Just bought a metal halide from a guy... Little help understanding lighting and such pls!
- Thread starter kilofey
- Start date
tangs rule
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/20#post_3400591
I do not have a canopy... I dont know much about mh lights... But I dont think mine HAS to go in a canopy... Possibly u were looking at flower's retrofit that she was going to sell me? Mine has just the ballast, chords and thing u screw the bulb into, no reflector
Edit: I think im just going to use my fish tank fund $ & buy a different setup. I think flowers would be too much in shipping plus to buy it and fix it, I think im just going to get something that is ready to use.
I was pokeing around on craigslist... What about these 2? (which is better) keep in mind, I have a 75 gal tank & I can suspend it from the ceiling....
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/for/2511005853.html this one is a 400w pfo ballast for $50 &reflector for $50
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/for/2511005853.html this one is $230, and is much much newer, but also more watts
Im thinking the newer mpre expensive one, but I figured id ask which is better cause I dont understand light "language" lol
Both links are the same
- either way a 400w ballast is WAY too hot for a 75g tank - and dual 250 watt HQI is on the very bright side - yes - some run 500w hqi over their 75g tanks - but it;s very intense.......I ran dual 250 over a 100g and it was plenty. the second unit is 500w hqi + 130 in T5......still too much i think for a 75g tank....not only is it too bright, but it WILL cause tank temps to rise a couple degrees UNLESS you have a chiller or keep the house at 70 deg all the time.
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/20#post_3400591
I do not have a canopy... I dont know much about mh lights... But I dont think mine HAS to go in a canopy... Possibly u were looking at flower's retrofit that she was going to sell me? Mine has just the ballast, chords and thing u screw the bulb into, no reflector
Edit: I think im just going to use my fish tank fund $ & buy a different setup. I think flowers would be too much in shipping plus to buy it and fix it, I think im just going to get something that is ready to use.
I was pokeing around on craigslist... What about these 2? (which is better) keep in mind, I have a 75 gal tank & I can suspend it from the ceiling....
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/for/2511005853.html this one is a 400w pfo ballast for $50 &reflector for $50
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/for/2511005853.html this one is $230, and is much much newer, but also more watts
Im thinking the newer mpre expensive one, but I figured id ask which is better cause I dont understand light "language" lol
Both links are the same
- either way a 400w ballast is WAY too hot for a 75g tank - and dual 250 watt HQI is on the very bright side - yes - some run 500w hqi over their 75g tanks - but it;s very intense.......I ran dual 250 over a 100g and it was plenty. the second unit is 500w hqi + 130 in T5......still too much i think for a 75g tank....not only is it too bright, but it WILL cause tank temps to rise a couple degrees UNLESS you have a chiller or keep the house at 70 deg all the time.
kilofey
Member
I can never win lol. So would one 175w mh plus two 54w t5 bulbs (one white, the other actanic) be adequate for the whole 75 gal tank? Im not looking to do super elaborate corals or anything, just some softies and some easy lps like a frogspawn or something
So far ive been doing pretty well with this tank, no deaths or anything yet... But im beginning to get a tad overwhelmed with this whole lighting issue :sad:
So far ive been doing pretty well with this tank, no deaths or anything yet... But im beginning to get a tad overwhelmed with this whole lighting issue :sad:
acrylic51
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by tangs rule http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls#post_3399900
The power box thing is the ballast. It is either magnetic or electronic style, and should have a plug (input) that plugs into a wallsocket for 115v AC input. If it didn't come with an input "wall type" plug, you'll have to wire one in - properly....The ballast should also have an output wire that goes to the screw type socket, and this cord should be 6-8' long, and provides the bulb (socket) with around 285volt ac power from the ballast. usually the socket fits inside a fixture OR refelctor unit and has some sort of glass pane protecting the bulb from water-splash and accidental contact. This glass needs to be 1/8" thick, and the size of your fixture. Also this glass needs to be tempered - so go to a local glass shop and order it by the dimensions you need and thickness (.125")
It's gonna to be easiest to find a used mogul (screw type) fixture to use - as I have about 5 of this style, all found on ebay over the years. Usually they have a powercord attached to them, and you'd just have to find a way to connect it to your ballast. Also - some ballasts have "connectors" mounted on them for the output AND input - so I'd need some pictures of what u got - espically any plugs on it. Then I can give more info.
