Lighting AGain please..

[rlv695]

well i have been planing and waiting on my set up of a 75 gal tank.. with the understanding i want to have a semi-fish and semi-reef tank... the lighting need to bee from what ive read 3-4 watts per gallon...
My question is.. Halogen? why not use these as the white lights. im going to build my own top and going to also put in actinc light (flo) halogen are from where ive seen in lowes and home depot ,,, 300 watts for 40.00...what do yall think? can it work? or just can the idea....
tia
Randy V.

 

[mr . salty]

I'm thinking the spectrum must be wrong.Or else evryone would be using it. Those bulbs are very hot,and sensitive. I'd hate to see one blow and rain glass into your tank when a drop of water touches it. STEVE

 

[rlv695]

well i hope someone can give us a clue if the spectrum is ok.. as far as the bulp getting water on it.... it wont,, i will have a protective glass over the bulp so as this wont happen,,,and if the heat is in question... i cant see that ,, due to MH lights....they are also high in heat..
THanks Mr Salty...i well look into it futher on the net to see i can get some answers also...
TIA
Randy

 

[jtoliver]

Go for it then let us know how it works. I've actually heard of people using mercury vapor lights over their fish tank. Although I do know from my job experience that a MH light of the same wattage as a halogen is MUCH brighter.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
John

 

[reptilicus]

You cannot use halogen lights because:
1) They give off far too much heat, more than MH.
2) THey give off the wrong spectrum of light, all they will be able to grow is algae, and you would get a horrible algae bloom in your tank.
3) THey're nowhere near bright enough, a halogen lamp will give off a similar amount of light to an incandescent bulb, which is often in the order of 10-20 times less than a MH of the same wattage. I do have some figures somewhere. So basically there are absolutely no benefits at all to using halogen lamps in a reef, but a myriad of negatives.
Regards,
Tom