uv lens for mh fixture?

[marvinsae]

do i need this? i got a mh pendant off someone i know and it didnt come with a lens. is it's sole purpose to protect from water splashing on the bulb cause my pendants about 6 inches from the tank...

[brizzo]

HQI / DE bulb = Glass required

Mogul / SE bulb = Glass not required

[marvinsae]

and whats the reason forthis? crap i dunno wut kind of bulb i have...its one ended and comes with a galaxy ballast 250w

[xtreme]

Just have a look at the bulb. Single ended screw in one end. Double ended clip in on either end. The DE bulbs don't have a UV sheild built into them like the SE do.

[kaboom]

periodically I run my DE pendant without the glass sheild for a week or two. Doing this allows more par to penetrate the tank as well has harmful UV rays. Aside from that it also adds quite a bit more heat to the tank. My reasoning for doing this is to stimulate more colors out of my sps, and it does work, but I never had the nerves to run it this way for long term, mainly due to heat issue.