Your favorite Metal Halides for Acropora Growth and Coloration

[jda]

The more light that you can get inside of the tank, the more that the output gets a bit exponential. The light can bounce off of the side glass and get back into the tank. I keep my fixtures very low so that I have very little spill - the corals need the light more than my room does.

 

[reeferman]

They never responded to replacing the bulb so I just ordered 2 Ushio 20k bulbs. They should be here tomorrow so I will report back on the color rendition.

 

[PeterErc]

Fwiw running a 150w Ushio 14 on an old Aquatic Life pendant annd original
Ballast over a 20g. It’s a frag tank so halide runs 3 hrs. Was running 7hs before getting the LED bars. No heat issues.

Another is a 175w Venture 10k in a Bali Sun pendant on electronic ballast over a 36g softie/lps tank running 4 hrs a day. No heat issues and no fan on either small tanks.

Other tank is 3x250w 14k Ushio De in Sunlight Supply reef optix 3 on electronic ballast. Fans only, chiller is in the attic.

Before that ran MH for a while but the big blue ballasts on the dining room floor weren’t a big hit. T5/LED went back in. The electronics are tucked away on top of the canopy.
Let’s not talk about the electric bill with A/C running 24/7 300 plus days a year on a good year.

Was running SmatFarm G5 LED over 20 and 36g. Yea, yea, yea LED are the best everyone knows that. However the coral and nems respond much better to the MH.

 

[Lobophyton]

Is it possible to run metal halide fixture without reflector ? ballast is few inch from the bulb, is it safe ?

 

[djf91]

Is it possible to run metal halide fixture without reflector ? ballast is few inch from the bulb, is it safe ?

No, you definitely want a reflector. And I wouldn’t have the bulb and ballast that close. Why are they so close? What fixture is it?

 

[Lobophyton]

No, you definitely want a reflector. And I wouldn’t have the bulb and ballast that close. Why are they so close? What fixture is it?

Arcadia, 150w made in UK

 

[Reefing102]

I can’t find much on that fixture. While generally you want some distance between the bulb and ballast, there are some AIO halide fixtures in the grow light industry where the ballast is within a foot of the end of the bulb. However you do want a reflector.

 

[Lobophyton]

I can’t find much on that fixture. While generally you want some distance between the bulb and ballast, there are some AIO halide fixtures in the grow light industry where the ballast is within a foot of the end of the bulb. However you do want a reflector.

need reflector because of ballast heat or just poor light distribution ?

 

[Reefering1]

Its not like a led, where the light is aiming straight down. The light will be shining everywhere. The reflector redirects the light, that would be shining up and around, into the tank... out out your eyes. the reflector is the most important part

 

[Lobophyton]

Its not like a led, where the light is aiming straight down. The light will be shining everywhere. The reflector redirects the light, that would be shining up and around, into the tank... out out your eyes. the reflector is the most important part

I ask that because i want to dim the light but can't put the fixture higher

 

[Reefering1]

I ask that because i want to dim the light but can't put the fixture higher

You can put a diffuser or screen under the light. What size bulb/ tank? Why do you want to dim it?

 

[bobnicaragua]

I ask that because i want to dim the light but can't put the fixture higher

Corals will take more par from T5 and halide. You’re probably fine with a 150 watt bulb.

 

[Lobophyton]

You can put a diffuser or screen under the light. What size bulb/ tank? Why do you want to dim it?

Tank is juwel lido 120 (23"*15"*23"), bulb is marine color 14k 150w, there is tons of light with it at 15" height

 

[bobnicaragua]

Tank is juwel lido 120 (23"*15"*23"), bulb is marine color 14k 150w, there is tons of light with it at 15" height

I think you’re fine, but 20k bulbs will appear a little more blue and have less par.

 

[JCOLE]

FYI, I am currently selling my Halide setup. It is for (4) 400W Hamilton Bali Sun systems with 4 years worth of Radium bulb changes. I will also throw in another four bulbs I just changed that were running for a year if you want. See below for the sales thread. Please let me know if you have any questions.

(4) 400W MH Pendants with 4 years of Radium bulbs

**PLEASE NOTE** - I am not looking to sell the bulbs individually at this moment. I would like to sell this as a complete system first. If I am unable to sell them, then I will list the bulbs. Thank you. The fixtures and ballasts were purchased new from Hamilton and used for one year and the...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

Awesome thread! I have 3 single ended reflectors getting delivered today for reef brite 20k 250w SE bulbs. My question is should I take the protective glass out of the reflectors to run on my tank?

 

[Troylee]

Awesome thread! I have 3 single ended reflectors getting delivered today for reef brite 20k 250w SE bulbs. My question is should I take the protective glass out of the reflectors to run on my tank?

You can but I wouldn’t.. it protects the bulbs from exploding if they get splashed with cold water etc.. it might minutely cut down your par but it’s not a problem with halides they’re beasts!

 

[jda]

It is a splash thing and not a UV light thing like with DE bulbs. I don't ever use the glass when I use SE bulbs, but some people like to. There is a output loss with the glass.

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

thank you all! Back in the day in another life I grew plants and remember for some reason these remote ballasts had a higher yield than my digital ballasts. HTG supply looks like they are unloading all of their metal halide products at crazy low prices so I put together a shopping list to help anyone else out looking to put together a new system on the cheap. this is what I went with, got 3 of each

New 250w Ballast $35

New Socket and cord $6

New Hood $49 20"x15"

Then the bulb of your choice

 

[Troylee]

thank you all! Back in the day in another life I grew plants and remember for some reason these remote ballasts had a higher yield than my digital ballasts. HTG supply looks like they are unloading all of their metal halide products at crazy low prices so I put together a shopping list to help anyone else out looking to put together a new system on the cheap. this is what I went with, got 3 of each

New 250w Ballast $35

New Socket and cord $6

New Hood $49 20"x15"

Then the bulb of your choice

Reflectors make a huge difference believe it or not! I have a hammered lumen max in the center and cayman suns on the outer lights and the lumen max puts out about 80 more par with the same bulbs and ballast. I’m not sure about horticulture reflectors but reef ones were all different.. I have a lumenarc that I haven’t played with in years but I think those were the best back in the day.