MH light question

[icebreaker]

I am an electrician and would like to know I am putting in a 175w MH into my canopy and would like to know if there is a difference between the fixture I got from the job I am on; to the ones bought from any of the aquarium dealers online, other than the price?

 

[scsinet]

The ones in standard lighting fixtures are probe start ballasts. If you want to fire a DE or HQI lamp you need a pulse start ballast.
It's usually no biggie, you just have to make sure you get lamps with starters built in such as Hamilton or XM. Lamps like Ushio do not have built in starters and will not start reliably with a probe ballast.

 

[icebreaker]

Thank you, I have it up and running. I did not know if they had a different light spectrum or if they had special UV protecting film.