48" 716W Metal Halide System Advance Plus

[vraev]

Hi guys,

I am new here and was hoping on asking some advice about this fixture. It is the cheapest one and technically offers the best bang for the buck.

A little bit of intro, I am not into aquariums, but I do have terraria. I grow carnivorous plants and focus on pitcher plants. I have two tanks beside one another (2' x 2' x 3' tall) so two 90G tanks. I am currently using a 4 x 54watt 4' T5 fixture and added a 2 x T8 4' fixture. However, that is not enough to give enough colour to my plants.

I have been looking to upgrade my lights and came across this
http://www.aquatraders.com/48-716W-M...bo-p/54267.htm





I searched high and wide and I do see that 4y ago, some of their fixtures have caught fire, but can't find any such complaints in the recent years. They do seem to have improved:

Fixture Configuration:

2x External Quick Connect 250W Electronic HQI Metal Halide Ballast
2x Internal Twin Output T5 Electronic Ballast
4x Power Switch on Fixture (2 for T5, 1 for LED, and 1 for Cooling Fan)
1x Power Switch on each HQI Ballast
3x Power Cord (2 for HQI and 1 for T5)
Non-Corrosive Powder Coated Aluminum Housing
2x Built In Heavy Duty Cooling Fan
Glass Cover for HQI
Acrylic Lens for T5
Highly Polished Reflector
Set of Mounting Leg

The separate ballasts for each bulb should minimize fire risk. Also I like the 3" clearance with the legs...should give some room for hot air to escape.

My question still is about risk of fire. I mean I live in an apartment building and I am a student. I don't have insurance and the lights will be running for at least 12-14h a day. I am already planning on adding a layer of glass pane underneath the fixture separating that from the tank and maybe even removing the blinds under the window and placing ballasts up there. But my window faces east, so every morning there is direct sunlight enough to raise temps to 90F in tank (which is why I keep blinds down).



Do you guys think its a safe fixture to work with? Have any of you had issues with it? BTW, I do also plan on buying or replacing those bulbs with the MH 6500K bulbs as well. http://www.aquatraders.com/Odyssea-2...lb-p/64309.htm

ANy advice or suggestions would be welcome. My budget and preference is lowest price for most light as possible. I can't afford the fancy 600$ + fixtures. This is pushing it as well. I will try to recover the cost my selling my T5 for a 100$.

thanks,

V

[lastlight]

I think the metal halides are going to raise temps in your tank much more than the sun has sometimes been. Just my hunch...

[vraev]

Yeah...but the T5's i currently use block the tank and all the heat is trapped in there. Plus the ballast is also internal.

With the separate external ballasts and the fact that there is a clearance thanks to the legs, I am assuming that temperature at plant level shouldn't be a lot hotter than now (also since hot air rises). I will have a humidifier in the side blowing cold air in.

On extremely hot days in summer, perhaps I can turn off the MH and use only the T5.

The metal halides will raise your tanks temperature significantly. You will want to have it raised above and have a fan blowing on the surface of the water.

As for your plants, are you providing enough nutrients (e.g., estimative index + iron chelate) and co2? If you invest in a quality light fixture with good reflectors, you shouldn't have any problems getting the red you are looking for.

EDIT just noticed that I don't know how to read properly and that you don't have submerse plants (or water to say) so forget all of that.

[The Grizz]

I have 2 of the older style that don't have individual reflectors & the cooling fans are also external on top of the fixture. I have been running them for about 6 months now & only had an issues with the t5 ballasts, which they have changed for better one on the fixture you are looking at. I do know that the cooling fans in this one are a little stronger and the ballasts are better quality but in your case I would suggest not to put the ballast in the window because the sun light will heat them up even more then they already do. Mount them on a board and get a fan like this one to blow on them when there on. Also get a couple more of these type of fans to blow across the bottom of the fixture and top of the tanks to reduce the heat above the tank.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cooling.shtml

Scroll down the page a bit to find the fan pic.

[dsaundry]

I have several vivariums as I am trying my hand with dart frogs, t5's are usually more than enough, do you monitor the temps in the soil as well?? An under tank heater may solve that issue. As for mh light fixtures they will raise temps so as was stated previously a fan will have to be added,but this is a good thing as most vivariums require adequate circulation. I am not an expert on carniverous plants but my bromeliads ferns and tillandsia's do well....Yes I am aware that broms are sometimes considered carniverous. As for the light fixture itself I had no problems with mine and have bought from seller before. Oh and do you have screening on top of your tank? Depends on bulb type but you might over cook your plants if you arent careful as well...Misting system??
check out this link. http://www.vivariumforum.com/community/

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by vraev

My question still is about risk of fire. I mean I live in an apartment building and I am a student. I don't have insurance and the lights will be running for at least 12-14h a day.

There is always a risk of fire with MH units (anything electronic for that matter), some more so than others. Apartment insurance is cheap, especially compared to having your wages garnished for the rest of your life for burning down an apartment building. As far as this fixture goes there hasn't been any fire complaints on the newer units from Aquatraders since they changed ballasts.

[vraev]

Originally Posted by The Grizz

I have 2 of the older style that don't have individual reflectors & the cooling fans are also external on top of the fixture. I have been running them for about 6 months now & only had an issues with the t5 ballasts, which they have changed for better one on the fixture you are looking at. I do know that the cooling fans in this one are a little stronger and the ballasts are better quality but in your case I would suggest not to put the ballast in the window because the sun light will heat them up even more then they already do. Mount them on a board and get a fan like this one to blow on them when there on. Also get a couple more of these type of fans to blow across the bottom of the fixture and top of the tanks to reduce the heat above the tank.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cooling.shtml

Scroll down the page a bit to find the fan pic.

Thanks very much for that link. I grow specifically highland nepenthes and it would be useful to lower temps in the tanks.

Originally Posted by dsaundry

I have several vivariums as I am trying my hand with dart frogs, t5's are usually more than enough, do you monitor the temps in the soil as well?? An under tank heater may solve that issue. As for mh light fixtures they will raise temps so as was stated previously a fan will have to be added,but this is a good thing as most vivariums require adequate circulation. I am not an expert on carniverous plants but my bromeliads ferns and tillandsia's do well....Yes I am aware that broms are sometimes considered carniverous. As for the light fixture itself I had no problems with mine and have bought from seller before. Oh and do you have screening on top of your tank? Depends on bulb type but you might over cook your plants if you arent careful as well...Misting system??
check out this link. http://www.vivariumforum.com/community/

I don't monitor soil temps, but I do monitor ambient temps. The hard thing is to have decent (70-75F day and 55-60F night). Does the light fixture raise temps too much? How high is it fixed above the tanks? Yes...I do have a misting system and it goes off 14 times in a day for 40 sec intervals.

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

There is always a risk of fire with MH units (anything electronic for that matter), some more so than others. Apartment insurance is cheap, especially compared to having your wages garnished for the rest of your life for burning down an apartment building. As far as this fixture goes there hasn't been any fire complaints on the newer units from Aquatraders since they changed ballasts.

Some people on other forums were suggesting 8 x T5. So double the current light levels. Would u guys think it is a good way to increase light levels in the tanks?

[The Grizz]

Have you looked into LED grow lights especially for plants, might be an option to look into. Less heat produced & less power consumed.

[vraev]

LEDs are no where strong enough yet for carnivorous plants. I have looked at many types of white LED, but they only seem to produce etiolated growth in CPs.