Has anyone ever tried this?

[rickyb]

For a while I’ve been thinking on how it would work and look. I originally got the idea from my doctor’s office, sitting there waiting to get my teeth clean I noticed his lamp which uses a bulb similar to the automobile bulb, the reflector was oval and has a very nice spread of the light when turn on. I know that medical supplies are really expensive.
The automotive bulbs come in various colors, and I most interested in how a Xeon bulb will work.
Anyone out here ever tried this?

If no one has, this will a cool project the reflector part will be a challenge - at least for me.

RickyB

 

[3rotorFD]

yes i have. it worked OK. i modified a fixture (jebo) w/ 1X10,000K 55w t5 and 1 55w actinic . then put a 8,000K HID Xenon bulb(from my old car) in between w/ a reflector of course. i'll try to find the building process pics .
here's a cople pics....
tank without the HID

tank with the HID bulb

 

[rickyb]

Holly smokes! How did the tank inhibitants react?

Thank you for posting, it doesn't look like to be the same tank, are you still running the bulb?

 

[hllywd]

I've thought about automotive HIDs but retros and even scrap yard still cost an arm and a leg. Got any ideas how this can make sense cost wise? $500 - $700 is more money than I intend to experiment with. Also what about the color shift inherent in MH bulbs? These will be affected in the same way.

There may be a great idea here but when we are comparing 150W, 175W, 250W, etc... MH lamps to 35W automotive MH lamps I'd like to see some real data before I make the leap.

Tim

 

[rickyb]

well I do have a source for a PAR meter, it should be intresting to see the results on just the bulb without a reflector.

 

[3rotorFD]

rickyb .it is the same tank, look at the rock shapes. i just didn't like how it looked before. so i changed it and for a while i had to get rid of the fuge =(... (it was leaking) i'm still using it but. w/ 2 X65W 10,000K and 1X 10,000K 9006BULB didn't notice any bad changes w/ the livestock (except for the candy cane and leather corals i have now) apparently they don't like the light too bright. but it's been working good and it doesn't get too HOT. i'm using a couple fans tho.
hllywd . it's not expensive compared w/ MH and you have a LOT more room to work with. the bulbs are tiny and so are the ballasts.
i'm using a 12VDC 10A power supply . ballasts i found some guy selling them for $30 a piece. but the bulbs are a little expensive (about 80-110) a pair. here's a recent pic 3 months old. finally got a decent sump/fuge .
sorry crappy camera
BTW i got that clam for $10 i heard they need good/strong light?
it's been doing fine for about 2 weeks

 

[hllywd]

I did find them in the upper 200 range for pairs. Just over a hundred for a motorcycle kit. It did depend on the color temp you got. Sitting here looking at my nano $120 might be a good experiment...

Do you have any pics with just the HID on?

I'd like to see some lux meter readings vs MH.....


Tim

 

[3rotorFD]

^ there's a guy selling them on craigslist for $30 EACH ballast and 90 for the bulbs (pairs only) =( . i got his phone number somewhere. i'll PM you the address and number. his shop is in COLMA CA. i'm pretty sure he sells them on ebay.

 

[3rotorFD]

ok i just built another one. found this old reflector and mounted the HID bulb (with little mods) it's 8000K bulb. that was a D2R size.
So bright my eyes hurt
some pics. ballast and light/reflector

HID bulb mounted inside the reflector

fired up

 

[3rotorFD]

BUMP?

 

[rickyb]

sorry was out of town. I didn't know that the HID bulbs were screw ins. That bulb looks pretty powerful

 

[Pbrown3701]

my understanding is that it is not so much the intensity of the light but rather, that HID use High pressure sodium or mercury vapor typically which doesn't provide the propper wavelengths for good coral growth and actually, will promote algae growth. I could be wrong.

 

[3rotorFD]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9348327#post9348327 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rickyb
sorry was out of town. I didn't know that the HID bulbs were screw ins. That bulb looks pretty powerful

they're not screw ins. i cut the mounts,axtented the terminals and screw them in

 

[3rotorFD]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9348401#post9348401 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pbrown3701
my understanding is that it is not so much the intensity of the light but rather, that HID use High pressure sodium or mercury vapor typically which doesn't provide the propper wavelengths for good coral growth and actually, will promote algae growth. I could be wrong.

no algae in my tank. corals are doing fine .

 

[slandis3]

how long have you had this in use?

 

[slandis3]

hid light

 

[3rotorFD]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9349885#post9349885 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by slandis3
how long have you had this in use?

the one in my tank. a couple months.

 

[3rotorFD]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9348401#post9348401 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pbrown3701
that HID use High pressure sodium or mercury vapor typically which doesn't provide the propper wavelengths for good coral growth and actually, will promote algae growth. I could be wrong.

isn't that the same GAS in metal halide bulbs? and the wavelenghts isn't that why we get specific color tempereratures?

 

[megaspoot]

3rotorFD,
not sure if it's the same gas or not, you are correct the it is the wavelength of light emitted that determines the color.

 

[slandis3]

no its not the same gas


halide