diy yourself MH lighting

[skirrby]

i saw this on another fourm.. this guy has a great idea. and luckly for me there is a graybar wearhouse 5 min from me! i think i might auctully do this, MH lighting for 100 bucks!
http://www.reefaquariumguide.com/ryansreef/DIY_MH.htm

 

[black71gp]

This is just what I have been looking for, I have been wanting to upgrade to newer lights, there is a grey bar about 5 min from me also. THanks so much for this link, i am going to deffenatly try this set up ASAP! just ahve to get my canopy finished so I have something to install them in.

 

[rangermonroe]

I did it. It actually cost about $150 per bulb... $65/each Iwasaki 250 watt, $40/ballast, $20 wiring,mogul base, reflector, and such.
I built this remarkable housing for my ballasts from acrylic with an integral cooling fan for roughly $30.
Iwasaki 250 watt bulbs are green/yellow.
Hey, hey... it was a lot better than the 4x40watt NO that I had, but not what I expected.
If I did it again, I would buy some M-58 ballasts from graybar(the ones in the page you supplie are H-370, and have my choice of MH bulbs, not just Iwasaki 6500k "greenies".
Conversly, I just replaced my 'sakis with "XM" brand bulbs that I bought form hellolights.com and they run, but the long term effects are still forthcoming; therfore, I cannot recommend them.
Bottom line, cheaper works only in the short term.

 

[cmack]

What bulbs can you run with the M-58 Ballasts?

 

[zanemoseley]

ranger where are you shopping? $20 for wiring, sockets, brackets and reflector, a good 4' aluminum reflector goes for at least $40 sockets with brackets are about $10 each and even if you use high gauge extension cords for your wiring which I am doing those cost at least $5 each, that about $70 of stuff

 

[rangermonroe]

I meant $20/bulb and i was approximating anyhow.
I used an extention cord that I already had, used mirror tile for reflector, electrical junction boxes and wire nuts, switches and such were already on hand. I bought the mogul base for $5 each.

 

[zanemoseley]

bulbs for $20? maybe industrial bulbs, a good aquarium bulb is gonna cost at least $65 each

 

[plenumt]

should u have MH/VHO bulbs with FOWLR?

 

[skirrby]

no its not required... NO flouresents should be fine.

 

[black71gp]

My question is...WHy can a normal industral ballast for a 250W metal halide be used and just by a reef bulb. am I missing something here? could someone explain because I plan on making my own MH system soon, and need to know if this is possible or not. THanks

 

[rangermonroe]

$20/bulb worth of wiring. I paid $65each for Iwasaki bulbs + shipping.
As far as ballasts, the type refers to the input/output particulars, and the "start caracteristics" (ie, probe, pulse,etc)
Different types of bulbs are designed to run on a specific type of balast. M ercury vapor 250 w run on an H-37 ballast, While Metal halide 250s run on a M-58. 175s on a m-57, and 400watts on a m-59.
The bulbs themselves have color caracteristics that they display when energised by the properly rated ballast. That is why matching the ballast and bulb is important. having saaid that, I have a mismatched set of bulbs and ballasts on which I am attempting to locate information.
The industrial bulbs for sale at home improvement centers have a low (for our purposes) color temp 4500 degrees Kelvin to 5500 d Kelvin. This light will apear very vellow/green and is not what you want in you tank.

 

[dan-in-den]

Originally posted by cmack
What bulbs can you run with the M-58 Ballasts?
I'm curious also. I just went to Graybar and checked out their ballast. They didn't carry the Advance 71A3802-600 but could order it from Advance and it would have cost me about $50. The guy there said they stocked the Advance M58 (Part #71A5750-001D) for $45.70 and that it would work just as good.
Question: Will this drive an Iwasaki 250MH? How about any 250MH?
Thanks

 

[rangermonroe]

Get the m-58 ballast and forget the Iwasaki's. The color is not what you want, I'll post a picture her ein a few minutes of the saki and a 10000k next to it.
with the m-58 you can run any metal halide 250 watt, with the h-37 (the graybar 71-a57xxx) it is saki's or XM only.

 

[dan-in-den]

and I get even more confused :thinking:
The Advance 71A5750 is also labeled as M58 on the box. Does that mean this Advance ballast will run any MH 250's? Not just saki's?

 

[rangermonroe]

sorry, I have the 71a-3802 which is a merc vapor ballast and will not run normal metal halides ( so I am told, I won't be experimenting a t$100 a pop)

 

[rangermonroe]

'saki on the left, XM 10000k on the right . It is much more dramatic in person

 

[dan-in-den]

ahhhhh now I'm starting to see (said the blind man).
Next question: What bulbs to buy for the M58 ballast?
Any 10K?
Ushio 10K?
Steal bulbs from the pot grower down the street?

 

[rangermonroe]

the bulbs that I use for growing pot are...oh I forget.
10000k are supposed to be pure white.
the lowere the k rating, the greener it will appear, higher will tend toward the blue end of the spectrum. I am very happy with 10000k, just my preference. Some folks like the 20000k lights. I know that I do not like the 6500k of the iwasakis...but that nasty green hair algae seems to adore it.
I looked at the phillips brand MH at home depot and it seems that they were 4500k or there abouts. Probably ok for herb, but not what youd want for the display.

 

[dreeves]

The long numbers onthe ballast are the manufactures part number...the M, H, etc, are ANSI codes...
Hellolights sells a dual, M58/H37 ballast.
Also, the difference (from what I understand) in the ballast is the probe or pulse start...one type the ballast supplies the needed starting mechanism, and the the starting is in the bulb...
With the pic above..it is a good example as to using one bulb per 24 inches of tank length...

 

[rangermonroe]

yeah, I only have 2 bulbs, If I had three, I would have one over the center support and it wouldn't do much good other than heat up the tank. But you sure can see the shadow toward the center, cantcha?