Building lights for a canopy

milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
OK I just bought a Hamilton 2x175 MH ballast/reflector and such....everything is there except the bulbs.
I want to also put in some other lights - thinking PC. Question is what all do I need to do this?
TurningTim made this diagram for me. What all do I need to add these 4 other PC lights? thinking 4 65 watts or 55 watts. Can I get one ballast that will run all 4 of the lights? Will the ballast for the MH run these lights?
I am so clueless.
Then I suppose I buy 4 individual reflectors and then sockets and clips and ?????what else?
If anyone has anyother suggestions please chime in. I have no idea.
(wish there was one of these drinking a beer
)
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
no one has any input or changes or anything.
I guess I should add that I want to be able to keep clams
 
8x8nhl

8x8nhl

Member
i do not no about the ballasts but if u give the tank size we could figure out if you can keep clams
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
100 gallon. stand measures 5'2" long by 18.5" deep by 34" tall. The tank is slightly smaller in footprint at 60" long by 18" deep by 20" tall.
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
Here is a picture of the actual MH set up I have. I am trying to add more lights to the canopy. What about 2x96 PC or VHO in the front and back?
I could use one for blue and the other can be 10K
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Ok so what's done is done. What actual lamps you install depends on the color temperature of your MH bulbs.
I personally am a big fan of VHO for a few reasons, and given that your tank is 5' long, 4' T12 VHO bulbs would be perfect. I'd install two (or four if you can fit them), and run them off an Icecap 660. Buy the 660 even though the 440 will run two bulbs. Why? They are only about 20-30 bucks more and you have the expansion room down the road.
As for a reflector, what I usually use is the roll flashing you can get at Lowe's or the Depot. It's aluminum so you won't have rust. You can get a 25 foot x 10" roll for about 12 bucks (I'm guessing, but I know it's cheap). It's a bit difficult to bend into a reflector shape as it's springy, but it makes a dirt cheap and highly effective reflector.
To bend it, lay out the size you need and lay a 2x4 with one edge along the bend line. Then roll the 2x4 forward while holding onto the reflector underneath and bang the top of the 2x4 along it's length with a hammer. Do this on a concrete surface with the "dull side" towards the concrete so you don't mess up the good side.
BTW, looking at your picture, it looks like you can cram a couple bulbs onto the MH reflector.
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
Yeah the guy I got it from said it had VHO's in it - let me go do some surfing on the VHO's you just told me about and I will see what I can find.
Oh and another question - can you find a cheap fixture that will fit these T-12 VHO's at Lowes or Home Depot??
Thanks
Anyother ideas from anyone?
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
I don't have any bulbs yet.
I have even considered doing 14K and not using acts yet - just to get me up and running.
I will probably go with 10K unless you guys think other wise.
 
jakebtc

jakebtc

Member
if 10k on the mh's then go with the 2-96 watt actinics should do well for ya i was also thinkin 2 250watt halides for your size tank though
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
What MH Ballast? The one you already have... no. If you are referring to the Icecap I spoke of... that's not an MH ballast, it's a fluorescent ballast. Yes, it will run VHOs.
The other nice thing about the icecaps is that they will run a NO bulb at much higher output. In my freshwater planted, I run two 10,000K actinic URI VHO bulbs and two Sylvania 6500K "daylight" normal bulbs from Lowe's. Obviously I can only estimate by eye, but the normal bulbs and the VHOs are about equally bright.
If you are running 14K or 20K Halides, then your corals don't need any supplemental light. At that point, it's whether you want to add something else to make the light look better to you, but your corals could care less. Of course, if you are trying to get your WPG up, then you need to supplement with more light that the corals like, such as 10K VHOs or higher.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by milomlo
Oh and another question - can you find a cheap fixture that will fit these T-12 VHO's at Lowes or Home Depot??

No. VHO bulbs need special ballasts that simply are not available in home improvement megahouses. You can run a VHO bulb in a normal fixture but only at a normall wattage, which negates the whole point.
VHOs are really an aquarium trade thing. Sometimes they can be found in commercial buildings and such, but they usually run on a 277 volt electrical system that you can't duplicate in a home. Ergo, aquarium retailers are about the only place you'll find what you need.
 
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