the expensive part of MH is the ballasts. if you are looking at normal 250 watt you can get cheaper bulbs from SA and buy ballast for about 60 to 80 bucks each. you will then have to build a box and such so add another 20 to 40 on top for wires sockets ect...

if you look at J&L a dual 250 watt PFO ballast is only 219.00. your not going to save to much doing it your self.. maybe 40 bucks and the home made one won't look as nice. if you want to go HQI then the price goes up to 309.00. I can tell you unless you are a lighting business you can't buy the ballasts for under 140 ea so for the average person this is a good deal from J&L.


Steve

[/quote]

I think 2x a year would be excessive but once a year would be a good schedual. don't forget Bob is measuring one set of bulbs so the average could be a bit better.

Steve[/quote]

Thanks, maybe I will go with the PC and change them slightly earlier than the year mark in that case.

Thx guys :)

I used a workhorse 2 ballast on a 32 watt smartlight and it still faded quite fast.I recently purchased a 250 watt magnetic ballast from albright for around $59.00.It was probe start but if fired the SA bulb no problem.

It would also depend on the light demands of your critters, and also if you are running more than one bulb. On a two lamp system, I am sure you could squeeze out a year by changing one bulb at a time. I put my bulb back in, and changed the actinic to one that was only slightly used. I also removed the glass cover to maximise the amount of light the tank receives. I will now try for a one year change out target. :rolleyes:

I don't plan on having any high lighting required corals, just shrooms, leathers, zoos, gsp's & xenias. My tank is 12h x 24L x 12.5w (15gal), with a 1" sandbed, the lights won't be that far from the corals.

There is a very nice DIY canopy at nano-reef but I'm not sure if I want to make one (because that would lead to the problem of how to get in there to clean/feed) or just buy the mounting legs and leave the top open. Any suggestions on this?

I'm only planning on 1x65w and the only fish I'd like to put in there is a GSM :)

I like Beverly's setup with the A/C, heater in and foam. The only thing I'm contemplating is whether to get a mini or a 300 and make it into a small refuge>?

I'll see if I can control things with just waterchanges and if I have a problem I'll get that Coralife mini-skimmer for it, we'll see how things turn out but I'm pretty sure the waterchanges should do me fine.

You should be fine. I use the 2X65W Coralife Aqualight on a 15. I just use the 10000K bulb, and I use the legs, and a sliding glass cover.

You could get serious and use a AC 500. There are a number of people who have posted recently that do that very thing.

That sounds just fine.

Thanks to everyone for all the input :)