metal halide ?
- Thread starter jsgreer1
- Start date
1journeyman
Active Member
I'm faaaaar from a light expert..
Metal Halides, or MH's, are very bright burning bulbs. They use specific ballasts.
The "new" form of the MH is the double sided or "HQI" bulb. These bulbs are a lot smaller.
Anyway... once you have seen how bright these burn you will understand. Literally they are like capturing the sun and placing it over your aquarium.
Metal Halides, or MH's, are very bright burning bulbs. They use specific ballasts.
The "new" form of the MH is the double sided or "HQI" bulb. These bulbs are a lot smaller.
Anyway... once you have seen how bright these burn you will understand. Literally they are like capturing the sun and placing it over your aquarium.
fraggle_a
Member
These are basicaly the next step up from Halogen lights.
They burn a lot brighter and put out a braoder specrum of light.
The draw back is, they need a very powerful 'starter' to get them going. Once they are lit, they cont draw as much current. Same as a Fluresent. But, your Flurecents starter is around $10, the "Balast" for a MH is between $100 and $400 depending on the flavour.
They are used in labs and research places to grow plants, botany primerily because they produce a strong, wide spectrum light that gives phtosynthasis the kick it needs to happen more efficiently.
The problem is, the gas and metals involved in their contruction are a little less abundant than those used in ither light, and consiquently make the bulbs a darn sight more exspensive.
They burn a lot brighter and put out a braoder specrum of light.
The draw back is, they need a very powerful 'starter' to get them going. Once they are lit, they cont draw as much current. Same as a Fluresent. But, your Flurecents starter is around $10, the "Balast" for a MH is between $100 and $400 depending on the flavour.
They are used in labs and research places to grow plants, botany primerily because they produce a strong, wide spectrum light that gives phtosynthasis the kick it needs to happen more efficiently.
The problem is, the gas and metals involved in their contruction are a little less abundant than those used in ither light, and consiquently make the bulbs a darn sight more exspensive.