Ext 112 ushio 400 wat MH System.

[Dogeatbird]

The only concern, I will offer is heat/energy consumption. Light spillage/glare.

There is no comparison to point source lighting.

Consider an all-element(outdoor) outlet cover.

Also chandelier beading as a light screen to limit glare from lower viewing angles.

Lastly wear gloves when changing bulb. Clean bulb with isobutol alcohol, allow a decent amount of time to evaporate alcohol before ignition.

Oil and grease from handling bulb/ quartz screen can cause bulb explosion.

Enjoy the shimmer; layering paper towels is an effective acclimation for new occupants . Just not on the bulb/quartz screen; nobody needs a fire risk.

Also consider placement of ballast somewhere safe from water exposure.

 

[Dogeatbird]

Also consider a fan to ventilate heat from the ballast. Basically if you can’t hold your hand to the ballast after being powered, ventilate and consider placement near combustible surfaces.

 

[Dogeatbird]

Depending on the type of bulb, please dispose of your bulb correctly.

Most single ended bulbs contain mercury.

Double ended bulbs, LEC may or may not contain mercury.

Also all fluorescent bulbs contain mercury.

 

[X-37B]

Thanks. I have ran halides since the late 80's.

I have never had an issue with heat. I run a Tunze aquawind for temp control on this system.
Room can get 81 and the system stays 77-78.
Some electronic ballasts have fans some dont. I run a Lumatek, no fan, and it never gets hot.
My fixture has a glass cover and I can sit on the couch 4' away with no glare.
I had to put diffusers on my radions in order cut the horrible glare from them. Nice ligjts though.
Anyway thanks for the reminder.
Do you run a halide system?

 

[X-37B]

Sorry to intrup this great therd...

Any one here have experience with Gavita digisatr electronic ballast ,for MH ?

There are many used Gavita grow systems for sale on the used market here. Their ballast have an overdrive like the Lumatek. They pull 440 warrts. My Lumaktek pulls 445 so they would work well.
I will look for a 400 watt system later today. People that grow use 600-1000 watts typically.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Most single ended bulbs contain mercury.

Double ended bulbs, LEC may or may not contain mercury.

Also all fluorescent bulbs contain mercury.

Where are you getting your information?

All metal halide lamps, double or single ended contain mercury by definition. It isn't an option. You use the acronym "LEC". Those aren't halides, they are Light Emitting Ceramic. A wholly different technology and not the topic here.

Your string of posts is clearly paraphrased search results, the giveaway is the added noise, like "too hot to touch" needing a fan, heat concerns with lamps, light spill, glare, LEC etc.

 

[Yanir34]

Where are you getting your information?

All metal halide lamps, double or single ended contain mercury by definition. It isn't an option. You use the acronym "LEC". Those aren't halides, they are Light Emitting Ceramic. A wholly different technology and not the topic here.

Your string of posts is clearly paraphrased search results, the giveaway is the added noise, like "too hot to touch" needing a fan, heat concerns with lamps, light spill, glare, LEC etc.

Probably one of the guys that love LED's...

 

[Yanir34]

This is true 6500K haha

 

[X-37B]

This is true 6500K haha

I have 5 Giesemann 6.5K's I just picked up a few weeks ago from europe.
This is the spectal graph on them.
Very brite white but yellowish over a reef syatem.

 

[Yanir34]

I remember that my first tank back in 2009 was lit by 1 bulb of 400w and 4 t5 bulbs , it was so fun...ALL corals was healthy, grew like weds abs had very realistic colours and beautiful contrast.

It's been really sad that in 2026 almost all trying to replicate that MH technology....and still MH kicking !!

This thered and other posts about MH helped me understand exactly the optimal match between bulb and ballast .

I don't like the the black light that I'm seeing today in most reefer tanks.
It looks odd, not natural and even makes my eyes start hurt after few minutes.

Also the growth rate is by far better with MH (and if all other parameters are af optimal levels uvcourse) .

For me , MH/T5 combination of still the best , even today's advanced LED technology.

 

[Yanir34]

I have 5 Giesemann 6.5K's I just picked up a few weeks ago from europe.
This is the spectal graph on them.
Very brite white but yellowish over a reef syatem.

I even didn't knew that they produced this type of bulb.

