Do metal halides=grow lights??

[misty927]

Are metal halide lights that you buy for the aquarium the same as the "grow" lights that people use for plants, etc. A lot of the systems look exactly the same, but they are labeled as grow lights. Any ideas??

 

[john8680]

Yes, people use metal halides as grow lights. The use different bulbs than used in aquariums, however they are still MH lights.

 

[zanemoseley]

John is absolutely correct, some MH bulbs require special ballast to fire but a standard magnetic ballast probably found in the grow lights will fire many bulbs. Make sure the grow light isn't mercury vapor becuase I think thats a different kind of ballast. Grow bulbs are normaly very low Kelvin. The lowest kelvin bulb used in reefs are 6500 and range all the way up to 20,000k. The lower k bulbs look yellow and then when you get to 10,000 it turns white and when you approach 20,000 they look bluish.

 

[tizzo]

I don't understand much about all the lights but maybe I can give someone foundation to at least contradict me...
I think "grow lights" emit the same light waves that are responsible for photosynthesis on your lawn (red and yellow waves). And aquarium lights emit more blues and indigo waves which support deeper coral reefs.
Water will quickly absorb red and yellow waves, and not to mention algae loves it, and it may not penetrate deep enough for the corals in your tank. While the blue light is used by corals for photosynthesis.

 

[reefer44]

its not the light fixture itself that emits the wave lengths it is the bulb as zanemosely said....if you can use aquarium bulbs in the grow lights then i guess it should be fine....

 

[misty927]

Well, the reason that I asked is that the fixtures for the grow lights seem so much cheaper than those specifically advertised as "aquarium lights." I would, however, be buying the "aquarium" bulbs separately. I just wanted to know if a "grow light" ballast/fixtures would power an aquarium bulb accurately....