metal halide question

[fishieness]

i have a 40 gallon reef with 192 watts of PC. I have been looking to get some better lighting (as most people do) but i was not looking to spend themoney on the orbit or the aqualight units although they are extreamly sweet. I was looking for maybe a pendant to go over my tank and then i can use my PCs as actinics. But i was wondering, do i need a metal halid bulb that is designed for an aquarium? Will any metal halid unit do?
i am looking for a 70 watt-150 watt unit. I have found one, but it does not say that it is made for an aquarium.
thanks

 

[bang guy]

There are a couple potential problems to keep in mind.
1 - Bulb color. If you don't like yellow or green light then you need to pay attention to the bulb color (Kelvin Color).
2 - Humidity. Not all MH fixtures can handle a high humidity environment like over a saltwater aquarium.
Other than that I think it's fine.

 

[fishieness]

thanks bang. the bulbs are 12000K so that should be fine, not all sure about the humidity..... maybe i will check into that..... If it gets too humid, will the bulb burst? i remember a few years ago i spashed some water onto a hot 60 watt, normal bulb, and it exploded..... quite fun actualy. haha

 

[bang guy]

12,000K looks good to most people. It's personal preference. It shouldn't be Yellow at all.
If it's an outdoor fixture then it should be able to handle humidity. I was more concerned with it shorting out than bursting.

 

[am3gross05]

bursting out over your tank i dont think would be fun..... i personally like the 14 k bulbs. not to white and not to blue.....
am3gross05