OR - buy flowers unit - sounds like that might be easier
That statement isn't true....There is no need for a glass shield on SE MH bulbs....They are shield by the bulb glass itself unlike the DE MH bulbs.....The glass also hinders light penetration, and needs to be keep clean. With the glass dirty your output is decreased. Most manufacturers recommend that their systems be mounted at least 12" from water surface to prevent accidental splashes and such.
I would almost take a good guess being an old Hamilton guy that Flowers is the Magnetic ballast......Even if it were electronic it would still fire the same bulbs as the magnetic ballast. Electronic might fire a broader range of bulbs over the magnetic, but you'll also note that different bulbs efficiency and output are different depending on the ballast they are driven with. The old IceCap you could send this ballast back and have tuned for a specific bulb if you desired....
Originally Posted by tangs rule http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls#post_3399900
The power box thing is the ballast. It is either magnetic or electronic style, and should have a plug (input) that plugs into a wallsocket for 115v AC input. If it didn't come with an input "wall type" plug, you'll have to wire one in - properly....The ballast should also have an output wire that goes to the screw type socket, and this cord should be 6-8' long, and provides the bulb (socket) with around 285volt ac power from the ballast. usually the socket fits inside a fixture OR refelctor unit and has some sort of glass pane protecting the bulb from water-splash and accidental contact. This glass needs to be 1/8" thick, and the size of your fixture. Also this glass needs to be tempered - so go to a local glass shop and order it by the dimensions you need and thickness (.125")
It's gonna to be easiest to find a used mogul (screw type) fixture to use - as I have about 5 of this style, all found on ebay over the years. Usually they have a powercord attached to them, and you'd just have to find a way to connect it to your ballast. Also - some ballasts have "connectors" mounted on them for the output AND input - so I'd need some pictures of what u got - espically any plugs on it. Then I can give more info.
OR - buy flowers unit - sounds like that might be easier
That statement isn't true....There is no need for a glass shield on SE MH bulbs....They are shield by the bulb glass itself unlike the DE MH bulbs.....The glass also hinders light penetration, and needs to be keep clean. With the glass dirty your output is decreased. Most manufacturers recommend that their systems be mounted at least 12" from water surface to prevent accidental splashes and such.
I would almost take a good guess being an old Hamilton guy that Flowers is the Magnetic ballast......Even if it were electronic it would still fire the same bulbs as the magnetic ballast. Electronic might fire a broader range of bulbs over the magnetic, but you'll also note that different bulbs efficiency and output are different depending on the ballast they are driven with. The old IceCap you could send this ballast back and have tuned for a specific bulb if you desired....
tangs rule
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400633
I can never win lol. So would one 175w mh plus two 54w t5 bulbs (one white, the other actanic) be adequate for the whole 75 gal tank? Im not looking to do super elaborate corals or anything, just some softies and some easy lps like a frogspawn or something
So far ive been doing pretty well with this tank, no deaths or anything yet... But im beginning to get a tad overwhelmed with this whole lighting issue
If you've no plans for sps and high light corals then just keep searching the used markets for a PC, T5 or High output flourscent unit with fans in the ~300 watt range... It may take a couple months but they come up for sale alot. Even the dual 175w Metal Halide units come up on ebay or CL kinda often - many times WITH pendants -
I've bought a dual pfo ballast (400w) with pendants, AND 2 sets of bulbs (1used 1 new) for under $140 shipped on ebay - so be patient and let the market come to you.