I've ordered some 6500k from AB.

 

[X-37B]

I remember that my first tank back in 2009 was lit by 1 bulb of 400w and 4 t5 bulbs , it was so fun...ALL corals was healthy, grew like weds abs had very realistic colours and beautiful contrast.

It's been really sad that in 2026 almost all trying to replicate that MH technology....and still MH kicking !!

This thered and other posts about MH helped me understand exactly the optimal match between bulb and ballast .

I don't like the the black light that I'm seeing today in most reefer tanks.
It looks odd, not natural and even makes my eyes start hurt after few minutes.

Also the growth rate is by far better with MH (and if all other parameters are af optimal levels uvcourse) .

For me , MH/T5 combination of still the best , even today's advanced LED technology.

I need to take some pics and start recording growth under the halide. Several of the corals that were very slow growers are respnonding to the high par levels/spectrum of the halides.
I will get a pic later today of 2 pieces of fresh cut stag frags from the lfs. I mounted one in the 170 and its getting around 350-400 par. The one in this system is getting about 700 par. Growth is out performimg the led system by leaps and bounds, lol.
The other corals in the system I put near the edge and they are getting 350-400 par and growth is faster than the led system.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I struggled with heat in my small fish room decades ago. On a whim, I gave away my DE halides and took a local club member's Radion Gen 1 (upgraded to pro or whatever) and my heat problem was solved. I had moved from 500+ watts of lighting to ~200 or less watts of lighting. Coral didn't thrive, and I wasn't overly pleased with the look but I lived with it.

Fast forward to 2026 and I run three GHL Mitras 7206.
So ~600+ watts of lighting and the same heat issue that I got rid of the halides to combat. The look is far more pleasing than the Radions and the coral are getting much better light.

I think the LEDs are great and I love the overall ability to gently ramp them up and down. I miss the look of my halides and I miss the cost. I don't miss the lamp changes. I wish I could say that I miss burning my forehead or cheek, but the GHL heatsink is rather hot to the forehead too....

I don't want to give up the features of LED or deal with sourcing quality MH lamps, ballasts and reflectors, or I would consider moving back. Also the true Actinic VHO lamps are a thing of the past and the T5 is gone, even if it never performed as well as the VHO.

 

[X-37B]

I even didn't knew that they produced this type of bulb.

I've ordered some 6500k from AB.

My bad it is an Ushio topflood.
This is both the 20K and 6500.

 

[Yanir34]

My bad it is an Ushio topflood.
This is both the 20K and 6500.

Where did you bought them ?

 

[X-37B]

Where did you bought them ?

The 20K was from someone in US who also had the Giesemann.
The 6500K were on ebay in Great Britain.
Go to 400 watt mh search and click on "ended" and take a look.

 

[Yanir34]

The 20K was from someone in US who also had the Giesemann.
The 6500K were on ebay in Great Britain.

Oh ,o.k

 

[X-37B]

Oh ,o.k

Ebay ended items will show past bulbs for sale.

 

[Dogeatbird]

Original owner of a 2x24wt T5 with DBL 250wt HQI.
Branded as Maristar; distributed by Sunlight Systems.

Also still in my possession; along with backup bulbs.

The environmental impact of decades of dumping mercury into landfills, forced most manufacturers to the LED.

Neither are superior, meerly different approach to a lighting source.

That fancy , app enabled LED also is marked as not eligible for domestic trash disposal.

 

[X-37B]

Original owner of a 2x24wt T5 with DBL 250wt HQI.
Branded as Maristar; distributed by Sunlight Systems.

Also still in my possession; along with backup bulbs.

The environmental impact of decades of dumping mercury into landfills, forced most manufacturers to the LED.

Neither are superior, meerly different approach to a lighting source.

That fancy , app enabled LED also is marked as not eligible for domestic trash disposal.

Nice. I ran 2 250 watt de hqi's on my old 120. Both in Lumenbrite fixtures.
I switched to leds around 4-5 years ago and said I will never go back, lol.
I have 5 led systems. This halide is to compare color and growth of various corals I have in my other systems.
This is a pic of my old 120. I should have held on to the reflectors though. I am still looking for the Lumenbrite mogal reflectors to purchase.
I like the look of systems under halides.