mh lighting

[rayraypico]

i am in the process of purchasing lighting for my tank and because i am a newbie with this i don't know any tricks of the trade. in my search for lighting i found that lighting for a reef tank can be pretty expensive. i looked at lighting ranging from $350 up to $750. i don't mind spending the money on the actual bulbs because that is what giving you the light that you desire but for the fixtures they are charging outrageous amount of money. i know there is a home depot or a lowes solution to this but i would like to here that from sombody that has tried it and it has also worked for them. why spend $300 on fixtures alone when you can get outdoor fixtures that are the same (without a saltwater company's name slapped on it) for about $50. i know the answer is out their help!!!!!!!

 

[lonestar]

I went to a local lighting store and bought the ballast, capacitor, mogel socket, and coard for a 250 watt mh for 51 bucks. I dont think thats too bad. I dont have the reflector yet, but I think I am going to use a mirror since I will be running 5 of these. You should try a local lighting company before purchasing an outdoor lighting system from home depot. I dont think the price will be that much difference.
Jeremy