Need lighting advice from my fellow reefers...
 

I'm trying to decide on whether to buy a used lighting unit. Need your advice to tell me what you think, if good deal, pro's and con's. As it would be my first MH unit, pretty silly hey. Well pick a way and convince me to go with it or not to go with it. I would love to hear all your advice. Since all I can think of is how much better my tank will look and how my pods, fish and anemone will love me if I flourish them with the closest thing to real live SUNNNNNNN!



My tank is 48"L X 16"W X 20" H (Tank is a 77 gal)

Used Lighting system is:
Hamilton 2 x 175W 10, 000k MH & 2x 40W power compact blue actinics.
Dimensions of fixture: 48inch length X 13inch width X 6inch height
it's got 1 fan on one side, and a filtering thin sponge thingy on the
other for trapping dust and what not
- one metal halide ballast (magnetic I believe) and the dimensions are:
15inch length X 7inch width X 4inch height
- one power compact ballast (also magnetic I think)
- the fixture is black aluminum with high quality electro-white reflector
and UV filtering acrilic lens
- the lights are about 7-8 months old, so you may need to replace.
Asking $400 on this fixture.

Help! Need your thoughts reefers!


:mrgreen:

Also any ideas as to if having MH was a big dent on anyones power bill? Was it a noticable difference?

:mrgreen:

Metal Halide
 

Hi there The set up sounds ok to me a little pricy for used though , I have a set up I purchased from Toronto. New Ushio 10,000k bulbs were only 85 dollars each Canadian plus shipping. The Only problem with buying a used unit is there is no warranty on the ballast and your bulbs might have to be replaced in a few months. I live in a apartment and I can definatly notice a change in my power bill. I am running a duel 175 watt set up with 55 watt pc bulbs. The power bill has gone up by 35 dollars a month, its worth it though my corals a thriving compared to when I was using power compact bulbs.
Here is the web site if you are interested. My ballast came with a 2 year warranty and it was alot cheaper than JL aquatics.

http://www.cooltouchlighting.com/index.asp

Hey Lee! Finally bringing out the big guns eh?? :lol:

You may be able to do it a little bit cheaper via DIY, but I'm not sure if
you want to go there or not....

I've also heard some good things about Cool Touch Lighting and the good thing about them is that they are based in Canada, so no silly brokerage fees if you order from them!

The lighting for $400 isn't the greatest deal as you can almost DIY it for a little more and with new bulbs:

2x175W PFO TAR ballast $189 (JL's)
2xPFO 24" reflector&socket assembly $175.90 (JL's)
2x175W ARC 20000K bulbs $80 (aquaria Canada)

TOTAL: $444.90 (excluding taxes and shipping)
This might actually be cheaper than the Cool Touch setup since bulbs need to be purchased separately and all their prices, I believe, are in USD.

So, for $50 more than the used get up, you could get a whole new system (without the florescent lights though). A bonus though, is that the PFO reflectors I listed above are suppose to be some of the best on the market. Also, with such a high Kelvin bulb, you probably wouldn't need any actinics (unless you want to do the daylight/dusk effect).

Lee have you ruled out the possibility of going with 250w?

Actually Lee,

If you want to go all the way to 400W, you can talk to Jim...he has some old 400W ballasts lying around (don't know how much he'd want for them though)...and the bulbs would be like $80 for 2....then you'd just need the reflector and a standoffs for the mogul sockets.

Just to add to the convo... if you want to save some more cash (and don't want to go farther than 175 watts), you can always go and buy yourself a couple of M57 ballasts. I got two from Bartle and Gibson for 62.70 bucks each. They don't look pretty, but they run my 175 watt ushios just fine... If you want casings for them, I would talk to Jim, the guy has a bunch of MH casings laying around his garage.

-Richer

Aw….see you guys are all great! I knew I asked the best people. Just when others in the household here just don’t under stand. :lol: Thanks for your replies guys.


Reefhawk1 – I just love your avater, it is SOOoOoo adorable! I’ve been meaning to tell yeah everytime I seen it.

So hey thanks for the site, I’m have been totally checking it out. Hey $35 dollars extra a month you noticed on your power bill? I figured $10 maybe $ 20 but I guess hey, just enough to burn our apartments down regardless hey. :lol: Curious what everyone else has experianced with there power bill?


:lol: :lol: Well after seeing you guys tanks it made me what Bigger, BRIGHTER, MORE corals! Make my lil wee guy grow! Its you guys fault. Well that’s the story I’m telling my BF anyway. :lol:

Yeah DIY units, I’m not sure about. Can’t say I would know what I’m doing. So I think that’s why I thought of going with a already assembled unit.


I was thinking for the 77 gal I would start with dual 175w and figured that was all I would really need as long as I stayed away from SPS corals though, hey. But call me silly I’m into the softies lately. It will pass I’m sure then I will kick myself in the @ss.

