MH greenhouse grow lights on reef?

[brotox]

My mother owns a greenhouse and has metal halide grow lights. The bulbs have lower color spectrum, something like 6500k. I was thinking of using these for a reef, but changing the bulbs to 10,000k or 20,000k. I was wondering if the lumens make a difference? I think they were 22,000 lumens. Would these lights with reef bulbs work to provide enough lighting for anemones, sps, or clams? Any imput is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[devaji108]

VERY GOOD QUESTION! i WOULD LIKE TO KNOW TOO.
ANY HELP HERE WOULD BE NICE.

 

[bigmac]

The ballast should be fine and you could use the 6.5K bulbs but their a little on the yellow side. I'd switch to something between 10 and 20K..
Do you know what the wattage is on the ballast...look and see if you can find any numbers like M58 if its a 250 watt ballast and M59 if its a 400 watt ballast.

 

[squidd]

Get an ID on the ballasts and that will help determine if an appropriate bulb is available...
Lumens mean nothing in reef terms, and are based on the 6500 k bulbs that came with the light.

 

[brotox]

I'll have to call her tomorrow and ask her the wattage and ballast type. Is there anything else I should have her look for? I'm sure she knows less about them than I do. She just knows they grow plants. Thanks again.