Halide Q & A
- Thread starter BlueCorn
- Start date
It will be tough to find a decent 2x150 that is 3' long, I would try Hamilton or look in AquaMedics refurb and discontinued section. If you skip the fixture and go with a single pendant like one of the smaller Hamilton ones you could get away with a single 150.
For a 150 you really need the magnetic M81 to get all you can from the bulb, and it is the proper ballast for the bulb. The electronic will work but you may not get the most from the bulb. I lit a standard 58 for a few years with a single 150 in a LumenArc Mini, so yes you can if the reflector is designed for spread.
It is difficult and I would not try it with lesser equipment. But with the right equipment you can do it. They are expensive if you are just playing around with something new, the used section is where the deals are. You will be able to see at section before long.
sneeyatch
Active member
Question for the halide gurus -
I'm running a 150 watt DE Phoenix over my 25 gallon cube with a Lumatek Select-a-Watt ballast. Growth is great and everything's going fine, but color is lacking a little. I'm looking for a bulb that will make colors pop more, but I don't like the windex blue look. I'm willing to consider less PAR / growth for better color.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I'm running a 150 watt DE Phoenix over my 25 gallon cube with a Lumatek Select-a-Watt ballast. Growth is great and everything's going fine, but color is lacking a little. I'm looking for a bulb that will make colors pop more, but I don't like the windex blue look. I'm willing to consider less PAR / growth for better color.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Brando5185
New member
Hello. I am looking to upgrade from my 75 gal to a 150 gallon that is 48"×24"×30". Tank comes with a current usa 2x250w MH and 4x54 w t5ho light. Is this light enough for a 30" tall tank and would I be able to keep higher light requiring anemones?
i am going to be setting up a sps dominant 130g 48x30x22 and i have 2 lumenmax elite reflectors. i have no experience with mh's but had t5's before my thoughts were to run both with radium 250's and a selectable watt ballast on hqi. would this be enough for such a spread or should i get a t5 ballast and use some of my old reflectors for supplement.
redwingrob40
New member
Got a quick question. I bought some cayman sun reflectors that are 13.25" square. Does it matter which way the bulb is oriented above the tank (should it be perpendicular or parallel to the front and back)? I have always seen people run the bulbs parallel to the front and back. I'm guessing with the reflectors being square it doesn't make much of a difference, right? With the bulbs parallel to the front the power cords are hanging over the side of the tank... If I hang them with the bulbs perpendicular the power cords could hang over the back (which would look much nicer). The tank is 48"X24"X30".
Radium 20k. Best way to go i think. Not to blue and colors do pop well without supplementing. Also the bulb gets better the more burn time it gets, you wont regret it.
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sfniners84
New member
Can a ajustable 600w grow light be used?? Its a high preasure sodium light fixture
Liverocknroll
New member
Just bought a radium 150w 20k double ended for to replace a bulb and so far one is working fine while the other is letting out a screatching sound with electricity coursing through the middle of it until it cuts out, this happens within 10 seconds because I am too scared to keep it on. It is positioned correctly and I do not understand what this means, should I just let it stay on for a few minutes?
PaulErik
Premium Member
The lamp should fire pretty quickly. If the inner bulb is faintly arcing inside and will not fire, that is a sign of a poor connection somewhere. Leaving the lamp in this state can deteriorate the lamp at a very fast rate form sputtering of the electrodes.
It really sounds like you have a loose connection somewhere. Most likely the lamp is not sitting in the sockets properly. Try reinstalling the lamp and check the sockets and lamp contacts for any signs of arcing.
PaulErik
Premium Member
A 600-watt grow light can be used but 600-watt metal halide lamps are very limited. 600-watt high pressure sodium and metal halide are interchangeable as both have the same electrical specs.
Yep they are just transformer and a large starter cap, my shop just went from low bay mh to t5,s and I scored all the low bays that were headed to the dumpster all m59 mag ballast and a case of 400 w 8200k westinghouse bulbs
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