People get out of this hobby FASTER than they got into it, and it costs them serious $$
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400633
I can never win lol. So would one 175w mh plus two 54w t5 bulbs (one white, the other actanic) be adequate for the whole 75 gal tank? Im not looking to do super elaborate corals or anything, just some softies and some easy lps like a frogspawn or something
So far ive been doing pretty well with this tank, no deaths or anything yet... But im beginning to get a tad overwhelmed with this whole lighting issue
If you've no plans for sps and high light corals then just keep searching the used markets for a PC, T5 or High output flourscent unit with fans in the ~300 watt range... It may take a couple months but they come up for sale alot. Even the dual 175w Metal Halide units come up on ebay or CL kinda often - many times WITH pendants -
I've bought a dual pfo ballast (400w) with pendants, AND 2 sets of bulbs (1used 1 new) for under $140 shipped on ebay - so be patient and let the market come to you.
People get out of this hobby FASTER than they got into it, and it costs them serious $$
acrylic51
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400633
I can never win lol. So would one 175w mh plus two 54w t5 bulbs (one white, the other actanic) be adequate for the whole 75 gal tank? Im not looking to do super elaborate corals or anything, just some softies and some easy lps like a frogspawn or something
So far ive been doing pretty well with this tank, no deaths or anything yet... But im beginning to get a tad overwhelmed with this whole lighting issue
Your not out of luck!!!! A common misconception in the hobby is all of us try to illuminate the "whole" tank, and in all actuality we are wasting light.....What is your "aquascaping" like? You could try to "highlight you main focal area of the tank. Lets say it's the center of the tank and towards the ends of the tank aren't actually inhabited.....Why do you need super bright lighting there? I'm not say pitch black, but it could be worked out with placement of the fixture....
Your average reflectors at best 1'x1' or 2'x2' area stretching it......Why not take a peak at the Lumenarc III reflectors or LumenBright reflectors.....These reflects can easily and do light and area roughly 3'x3'. Again not covering the whole tank, but an option to use with what you have.
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400633
I can never win lol. So would one 175w mh plus two 54w t5 bulbs (one white, the other actanic) be adequate for the whole 75 gal tank? Im not looking to do super elaborate corals or anything, just some softies and some easy lps like a frogspawn or something
So far ive been doing pretty well with this tank, no deaths or anything yet... But im beginning to get a tad overwhelmed with this whole lighting issue
Your not out of luck!!!! A common misconception in the hobby is all of us try to illuminate the "whole" tank, and in all actuality we are wasting light.....What is your "aquascaping" like? You could try to "highlight you main focal area of the tank. Lets say it's the center of the tank and towards the ends of the tank aren't actually inhabited.....Why do you need super bright lighting there? I'm not say pitch black, but it could be worked out with placement of the fixture....
Your average reflectors at best 1'x1' or 2'x2' area stretching it......Why not take a peak at the Lumenarc III reflectors or LumenBright reflectors.....These reflects can easily and do light and area roughly 3'x3'. Again not covering the whole tank, but an option to use with what you have.
tangs rule
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400648
That statement isn't true....There is no need for a glass shield on SE MH bulbs....They are shield by the bulb glass itself unlike the DE MH bulbs.....The glass also hinders light penetration, and needs to be keep clean. With the glass dirty your output is decreased. Most manufacturers recommend that their systems be mounted at least 12" from water surface to prevent accidental splashes and such.
I would almost take a good guess being an old Hamilton guy that Flowers is the Magnetic ballast......Even if it were electronic it would still fire the same bulbs as the magnetic ballast. Electronic might fire a broader range of bulbs over the magnetic, but you'll also note that different bulbs efficiency and output are different depending on the ballast they are driven with. The old IceCap you could send this ballast back and have tuned for a specific bulb if you desired....
I am fully aware that UV radiation is NOT an issue with single ended bulbs like it is with double ended ones! - my concern for the OP and the way I run my tanks is splash guard protection....I learned the hard way years ago when a splash POPPED a bulb over my 90g tank - with the fixture about 14" above the water.......I would NOT reccomend running any MH type bulb directly over water, unless it's very high up.