Hmm...... Bartle and Gibson sells ballasts? Pondering the thought of the DIY units now. Hmm.... :cool:

Richer how are those ones compared to the ones HD sells?

Re: Metal Halide
 

I know that story, mine jumped nearly $50 per month with the new reef tank. My wife was a little stressed out for the first couple of months with that. Now I pay the bill instead of her. I'm trying to cut my power consumption in other areas of the house with energy efficient lights and such.

I did the DIY thing for my lights. I'm running 2 x 250W MH on Icecap ballasts and 2 x 96W PC - 1 actinic and 1 6500k. I bought the kits from J&L, then built the hood myself from 1/2" plywood. It does help that I have a full workshop to build in, but if you can get the wood cut when you buy it, you should be able to assemble it at home. If you like, I still have the drawings for mine, and I could send you them with a cut-list as well.

With a 20" high tank, you can have SPS corals with 175w bulbs :biggrin: The actinic PCs are a bonus, imo :cool:

And don't let those DIY guys get you going on a project if you don't know anything about electrical and woodworking stuff. The idea of having a reef tank is that the whole package looks great, lighting included. I've seen pics of DIY lighting projects that look, well, crappy, even though they might work like a charm.

Hamilton light fixtures look great if they've been well cared for. We currently have two of them and have used them on past tanks. The fixture you describe sounds great, but I wouldn't buy it used unless you can knock the price down considering you'll have to replace bulbs and tubes shortly. Also, don't buy it unless you can see it to make sure it looks new and is in good working condition.

Edit: Don't worry about an increase in power consumption. This is our hobby. It's supposed to cost money :mrgreen:

If I wasn't so lazy with my "hood" you couldn't even tell my lights were DIY... but you would be asking me why there's a "computer" sitting beside the tank :mrgreen: .

teevee - I've looked around before, but never found a HD that sold MH ballasts, so I can't compare.

-Richer

Ah, just do a couple of pendants and be done with it..... :mrgreen:

I would have to agree with Beverley. 400 bucks for a complete Hamilton fixture sounds like a good deal, and eight month old bulbs should have quite a bit of life left in them. The first DIY post has some serious shortcomings, as the price of the unit does not have an enclosure factored in, nor the cost of shipping. (I paid close to $70.00 for an Arc bulb once the shipping was added) :eek: . BTW, I don't like that Arc 20000K bulb one bit.

As an example I have two PFO pendants with two Ice Cap 175W electronic ballasts on two different tanks. Once you add shipping costs and bulbs you are looking at around $800.00. :mrgreen:

Wow, you reefers are AWESOME! Great ideas and comments, Thanks a SUPER bunch for all your replies. You have been a big help!

It’s very overwhelming though with different bulbs, ballasts, reflectors, retrofits, then making the custom canopy, acrylic UV shield, fans and then not getting electrocuted or not burning my apartment down. :lol: . I think I agree with Beverly & Bob here, DIY lighting project seems fun but I don’t know anything about electrical, woodworking and the tools that help make the units. :lol: I could just see what it would look like now if I built it. :lol: :lol:

:mrgreen:

KEWL!!! Now I’m totally curious about the computer. Tell more! It’s for monitoring? Any pic’s? Even though totally off topic, unless…does it help run lights? :lol: :lol:


:shocked!: I guess its a good thing I pay the bill already, that way I could just slide the cost in. :lol: I just gotta keep focused! My little anemone, fishy, invert friends NEED me. They NEED SUN! I gotta get new lights, I just gotta despite any extra costs of lighting. :multi: Anyone else in with a noticeable dent in their power bill due to when they hooked up MH lighting?

:mrgreen:

With 75 light bulbs in the house and my kids never turning a light off,I never really noticed my 250 mh bulb on my power bill :mrgreen: I'm thinking motion sensers for their rooms :razz:

Thats the best part of my DIY lighting... there's actually no computer in the computer case, just a couple of MH ballasts running my lights, and a powersupply running my auto topoff. The fans in my case keep my ballasts cool to the touch, and it looks spiffy at the same time... at least it will be once I finish modifications to the thing (I hope). :mrgreen:

-Richer

Jim,

It takes persistance to teach kids to turn off the lights. I was taught to do so, and if I'm not in a room, there ain't no light on. Taught my daughter to do it too. Still trying to teach DH Chris, though :agrue:

I added things gradually, so there was never a jump in my power bill. I still don't pay more than $60.00 per month. :biggrin:

Hmmm, you want to know. :question: , I wonder who built Beth's :question: :razz:

Lighting
 

Like my pooch huh :biggrin: he's my crazy little boy. I forgot to mention that the MH lighting is a good heat source in winter and torchure in summer but its still a great light source for corals. Setting up for a metal halide system is going to be expensive but don't rush into any unit right away, shop around and find something that will fit your budget. My total light fixture cost me 500 after I was finished building it. Have you tried looking on ebay.ca you may possibly find something on there you never know.


