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#1
11-23-2007, 06:33 AM
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modding 150W aqualight pro to 250W
My MH bulb will have to be replaced in about 6-8 months or so from now and I'm thinking of stepping up my aqualight pro from 150W to 250W. Doing some research so I can create a proper $$ budget for the upgrade. I know I would have to get new bulb clips and a new ballast but the process of the modification seems a little daunting because I would have to cut into the reflector to allow for the larger bulb.
Anyone out there who's done this modification? Would I be better off to sell the fixture and get a new 250W light when the time comes to replace the bulb? I'm also considering cost. If I can modify the fixture I save $100-170, plus I still have actinic supplementation. Don't know how much $$ I'd get for the fixture with bulbs that need replacing.
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Everything I put in my tank is fully dependant on me. 
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#2
11-23-2007, 03:50 PM
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I've thought about trying this upgrade as well.
Another upgrade you might be interested in is replacing the 22 inch pc's with 36 inch T5's. I asked this question about it a couple of months ago http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=33260 but life got busy and I haven't gotten around to trying it. Let us know how you make out!
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Setup Mar 2004 50g tank 23g DIY Acrylic Sump\Refugium Sold Dec 2009  Vacation Fun: http://members.shaw.ca/cabin54/
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#3
11-23-2007, 04:31 PM
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relatively easy
Quote:
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____________ If people don't die, it wouldn't make living important. And why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.
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#5
11-23-2007, 08:54 PM
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I bought this:
http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp...ROD&ProdID=166 and this: http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp...rodID=462&HS=1 The rest is piece of cake. The hardest part is deciding whether to cut up the MH plugs between ballast and fixture. The ballast doesn't fit inside the ballast box so I used another ballast box. But I removed that nifty three prong plug from the original ballast box and installed it into the new ballast box so I didn't have to cut any MH wires coming from the fixture. My best advice is to open up your fixture, look at how the lights are wired to the ignitor, and how the same wires are connected to the fans. Then read the above thread and it will all make sense (assuming you know the difference between neutral, hot, and ground)
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____________ If people don't die, it wouldn't make living important. And why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.
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#7
11-24-2007, 01:47 AM
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i pick all my stuff up in the US. either in blaine or point roberts... i guess that would be difficult for you Matt.
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____________ If people don't die, it wouldn't make living important. And why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.
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#9
11-24-2007, 06:12 AM
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Quote:
That's the easiest I think and only like $120 for a retro kit (plus bulbs). The light spread wouldn't be even but it'd give intense light at the back (higher) area of the tank for high demand corals, and it'd help give a little more punch at the lower regions of the front too. It could also allow me to swap the 14K bulb for a high PAR 10K and have some real intense blue actinics to help with the yellow light. What's the difference in PAR between an aquablue and a super-actinic T5 bulb? I could keep with a 14k 150W MH and get 13k T5 bulbs. Nice par from the T5's then.
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Everything I put in my tank is fully dependant on me.
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#10
11-24-2007, 04:47 PM
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Aquablue is a 11k bulb, lots of PAR. Super Actinic has a very narrow spectrum, almost zero PAR.
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