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400648
That statement isn't true....There is no need for a glass shield on SE MH bulbs....They are shield by the bulb glass itself unlike the DE MH bulbs.....The glass also hinders light penetration, and needs to be keep clean. With the glass dirty your output is decreased. Most manufacturers recommend that their systems be mounted at least 12" from water surface to prevent accidental splashes and such.
I would almost take a good guess being an old Hamilton guy that Flowers is the Magnetic ballast......Even if it were electronic it would still fire the same bulbs as the magnetic ballast. Electronic might fire a broader range of bulbs over the magnetic, but you'll also note that different bulbs efficiency and output are different depending on the ballast they are driven with. The old IceCap you could send this ballast back and have tuned for a specific bulb if you desired....
I am fully aware that UV radiation is NOT an issue with single ended bulbs like it is with double ended ones! - my concern for the OP and the way I run my tanks is splash guard protection....I learned the hard way years ago when a splash POPPED a bulb over my 90g tank - with the fixture about 14" above the water.......I would NOT reccomend running any MH type bulb directly over water, unless it's very high up.
tangs rule
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400655
When you recommend you should tell all the requirements that go along with the up keep and maintenance when using glass. Must have been a big splash!!!!!
In order to NOT totally confuse and bury the OP with data - yes I omitted some - but I fear I've already confused the OP to the point of total confusion...(i didn't wanna get into UV dangers with DE bulbs) was jsut tryin to help
The "splash" was actually my left arm......bout 8 years ago I was re-scaping my 90 wavefront, and was running dual horizontal mounted 250w SE bulbs over it - in twin fixtures (pendants) I lost grip of a heavy LR chunk in my left hand and this caused my left arm to jump up some (more than I had planned)...Since I'd been into the tank almost to sholder my arms were covered in water drops & wet - AND like a genius, I was doing this work with the lights ON.....My arm - just below the elbow - touched the glass of the horizontally mounted, running, MH bulb - INSTANTLY the water caused a 3rd degree burn AND the glass bulb exploded.......The scar is 1" by 3" long and still visible today - though hair still wont grow there.
I still run my SE bulbs with a glass cover - and wouldn't run them without......Now a vertically placed SE bulb in a conical fixture only exposes the bulb tip - so I might run one bare that way - if I had any....
just my $.01
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400655
When you recommend you should tell all the requirements that go along with the up keep and maintenance when using glass. Must have been a big splash!!!!!
In order to NOT totally confuse and bury the OP with data - yes I omitted some - but I fear I've already confused the OP to the point of total confusion...(i didn't wanna get into UV dangers with DE bulbs) was jsut tryin to help
The "splash" was actually my left arm......bout 8 years ago I was re-scaping my 90 wavefront, and was running dual horizontal mounted 250w SE bulbs over it - in twin fixtures (pendants) I lost grip of a heavy LR chunk in my left hand and this caused my left arm to jump up some (more than I had planned)...Since I'd been into the tank almost to sholder my arms were covered in water drops & wet - AND like a genius, I was doing this work with the lights ON.....My arm - just below the elbow - touched the glass of the horizontally mounted, running, MH bulb - INSTANTLY the water caused a 3rd degree burn AND the glass bulb exploded.......The scar is 1" by 3" long and still visible today - though hair still wont grow there.
I still run my SE bulbs with a glass cover - and wouldn't run them without......Now a vertically placed SE bulb in a conical fixture only exposes the bulb tip - so I might run one bare that way - if I had any....
just my $.01
kilofey
Member
Thanks tangs. I guess ill keep what I have for now & take my tome & look around for more/better lighting. My kenya trees, mushrooms, & gsp might not thrive, but I guess theyll survive until I get some more... Well gsp might not even survive... My urchin stole it last night & I have no clue where it put the frag :-/ I hope my water doesnt go crazy if or when it dies cause its behind the rocks with no light:flame:
tangs rule
Active Member
Just keep searching the used market kilofey - all my ballasts & fixtures, 2 big protien skimmers, the 475g tank, Ozoner, CA reactor, and digital PH tester all were bought used on the bay or CL...stuff comes & goes all the time, and like I said before - sometimes CHEEP versus new cost.
kilofey
Member
Just keep searching the used market kilofey - all my ballasts & fixtures, 2 big protien skimmers, the 475g tank, Ozoner, CA reactor, and digital PH tester all were bought used on the bay or CL...stuff comes & goes all the time, and like I said before - sometimes CHEEP versus new cost.
