metal halide lights

[michaelwb]

if i were to go buy metal halide lights for my tank from home depot would they be the same as from the pet store? or is there anything i should look for?

 

[guitar]

No you cant use those. Im not the best person to tell you why but Ive heard multiple times you cant. Your best bet is to buy them from someone getting out of the hobby.

 

[mr_x]

yes, you can use those if you purchase different bulbs. the problem is, they are basically the same price and look quite ugly. plus they are built to hang in different applications and will be hard to retro to a tank.
it can be done, but it's not worth it.

 

[michaelwb]

The problem i am running into is not enough light for my bta i'm currently at about 30 watts and i can not find a t5 light fixture with two slots and enough wattage at a hardware store, i don't have the money to order a coralife fixture for 150 dollars. is there any cheaper alternative to doing this, is t5 an absolute must?

 

[mr_x]

you are not going to get away with a decent upgrade for less than 150. a decent metal halide bulb alone is 50-75 dollars. a ballast and fixture, even at home depot will cost you at least 100.
i'd return the anemone until you can afford to keep it.

 

[michaelwb]

how much light do you recommend the tank is 20 gallons would 65 watts of t5 be enough?

 

[mr_x]

i don't know the answer to that. if you want a guess, i'd say no.
what i would have over a standard 20 to keep anything i wanted, would be a 150 watt halide.

 

[yearofthenick]

---- has great deals on T5 Retrofit kits which should be enough for your BTA. I would do a search for a "T5 Retrofit" on ----. I almost bought a 2x48" kit to add actinics to my 120.... it was like $70.
Most of the time, ---- has the best deals. paid $193 out the door for 2 sets of 250w ARO HQI Retrofit kits. ARO isn't the best brand, but still reliable. It's also good because the ballasts are universal so they'll work with any MH I purchase.

 

[yearofthenick]

Sorry, guess I can't say e-b-a-y

 

[wangotango]

Originally Posted by michaelwb
http:///forum/post/2743871
how much light do you recommend the tank is 20 gallons would 65 watts of t5 be enough?
If you're using T5ho, then you're going to want at least four individually reflected bulbs. A retrofit might be the cheapest way to go if you have a canopy. A good retro is probably easily comparable to a 150w halide setup in terms of PAR.
-Justin