First time MH user... Need Help

[moonlightdriver]

I just got my first set of Metal Halide Lights... They are used.... They are Coralvue Pendant fixtures... and it came with 250w ballast. The bulb is a 400w bulb...

my question is should I replace the bulb with a 250w bulb?
(since I am not sure the age of the bulb)

would a 250w bulb fit in the same socket (250w/400w interchangable)?

it seems that the 400w bulb would be underpowered with only a 250w ballast...
I am just looking for best/cheapest solution...

 

[moonlightdriver]

also... what brand bulb do you recommend?

 

[Conesus_Kid]

Does the 400W bulb even fire with the 250w ballast? Is this a SE (mogul) type of bulb or double-ended?

 

[moonlightdriver]

single ended... yes it does fire..

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

What kind (brand) of ballast? The "best cheapest" solution is rarely the best solution and often ends up costing more in the long run...

Does your pendant burn the lamps vertically or horizontally?

What size aquarium... what kind of corals.... do you like the "blue" look?

Lighting is subjective.

 

[moonlightdriver]

250w icecap ballast.. it is horizontal light... I have two of these over a 75 gal with mainly poly n zoas..I have a diy rapid led light for blues so the light might not need to be a blueish

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Iwasaki 6500! :lol:

No, I'm half serious (given you have actinic supplementation).

Otherwise, 10kk xm would be my choice.

But still we need to know more about the ballast, i.e. what spec it is. Is there a model number or any info on it anywhere? I don't know enough about coralvue ballasts off the top of my head to know what style they made.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, how do you know the bulb is a 400 but the ballast is a 250? I was under the impression that more often than not an undersized ballast would not fire an oversized bulb.

 

[moonlightdriver]

Ballast info: icecap model # : MH1-250EB-C

I was going by the previous sellers word i guess as far as the bulb watts goes... The bulb could be a 250w... would it have any markings on it stating one way or the other?

what is difference with those bulb choices? besides cost? does one last longer? would you go with the xm 15k over the 10k? Which would be better for growth?

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, the 10K would be best for growth no doubt. It's pretty yellow though IME. But as you mention you have the blue LED's for actinic bonus... Hard to say how well those would off-set the yellow of the 10K without trying it.

As for the bulb you have, sometimes the glass is etched right by the screw end. Otherwise you'll have to compare it to other lams. The larger the wattage, the larger the inner halide chamber is. In the center of the bulb is another piece of glass which probably looks partially burnt if it's well-used. That's where the arc is struck and the halides heated up until they turn the UV light created by the arc into visible spectrum light. Those little inner bulb pieces are biggest on a 400, smallest on a 175 and somewhere in between on a 250. If you hold a series up next to each other you should be able to get an idea for what size bulb you have.

The ballast you have is an electronic Icecap ballast. Very good, robust ballast there. You shouldn't have any trouble firing any 250watt lamp you want with it.