MH vs HQI

[stonepilot]

tank will be 18 inches deep, but my real question is which do you feel is better and why. thanks for all help

 

[sharkbait9]

from what i can find out and have been told they are the same. One is a "socket type connection" and one is dble ended connection.
hth

 

[teen]

yea, im pretty sure there the same. there both metal halide lighting. MH bulbs are just the screw in type that you would put in a regular household lamp, and hqi are double ended, meaning that they ar connected on both sides of the bulb.
the first pic is a regular MH bulb, the second is a HQI

 

[drew2005]

Originally Posted by teen
yea, im pretty sure there the same. there both metal halide lighting. MH bulbs are just the screw in type that you would put in a regular household lamp, and hqi are double ended, meaning that they ar connected on both sides of the bulb.
the first pic is a regular MH bulb, the second is a HQI
A HQI bulb will penetrate deeper than a single ended. I believe they are also more energy efficient.

 

[teen]

Originally Posted by drew2005
A HQI bulb will penetrate deeper than a single ended. I believe they are also more energy efficient.

^^ good to know
id rather go with the hqi, but im finding the single ended ones for cheaper.

 

[moneyman]

HQI needs a external UV shield. Mongul bulbs already have the UV shield built into the bulb.

 

[jakebtc]

thats the trade off other then the size difference
se bulbs have the built in uv shield on de you have to have a uv glass panel between the lamp and anything it's lighting

 

[supalupa]

HQI's run cooler so I'm told.

 

[stonepilot]

so lets take the coralife unit with two HQI and actints so where is the shielding in this unit

 

[shameless]

HQI must have a glass sheild to filter out uv mogul can b run wide open

 

[viper_930]

Double ended halides put out more photosynthetic available radiation (PAR) than single ended bulbs watt for watt.

 

[thomas712]

If going for par then the HQI is a great way to go.
Personally I use the single mogol socket but I use a PFO HQI ballast which drives the single bulbs at a higher par. I first used the Ushio bulb and was getting 617 PAR, then switched to the XM bulb and get about 835 PAR. Based on 250 watt MH bulbs.
The lighting 101 thread should have some great info in it about 250 watt bulbs and the ballasts.
Thomas