Metal halides on planted tank

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I think the 4 100 watts is probably good(I don't remember if 100 was a actual wattage i know 75 was).

I would rather you get a bunch of small ones the a one big one.
 
Well apaprently they are 100 watt (which is a standard industrial size) but not standard for aquariums so finding apropriate kelvin rating bulbs is next to impossible i highest i can find (and also the most common) is 4200k just shy of what most people say is the minimum to grow plants (5000k)


Does anyone know if i could grow plants with 4200k bulbs ? What if i supplement it with 2 of my aqua glo 18000k lamps (t8) will that make it work ? anyone have any ideas?


I figure that with this light intensity having ideal spectral peaks (or colour temp) is far from nessicary, but what do you guys think


I need to know this tonight im supossed to pick up the halides tommorow


better yet does anybody know any place i could get higher kelvin rating 100 watt lamps? Do you think i could order from a compay like sylvania (makes industrial light bulbs, metal halides and others) and see if they can custom make a higher kelvin rating bulb ?
 
mgk;4025807; said:
is it a mogul base or HQI, I have seen higher kelvin ratings for HQI but not for mogul


anyway heres a HQI
http://cgi.ebay.com/HQI-Metal-Halid...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0ef2c253
Click to expand...
it's not even a mogul base lol it's a medium base (which is also used for the aquarium 75 watt bulbs) but i am almost 100% sure i couldn't use a 75 watt bulb on a 100 watt ballast without the thing exploding)

From what i understand about electricity i could buy some of the end pins for a double ended bulb and wire them into the ballast i have though(but im not entirely sure. I have a relative who is a retired electrician though so ill see if i can ask him about it he might know)


My other option is to use the 400 watt ballast he gave me (Ice cap which i hear is VERY good) and set it up to run a 400 watt double ended or mogul lamp and position it high enough off the tank for the light to diffuse into the whole tank. finding apropriate spectrum 400 watt bulbs is a peice of cake. then maybe run 1 100 watt 4200k on either end (for additional red light) but that would give me 600 watts of BAM! and i think that would be too much.


anyway those are my options
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom