Reflectors for Metal Halides

[rdnyva]

After 4 years the MH reflectors in my DIY canopy are in pretty bad shape so I'm planning to replace them soon. Are all reflectors more or less the same? Any reccomendations on what to get and where to buy them?

 

[James77]

Not in the least. The larger, higher end reflectors- Lumenmax, Lumenarc, Lumenbright- will get far more light into your tank than a spider or cheap reflector. If this is for your 180, I would go with 3 Lumenarc Minis. You could do Lumenbrights, but they need to be up higher to spread out.

 

[rdnyva]

Thanks for the info James. I did a quick Google on Lumenarc Mini and almost had a heart attack. Approx $140 per reflector. Is that correct. This is going to more expensive than I thought. Any suggestions on where to buy for a good deal?

BTW - the top of my canopy is 8 inches from the water surface.

 

[James77]

You could find them used on these forums if you luck out. Aquacave sells them for $130 each, and they have a 5% off coupon code(RC5). You might find some deals with the holidays around. The Lumenbrights are a little cheaper, if you can hang them higher.

They are well worth the money, they give you bright, intense and even coverage. Using a $30 or $40 spider reflector would work- but the difference is huge in light output.