Lighting question

[75galreef]

I have located soome ballast that when I look them up are HPS ballasts with an external ignitor. They are S50 style and does this equate to HQI bulbs? Do they make HPS bulbs for the aquarium user?

 

[dalbrecht]

I don't believe HPS will run an aquarium light. Most HPS bulbs are VERY yellow (2100K) HPS are a more expensive ballast than traditional MH

 

[dderue]

Stick to the metal Halide. Chase Pitken at Marketplace has some metal halide balasts, they were cheap to. Or try our E***. There is also alot of good info on the web on DIY metal halides if you do a google search.

 

[moriartiholmes]

I think the ballasts we can use are listed as either M-4 or M-7. Not sure, but like dderue said a search will find you what you need to know.

 

[kase]

i took apart my hamilton MH and found that they use the same ballasts/cap as the one you get at the light supply store. so i think as long as you use MH ballasts and the right cap it shouldn't make a different.

 

[75galreef]

dderue the ones at CP are the HPS ballasts, I stopped by today and they had 2 250w, but they are HPS. I was looking to down grade from the 400's to 250's and at 17.00 a peice, how can you go wrong.

 

[Henry Colf]

check out Metal Halide Wholesale,they have 250watt kits for 42.00.They also sell 10k,14k and 20k bulbs from 175w-400watts.As far as using HPS bulbs they are not the right spectrum for an aquarium(very yellow).JMO

 

[gary greguire]

check into t5's I think they are going to be the way to go.

 

[dderue]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7032805#post7032805 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 75galreef
dderue the ones at CP are the HPS ballasts, I stopped by today and they had 2 250w, but they are HPS. I was looking to down grade from the 400's to 250's and at 17.00 a peice, how can you go wrong.

When I was in there they had the luminarks and metalarks. The metalarcs aer the ones for the metal halide. I haven't been in there in a week, so they might be gone. I picked up a 250 to possible add a third to my hood, I have 2-175 10K's, I was thinking about suplimenting with the 250 watt 20K's.