I couldnt afford this hobby if I had to buy everything new lol. Im a craigslist junkie, so im sure my lighting will be used
I got my tank and sump for $110 and 75 lbs each of lr & ls for $150, which came with 2 brittle stars and 2 urchins
kilofey
Member
Your not out of luck!!!! A common misconception in the hobby is all of us try to illuminate the "whole" tank, and in all actuality we are wasting light.....What is your "aquascaping" like? You could try to "highlight you main focal area of the tank. Lets say it's the center of the tank and towards the ends of the tank aren't actually inhabited.....Why do you need super bright lighting there? I'm not say pitch black, but it could be worked out with placement of the fixture....
Your average reflectors at best 1'x1' or 2'x2' area stretching it......Why not take a peak at the Lumenarc III reflectors or LumenBright reflectors.....These reflects can easily and do light and area roughly 3'x3'. Again not covering the whole tank, but an option to use with what you have.
My aquascaping is kinda goofy as im not very.talented in that area... Its your typical wall of rocks on the back :-/ im not super happy with it, but im not very creative lol the hubby loves it that way and so do my parents & friends... So I guess the goofy looking rock climbing wall stays... For now :evil:
As far as corals, they are scattered with no rhyme or reason... Typical noob tank I guess lol
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400652
Your not out of luck!!!! A common misconception in the hobby is all of us try to illuminate the "whole" tank, and in all actuality we are wasting light.....What is your "aquascaping" like? You could try to "highlight you main focal area of the tank. Lets say it's the center of the tank and towards the ends of the tank aren't actually inhabited.....Why do you need super bright lighting there? I'm not say pitch black, but it could be worked out with placement of the fixture....
Your average reflectors at best 1'x1' or 2'x2' area stretching it......Why not take a peak at the Lumenarc III reflectors or LumenBright reflectors.....These reflects can easily and do light and area roughly 3'x3'. Again not covering the whole tank, but an option to use with what you have.
A comment about what I colored in red....
I redid my tank....Now I have lots of rock on one end of my 90g and tapered it down to a few rocks in the sand. Only one side of my Coralife Elite MH works (yes, exactly like the retrofit) so what I did is put the light hungry coral on that side of the tank and the non-photosynthetic in the area where there is just a little light (nothing is in total dark). The tank is so large that my little frags are lost in it for now. But I have plans for some Sun coral, Chili coral and sea fans for that low side.
I have bubble coral for now but I want some nice colored SPS as soon as money is available. The point is that I agree with Acrylic51, we put too much light in our tanks. We limit ourselves on coral because all we can keep are the ones that need the super bright light. We try keeping other coral in caves and under ledges hidden away. And heat our tank up with all that light as well.
The fish are pretty happy and once coral is covering everything I think it will look pretty good. I have lots of ledges to work with. In the low area I have that snake coral that only comes out at night...it stays out all day in this tank looking pretty happy...
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400652
Your not out of luck!!!! A common misconception in the hobby is all of us try to illuminate the "whole" tank, and in all actuality we are wasting light.....What is your "aquascaping" like? You could try to "highlight you main focal area of the tank. Lets say it's the center of the tank and towards the ends of the tank aren't actually inhabited.....Why do you need super bright lighting there? I'm not say pitch black, but it could be worked out with placement of the fixture....
Your average reflectors at best 1'x1' or 2'x2' area stretching it......Why not take a peak at the Lumenarc III reflectors or LumenBright reflectors.....These reflects can easily and do light and area roughly 3'x3'. Again not covering the whole tank, but an option to use with what you have.
A comment about what I colored in red....
