A new CHEAP lighting solution? As powerful as Halides?

rino0987 · 05/17/2009, 07:58 PM

I am overwhelmed by the price of metal halides... I was out side in my shop yesterday and saw a lamp that was sitting in the corner. A 400 watt halogen? would it work because they cost like 10 bucks for a 400 watt one!!!

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...P-L&lpage=none

unhpian · 05/18/2009, 07:14 AM

This isn't a good idea for two reasons:
1) 400 watts of MH light and 400 watts of Halogen light are not the same. Metal halide bulbs are much more efficient than halogen - and produce more light for a given electricity consumption - so your 400 watt halogen light may only be equivalent to a 250 watt metal halide.
2) The spectrum will not be correct. If i remember correctly, halogen produces light mostly in the red/yellow spectrum - and is not what you want for a reef aquarium.

GSMguy · 05/18/2009, 07:54 AM

MH is the cheap option... When you get away from MH stuff really gets expensive.

kretzkiller · 05/18/2009, 10:12 AM

those halogen bulbs do not contain the spectrum(s) corals need.

rino0987 · 05/18/2009, 04:48 PM

about the expensive comment... It was only 12 bucks! if you could fined a better bulb for it do you think it would work?

1blackchicken · 05/18/2009, 04:51 PM

What you can do it to wire a metal halide ballast to it and put a metal halide bulb in the fixture and I believe that that will work but with the fixture by itself with a halogen bulb it will not work.

rino0987 · 05/18/2009, 04:56 PM

hmm... It is just so cheap!!! i bet it would work for a planted aquarium

xinumaster · 05/18/2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 1blackchicken
What you can do it to wire a metal halide ballast to it and put a metal halide bulb in the fixture and I believe that that will work but with the fixture by itself with a halogen bulb it will not work.

MH bulbs is to big to fit inside the halogen fixture. MH socket alone is not gonna fit.

THE ROOK · 05/18/2009, 05:15 PM

This comes up every week or so. Posts always sound like they found the "Holy Grail". LOL. Heck, most of us would love to be able to light our tanks for $12.00 instead of $500-$1000.

05/17/2009, 07:58 PM	#1
rino0987 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 87	A new CHEAP lighting solution? As powerful as Halides? I am overwhelmed by the price of metal halides... I was out side in my shop yesterday and saw a lamp that was sitting in the corner. A 400 watt halogen? would it work because they cost like 10 bucks for a 400 watt one!!! http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...P-L&lpage=none

05/18/2009, 07:54 AM	#3
GSMguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northern New Mexico Posts: 17,420	MH is the cheap option... When you get away from MH stuff really gets expensive. __________________ Nick. Conehead. Shallow Reef club. Current Tank Info: 48"x27"x14" Envision Acrylic rimless, 6x39w ATi Sunpower, Custom ATB Deluxe Skimmer, 4x tunze nano stream,ATB flowstar 1500, ACJR, Tunze osmolator.

05/18/2009, 07:14 AM	#2
unhpian Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 85	This isn't a good idea for two reasons: 1) 400 watts of MH light and 400 watts of Halogen light are not the same. Metal halide bulbs are much more efficient than halogen - and produce more light for a given electricity consumption - so your 400 watt halogen light may only be equivalent to a 250 watt metal halide. 2) The spectrum will not be correct. If i remember correctly, halogen produces light mostly in the red/yellow spectrum - and is not what you want for a reef aquarium.

05/18/2009, 10:12 AM	#4
kretzkiller Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: KC Posts: 599	those halogen bulbs do not contain the spectrum(s) corals need.

05/18/2009, 04:48 PM	#5
rino0987 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 87	about the expensive comment... It was only 12 bucks! if you could fined a better bulb for it do you think it would work?

05/18/2009, 04:51 PM	#6
1blackchicken Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Marina, Ca. Posts: 232	What you can do it to wire a metal halide ballast to it and put a metal halide bulb in the fixture and I believe that that will work but with the fixture by itself with a halogen bulb it will not work.

05/18/2009, 04:56 PM	#7
rino0987 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 87	hmm... It is just so cheap!!! i bet it would work for a planted aquarium

05/18/2009, 05:15 PM	#9
THE ROOK Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Springfield, MA Posts: 2,100	This comes up every week or so. Posts always sound like they found the "Holy Grail". LOL. Heck, most of us would love to be able to light our tanks for $12.00 instead of $500-$1000.