halide advice anyone

Well as it is I do know a bit about electrical,also my brother in law is an electrision so he could help out. Well I just through that article in there to show that you can do it yourself. See as I am new to this lighting thing I am still trying to figure out what is best. I would like 2 - 150w - 175w MH and 2 T5 lights, but not sure which ballasts are good. Not looking for High end and don't want low end ballasts. As you can make them cheaper then building, if you are technically inclined

 

If you want a DIY setup, then buy a retrofit kit from one of our sponsors. It's hard to get it cheaper even if you are buying it at the component level. As far as good ballast's.. There are many proven ballast's that have been on the market for some time. When I get home tonight I will look up a couple of links and post them for your browsing leisure

Jim

 

http://www.aquacave.com/detail.aspx?ID=376

http://www.aquacave.com/searchresult.aspx?CategoryID=136

http://www.hellolights.com/17methalretk.html

Jim

 

These aren't too bad, either, for a 2 MH mogul bulb - 175w retro kit for $235:

Aquauniverse.com - 2 X 175 watt Metal Halide Retr

Personally, I buy Hamilton Reefstar pendants now for their versatility, but I'd go for the retros above if I wasn't doing pendants. The cheapest place (for me living in CA) I've found Hamilton Pendants is here with a 250w pendant for $250 as an example: A1E4, HQI METAL HALIDE LIGHTING SYSTEMS, Aquarium Lighting, Aquatic Pets, More Pet Supplies, Pet & Supplies, Retail Home & Garden Best buy for promotional items, sporting goods, office products, home and garden, and apparel. Opentip.com offers discount coupons, overstock, clearance, wholesale, or factory price.

If anyone finds them anywhere cheaper, please post. But beware of cheaper initial pricing that makes up the difference with high shipping costs. I won't discuss the sales tax thing, either, since I know we all pay our sales tax even when ordering from other states online that don't charge. *cough cough*