy95]

I am running two icecap 250 retros with 10 XM bulbs. the bulbs do not have a enough blue light you are talking about but i am real satisfied with the ballast.

 

[scbadiver]

I'm running 3 Icecap MH 250w 10k bulbs. I have had no problems at all and really like the units. I don't know about color. I also run 16' of vho actinic (also Icecap) so I get a good crisp looking white color in the tank. The only issue I've had and still have is that they interfere with my TV reception. I have no cable I just use ol' rabbit ears so it may not be an issue for you. I recommemd Icecaps though.

 

[levon15]

Thanks all I think I will get the icecap and the bulb that dave has.

Anyone have directions on wiring these things up?

 

[Shooter7]

I'm not sure what all your ballasts will come with. On mine, I added a power cord and a quick connect extension wire. Pretty much if I want to remove the light from the ballast wiring, i just unplug the quick connect and they can be easily moved. Wired a receptor to the mogul socket wires and the main extension cord to the ballast.

 

[Im Lon 2]

That is what I'm switching to also 3 Electronic 250 Ballast.

 

[levon15]

So added a quick disconnect between the ballast and the wires from the mogul?

Is this something i can walk in HD/Lowes and purchase?
Do they also sell the grounded cord to wire as well?

Sealing the connections? Wire Nuts? Tape? Heat shrink?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8172151#post8172151 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shooter7
I'm not sure what all your ballasts will come with. On mine, I added a power cord and a quick connect extension wire. Pretty much if I want to remove the light from the ballast wiring, i just unplug the quick connect and they can be easily moved. Wired a receptor to the mogul socket wires and the main extension cord to the ballast.

 

[Shooter7]

My stuff came from Hellolights or Premium, I forget which, but they sold a simple power cord with open wires to connect to the ballast and a plug on the other end for the wall socket. The quick connects came from them too. I believe I saw something like them awhile back on Premium's site. Griss basically put this package together for me about a year and a half ago, so it's been awhile, but that's the main ingredients. I used wire nuts on all of my stuff.

 

[StupidsReef]

I'd go and plan on going with the new tank Electronic ballast. I'll have 3 250w 14k hamilton myself. They are the easyest too, just plug and play with any almost any bulb out there.

 

[slovan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8172498#post8172498 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by levon15
So added a quick disconnect between the ballast and the wires from the mogul?

Is this something i can walk in HD/Lowes and purchase?
Do they also sell the grounded cord to wire as well?

Sealing the connections? Wire Nuts? Tape? Heat shrink?

I just wired up an Ice Cap ballast and it was real simple. Got the grounded plug-in and quick disconnect from Premium Aquatics along with everything else.

Just connect the wires

Scrape off some paint to ground the lights

Tape it up

I'm sure it could be done better but it works for me.

 

[Shooter7]

Yeah, that's the stuff. Thought PA had it.

 

[levon15]

Well I got a plug kit and was wondering if I can wire the ballast to the bulb with some 12-2 romex cable. Like what you owuld find in your walls?


Any help, thanks

 

[Mykayel]

romex would be more than adequate... and then just a quality 3 prong plug. Or if you want somethign that is a little more flexable, just buy a quality extension cord and just chop it and wire it to your ballast.