modding 150W aqualight pro to 250W

kwirky · #1 11-23-2007, 06:33 AM

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.

Okguy · #2 11-23-2007, 03:50 PM

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!

kwirky · #3 11-24-2007, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okguy

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

The fixture's 24" (24" tank too) so it'd be 24" T5's.

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.

albert_dao · #4 11-24-2007, 04:47 PM

Aquablue is a 11k bulb, lots of PAR. Super Actinic has a very narrow spectrum, almost zero PAR.

StirCrazy · #5 11-24-2007, 04:52 PM

don't worry about the amount of PAR in the PCs OR T5s in these fixtures, compared to the MH they are nothing and only used for color.

Steve

kwirky · #6 11-24-2007, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

don't worry about the amount of PAR in the PCs OR T5s in these fixtures, compared to the MH they are nothing and only used for color.

Steve

i beg to differ. T5 lighting is definately brighter than 150W MH through personal experience. That's why I'm considering upgrading the 150W light through either a 250W swap, or through supplementing with T5

StirCrazy · #7 11-24-2007, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug

C,mon Steve, thats a pretty broad statement. Guess those of us having good success with them are not doing it correct then.

nope not saying that you can't grow under them at all. Who was it that 5 years ago used to grow acro's under NO bulbs. All I am saying here is that when your using a mixed fixture (MH and PC/VHO/T5 actinic) there is no need to go with a broad spectrum PC/VHO/T5 actinic over true actinic as you will get all the PAR you need from the MH and the add on actinics should be used just for color. now if you don't want a lot of blue get a broader spectrum, if you like the blue and the POP of the coral get the true actinic.

it is the same with my HQI 250's I used them for the corals and my VHO's for color. when I used a marine blue light you could hardly notice it when it was on, the 03 actinics actualy make my white MH look light blue.

here is an example. In my tests on my tank for PAR output. My MH put out 680 Units of PAR, my 96 watt VHO super actinics put out 91 units. you think that 91 units realy did anything? remember light is not added togeather when we are talking about intensity and thoes numbers were ate 14" (6 air 8 water) so on the bottom of the tank the VHO dropped offf to 27 where the MH was still about 480. so the coral benifited from the intensity of the MH's PAR output and the VHO was basicly nothing because of the MH's intensity. now if you are only using VHO/PC/T5 then yes you need to have some broader spectrum lights to get the PAR levels and have the blue tinge.

hope I didn't give you the wrong impression with the last post. if he would have said I am using a "all floressent" fixture I would have agreeded.

I guess one other thing I would look at is cost.. how much do you want to pay for color... and how much more color would the T5's throw out over VHO... so there is other factors as well.

Steve

Chin_Lee · #8 11-23-2007, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwirky

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.

I upgraded my middle 150 to 250W. Got the e ballast and clips from Hellolights for 90/10 bucks. Follow this thread once you've opened it up to make some sense of it:http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=31318good luck.chin

Aquattro · #9 11-23-2007, 06:02 PM

cool thread. I'm doing the same thing. J&L can get the proper ballasts at a good price, and stock the sockets. It doesn't look like a tough job. I hope...

Chin_Lee · #10 11-23-2007, 08:54 PM

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)