Stan

poop. I just bought 2 of those... :cry:

Re: Lighting
 

Hey Stan,
I Love your pooch! He's SOoOOOoo adorable! I WANT HIM! :lol: What's your pooch's name? Hey did you say you live in an apartment? Hey ME TOO but they don't let me have a (dog) cutie like that. I sure miss my puppy, I'm green with Envy now! :mrgreen: Hey any chance you can bring him (your pooch) as your date to the next reef meet. :lol: Ah, COME ON BEV! Pooch is a reefer to! :lol: :lol:

With the MH lighting I can imagine it will be a good heat source in the winter and a torchure in the summer. :eek:

[/quote] Thats the best part of my DIY lighting... there's actually no computer in the computer case, just a couple of MH ballasts running my lights, and a powersupply running my auto topoff. The fans in my case keep my ballasts cool to the touch, and it looks spiffy at the same time... at least it will be once I finish modifications to the thing (I hope). :mrgreen: -Richer[/quote]

Hey thats a neat idea. You will definately have to post pics when your done. Would love to see.

:mrgreen:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

GOod idea Jim!

Re: Lighting
 

Next meeting can be at your place, Leeanne :biggrin: Then EVERYBODY can bring their pooches :cool:

Here's what I found. The bulb lacks what I call "punch" I have found it to be a dull, insipiid blue. Things look lifeless, and the longer I use it the worse it becomes. I have another PFO pendant on the way, and as soon as it arrives I will be going back to my Aqualine 14000K bulb. ( I can't wait) :eek:

Re: Lighting
 

:multi: YEAH! YEAH! GREAT IDEA! :multi:


But then again second thought....umm.....actually ...yeah :eek:... yeah that wouldn't be good. :lol: :lol:

I ordered the 14k but they were outta stock. so Ivan asked me to try the 20k so I said ok...I shoulda went with 10k... :| I'm sure it's still a step up from 200w of pc lighting! at least I hope it is! this is my first crack at MH lighting, my next trial will probably be 10k ushios or something of the like..

Pooch
 

My dogs name is Rudy and he is a 5 year old American bulldog. Unfortunatly he dosen't live with me at this time. That was a recent picture on a trip back home to Vancouver Island. I wont be bringing him out for another year when I buy a house. :biggrin:

Awww......His name is Rudy! Well he's a cutie-pa-tootie!
Sad that man is away from his best friend. :frown: Well hurry buy the house then you can have your buddy Rudy back and get BIGGER, MORE TANKS and then you can host a meeting!

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Hey guys,
I took some of your advice and decided that the Hamilton 2 x 175W 10, 000k MH & 2x 40W power compact blue actinics if were alittle cheaper I would go for it. So I offered $350.00 instead and.... HE ACCEPTED! :multi: I'm so excited! My first MH's ! If I knew how to post pic's so you can see then I would. Thanks for all your help guys.

Question for you guys though. The guy selling them told me the MH bulbs & PC blue actinics are all Coralife bulbs? He told me he wasn't sure about if other bulbs that are compatible? :question: :eek:

Where do you get Coralife MH bulbs? Any ideas prices? :question:

Coralife? :rolleyes:

Okay, my suggestion is a 250w system. With actinics - VHO would be awesome. You will never regret that.

The only place I have ever seen Coralife bulbs is Big Al's. They are horrendously expensive. That said, you don't need Coralife bulbs. Most bulbs should be fine. If the ballast runs 10000K now, it will run all 10000K bulbs.
I have a couple of 6500K Coralife bulbs that are six months old if you need them. :eek: :biggrin:

BTW you may want to look at Brad's sticky on posting pictures in the "pictures" forum :biggrin:

You might need to find out what type of ballast you have (the ANSI code). Even though all bulbs should fire properly on most ballasts, some bulbs may have starting problems (i.e. they don't start up right away or flicker).

See here for which bulbs are compatible with which ballasts:
http://www.aquarium-lighting-guide.c...al-halide-ansi

hey thanks guys!


Bob, I may be interested in your actinic's what you want for those used things. :lol: Thanks for the tip on where to get Coralife. Big Al's I bet will be super expensive. I'll go check it out.


Hey Harvey,
Wow, thanks for the link for the lighting guide. AWESOME! Just one question... :question: Where do you think the ANSI code would be displayed on the lights? The ballast? Since the unit is in Vancouver. :eek: Where can I tell the guy to look?

Thanks guys for all your help. You guys are Awesome! *HUGS* :mrgreen:

The ANSI code would be on the ballast itself (he'd most likely have to open up the ballast box).

I really wouldn't stress out too over the ANSI codes and whatnot though.

Wow, a 20000K 175W Coralife bulb from Big Al's online is $250.00 :eek:
It'd be cheaper to replace the whole pendant instead of buying replacement bulbs! :lol: