Lighting help needed

[Bifferwine]

Don't forget.,MH bulbs need to be replace every 6-12 months.At $50-$80 each,it adds up.

Yes, this is true. :( T5s also need to be replaced every 12 months or so, but they cost $20 to $30 apiece.

 

[Ourfish]

Does the colour effect the coral? I think I like the blue-er colour better..

 

[x19]

The LED fixture is nice, but we were hoping to not have to spend $300 on lighting. Are there any other places where we could find LED lighting?

I wouldn't totally discount the price of LEDs, sure they may be expensive initially but there are no bulbs to replace (LEDs should last about 11 years) and use a fraction of the electricity.

Take these for example:

http://www.ecoxotic.com/products/modular-led-lighting/panorama-36-retro.html

36w $349 LED equivalent to a 150w MH. This is brand new (released last week) so there aren't really any reviews yet. With bulbs around $50 to $75+ each, and needing to be replaced once or twice a year...the savings should materialize very quickly.

 

[Ourfish]

With the metal halides, do i have to buy the pendant lights? Or can i buy something like this: Metal Halide light fixtures - used and then add the right bulbs?

 

[BL1]

Those look like commercial lights, I don't think they can be used for aquariums.

 

[bjohanson1234]

There could be a chance that it would work, but that is a 400 watt MH light and used for an industrial setting. IMO if you dont mind the looks, you might be able to get that working over your tank. Also, that big block above the reflector is the ballast. It weights ALOT. You would definantly need to find a good strong place to hang that up. Most aquarium lights have remote ballasts that sit under the stand or on the floor. Making the fixture itself lighter and easier to hang.

Also, he states he will sell them in batches of 10. So that would be 300 bucks to set up one of these to see if it works.

 

[Ourfish]

Also, he states he will sell them in batches of 10. So that would be 300 bucks to set up one of these to see if it works.

haha definitely didn't read that carefully

 

[Ourfish]

what does the ballast do?

 

[x19]

Its responsible for lighting the bulb, and controlling the electricity going through it.

 

[bjohanson1234]

The ballast is what ignites and keeps the bulb running. MH and florescent lights aren't like regular incandescent bulbs. There is a gas inside the bulb that gives off the light. The ballast keeps an electric current going through the gas.