I redid my tank....Now I have lots of rock on one end of my 90g and tapered it down to a few rocks in the sand. Only one side of my Coralife Elite MH works (yes, exactly like the retrofit) so what I did is put the light hungry coral on that side of the tank and the non-photosynthetic in the area where there is just a little light (nothing is in total dark). The tank is so large that my little frags are lost in it for now. But I have plans for some Sun coral, Chili coral and sea fans for that low side.
I have bubble coral for now but I want some nice colored SPS as soon as money is available. The point is that I agree with Acrylic51, we put too much light in our tanks. We limit ourselves on coral because all we can keep are the ones that need the super bright light. We try keeping other coral in caves and under ledges hidden away. And heat our tank up with all that light as well.
The fish are pretty happy and once coral is covering everything I think it will look pretty good. I have lots of ledges to work with. In the low area I have that snake coral that only comes out at night...it stays out all day in this tank looking pretty happy...
kilofey
Member
I like your tank flower, much more creative than I could ever get lol... Anyone else wanna show off their aquascaping? Maybe I can show them to my hubby so he will see how silly the "wall of rocks" looks... I personally hate the way its set up, but everyone else loves it. It was only supposed to be temporary cause I basically threw them in when I first got them to see what I had, then everyone said noooo, dont change it!
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400845
I like your tank flower, much more creative than I could ever get lol... Anyone else wanna show off their aquascaping? Maybe I can show them to my hubby so he will see how silly the "wall of rocks" looks... I personally hate the way its set up, but everyone else loves it. It was only supposed to be temporary cause I basically threw them in when I first got them to see what I had, then everyone said noooo, dont change it!
I did the toss it in and leave it there for a year when I first moved. You have to put it to hubby this way...if it looks that good on accident, imagine what on purpose will look like. You might try a few shapes on a piece of paper to show him what you would like to do. you don't need details just show some open space here.... pile the rock in this corner...a cave there .....kind of picture.
What I was trying to show you however was the lighting. I always had the bright lights on both sides of the tank, and tried to have a cave for those corals that wanted some shade. with lights on one side the entire tank is lit but not so bright one that one side that represents (in my mind anyway) the deeper side. I thinks it looks lots better with less lighting and I can have a more diverse type of coral. The fish seem pretty happy too, I made sure I had lots of little caves for my dwarf angel to swim in and out...he loves the open swimming area too because it isn't brightly lit. The orchid dottyback hangs out in the dimmer area all the time, and I used to hardly ever see that fish out and about without it being feeding time.
Originally Posted by Kilofey http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400845
I like your tank flower, much more creative than I could ever get lol... Anyone else wanna show off their aquascaping? Maybe I can show them to my hubby so he will see how silly the "wall of rocks" looks... I personally hate the way its set up, but everyone else loves it. It was only supposed to be temporary cause I basically threw them in when I first got them to see what I had, then everyone said noooo, dont change it!
I did the toss it in and leave it there for a year when I first moved. You have to put it to hubby this way...if it looks that good on accident, imagine what on purpose will look like. You might try a few shapes on a piece of paper to show him what you would like to do. you don't need details just show some open space here.... pile the rock in this corner...a cave there .....kind of picture.
What I was trying to show you however was the lighting. I always had the bright lights on both sides of the tank, and tried to have a cave for those corals that wanted some shade. with lights on one side the entire tank is lit but not so bright one that one side that represents (in my mind anyway) the deeper side. I thinks it looks lots better with less lighting and I can have a more diverse type of coral. The fish seem pretty happy too, I made sure I had lots of little caves for my dwarf angel to swim in and out...he loves the open swimming area too because it isn't brightly lit. The orchid dottyback hangs out in the dimmer area all the time, and I used to hardly ever see that fish out and about without it being feeding time.
scsinet
Active Member
There are several different "conversations" going on here so I'm having trouble figuring this thread out... but I thought I could help if necessary...
Has it been determined for the OP what ANSI type his ballast is? From what I am reading he opened the ballast but the label is no longer present on the ballast core?
