Odd Metal halide/ HP sodiuma question

[Tron87]

I've been pondering.

I was just on craigslist and saw a number of adds for metal halide lights. They said things like "30 available" and "$40 per setup" and that filled me with glee. They were used for wharehouse lighting.

Is there any sane reason why I would not buy one of these and use it with an appropriate tank bulb? It seems too good to be true but I would save a few undred dollars and still be able to get two.


Also, my brother is a bit of a grasshead and had mentioned how High pressure sodium bulbs are the primo equipment for DIY projects if you know what I mean. What is the difference between these two types of lighting? Is it color spectrum or something? I would think that terrestrial photosynthesis would not have requirements too different from its marine counterpart.

Just some food for thought. All feedback highly welcomed.

 

[Rhodesholar]

I believe the issue is with spectrum/k. Most of the sodium bulbs run south of 4500k. 5500k is about as low as you can go on a reef tank and the appearance is going to be brutal yellow.

I see no reason why you can't go with the light depending on the ballast and just use different bulbs.

 

[shag26272]

alot of them use the 400 watt M59 ballast, the bulb color will be wrong though like was said above

 

[Tron87]

I'm more interested in the application of wharehouse metal halides on a reef tank. I'f they look like the right deal I think I might go for it.

 

[michaeldaly]

I managed to get ware house fittings with 150W HQI ballasts, saved me a lot of money.

 

[Paul B]

My reef uses outdoor floodlights. I am an electrician and I lit up the outside of the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, I had a few left over so I just bought new lamps. You have to use metal halide and not sodium. They look alike so you have to read the lamp. The ballasts are not interchangable.
Here is the tank with the front open. See the large MH lights?
The white thing in the front is the housing for actinic. It is a vinyl fence post sliced in half.
Paul