150W Metal Halide Bulb in a 250W System???

[brettmagzz]

I have a 250W double ended metal halide Current Sunpod. My tank has been empty for some time now and I am looking to start a freshwater planted tank. I find it hard to find 6700k 250 watt bulbs...Is it possible to place a 150 watt bulb in a 250 watt system? Besides that it's hard to find a 250 watt 6700k bulb, I'm also concerned that this may be far too much light for only a 26 gallon aquarium.
Thanks

 

[jackri]

No don't go outside the recommendations. You can overdrive that bulb and possibly cause a fire or it'll just burn the bulb out instantly. Either way even your best case scenario is bad.
You don't need that intense of lighting anyways to grow freshwater plants. You can even get an energy saving 26w bulb (the substitute for 100w) in the 6700k range to grow freshwater plants... 15 bucks and done. This is what I do for my cheato in my sump.

 

[brettmagzz]

I know I don't need that intense amount of lighting but it's a unit that I previously had for my reef tank. I do want intense lighting for plants so I can grow the ones that require a lot of light and don't quite feel like buying another unit right now. I guess I'll have to hunt for a 250 watt 6700k bulb.
Thanks

 

[jackri]

What kind of plants do you plan on growing?

(j/k I hope)
There was a dresser on the outside, lights and ventilation on the inside type thing on Craigslist once. How cops didn't go to the place to "buy" it and check out the place is beyond me.

 

[scsinet]

The sockets for 150 and 250 DE lamps are different as well.