Has it been determined for the OP what ANSI type his ballast is? From what I am reading he opened the ballast but the label is no longer present on the ballast core?
tangs rule
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SCSInet http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400920
There are several different "conversations" going on here so I'm having trouble figuring this thread out... but I thought I could help if necessary...
Has it been determined for the OP what ANSI type his ballast is? From what I am reading he opened the ballast but the label is no longer present on the ballast core?
No - they couldn't get into it to see the label on the core. The silly handwritten PFO label on the outside is unreadable or blank as far as MH or PS style
Originally Posted by SCSInet http:///forum/thread/386842/just-bought-a-metal-halide-from-a-guy-little-help-understanding-lighting-and-such-pls/40#post_3400920
There are several different "conversations" going on here so I'm having trouble figuring this thread out... but I thought I could help if necessary...
Has it been determined for the OP what ANSI type his ballast is? From what I am reading he opened the ballast but the label is no longer present on the ballast core?
No - they couldn't get into it to see the label on the core. The silly handwritten PFO label on the outside is unreadable or blank as far as MH or PS style
scsinet
Active Member
I did some playing around in Photoshop and might have some useful information. Forgive me if I'm repeating information...
The nominal amp draw of a 175w MH system at 120v is 1.8 amps, so the 175 I traced out in the model number correlates with what the amp draw appears to be, so I would say it's a safe bet to conclude that he's got a 175w system.
PFO included a suffix in their model which is totally unreadable as you indicated to designate whether this is a probe start of pulse start system.
IMO, I'd just select a 175w, SE, probe start lamp. A pulse start ballast will ignite a probe start lamp just fine as well as a pulse start, but a probe start will not ignite a pulse start. So by using a probe start lamp, the system should work regardless of what ignition style the ballast uses. As long as you have the wattage right there should be no safety issues doing that, and although the label is not clear, if we *think* that the upper field has a 175 in it, and we *think* that the lower field has a 1.8, and these figures correlate, then I'd say that's fairly conclusive.
BTW... I'd agree with other posts that state that the socket being pulse rated is no indication of what ballast technology is in use.
The nominal amp draw of a 175w MH system at 120v is 1.8 amps, so the 175 I traced out in the model number correlates with what the amp draw appears to be, so I would say it's a safe bet to conclude that he's got a 175w system.
PFO included a suffix in their model which is totally unreadable as you indicated to designate whether this is a probe start of pulse start system.
IMO, I'd just select a 175w, SE, probe start lamp. A pulse start ballast will ignite a probe start lamp just fine as well as a pulse start, but a probe start will not ignite a pulse start. So by using a probe start lamp, the system should work regardless of what ignition style the ballast uses. As long as you have the wattage right there should be no safety issues doing that, and although the label is not clear, if we *think* that the upper field has a 175 in it, and we *think* that the lower field has a 1.8, and these figures correlate, then I'd say that's fairly conclusive.
BTW... I'd agree with other posts that state that the socket being pulse rated is no indication of what ballast technology is in use.
kilofey
Member
Scs- thank you for playing around in photoshop mh or ps was never written there in the first place, theres no indentations from the pen. What youre saying makes sense and I will try the probe start bulb. Hopefully I can get it up & running so my corals dont starve!
I appreciate you chimeing in, your black or white answer was really helpful.
Flower- if I did a focal point with my rock and lit that area the best, what would u suggest I do with my lighting? Would my 175w mh be adequate as the spot light & then use my two 4ft t-5 bulbs to light the rest? Or do I still need anoyher light regardless
mh or ps was never written there in the first place, theres no indentations from the pen. What youre saying makes sense and I will try the probe start bulb. Hopefully I can get it up & running so my corals dont starve!I appreciate you chimeing in, your black or white answer was really helpful.
Flower- if I did a focal point with my rock and lit that area the best, what would u suggest I do with my lighting? Would my 175w mh be adequate as the spot light & then use my two 4ft t-5 bulbs to light the rest? Or do I still need anoyher light regardless