MH lighting for a 100 gallon

[simm]

Iam in the process of setting up another 100 gallon for a friend. He wants MH but does not want to spend over 700 bucks like I did for a complete hood. So we are going to go retro fit. Can anyone tell me the best combo MH/actinics to get that is not as expensive as a complet hood? Like what MH and actinic wattage that will make the tank look cool and not to yellow or purple?

 

[slothy]

i just bought a pfo 250 watt ballast/iwaski 6500k bulb/reflector for about 210 shipped from http://oceanencounter.com
400 watts would have been only a few bucks more
and then VHO's from hellolights.com for another 150 (2 atinic bulbs too)

 

[simm]

Cool thanks!!

 

[tableforglasses]

check out
www.aquaticlight.com
they are really cheap to on the retrofit kits, cheapest I have found anyways
Sean

 

[simm]

Thanks. Nice web site. I just wonder how good 12,000k bulbs would work. To yellow? To Blue? To purple? Iv got 10,000k.

 

[slothy]

simm i just got a 6500 (250watt) and with 2 actinic bulbs my tank is white looking.. but yellow to the eye with them off... 12k would have a slight blue tint to it

 

[simm]

Cool Thanks. I may get the 250 watters.

 

[guppie]

I just installed the retro from aquticlight I have the 5500k with 110w actinic pc and a 96w actinic 10k combo pc and it looks great, not too yellow just right, I got the 5500k because I heard some things about the 12000k that I didn't like, plain to change to the 10000k later when the bulb needs to be changed out. But for know very happy.

 

[simm]

Yea Im leaning more towards the 10,000k myself.