Starting a Reef

[hurt]

HQI- to put it in lamens terms/ if you have a 20k bulb a HQI balest is going to push a 20k HQI bulb harder and brighter.
After re-reading, you are not trying to say an HQI ballast will fire a SE bulb to the power of an HQI bulb are you? That's not the case if that's what you were implying. I have two 250w IceCap MH ballasts, they will fire both SE and DE HQI bulbs, but I run SE bulbs. They do not push a SE MH bulb to the power of a DE HQI bulb.

 

[hurt]

Personally, I built an industrial type 400w MH ballast, socket, reflector myself. With bulb it cost me $100. I upgraded to a better bulb (XM 400w) and total I have spent is $169 now.
KDFrosty--Is your ballast magnetic or electronic?

 

[kdfrosty]

Magnetic