Metal Halide Q&A

Dingo,
Do you think my 2 lumen max 2 reflectors could give me complete coverage over a 5 ft tank that is 24 inches deep or should I add a 3rd bulb. If I did add a 3rd would I stick with another 250 watt ballast.

 

Im not really as knowledgable on t5 as I am with halides... but that light would be a good choice for your size tank

 

might have it a little bit dim around the edges... how high are you suspending the lights above the tank?

 

My lights are actually lumen max 3s which I don't think makes much difference. I could put the lights at just about any height as I am still in the design stages of the tank and haven't made the canopy yet.
Do you think I might be better off with maybe a 150 in the center and placing my lower. Light corals there.

By the way I have my new phoenix bulbs over my tank now and really like the color. I no longer need to supplement with any t5 lighting. K+ for the recommendation.

 

always good to hear a happy customer
but two will be fine if you put them up high enough... im thinking that if you put a 150w in the center you will have some issues if there is a center brace. Just elevating the reflectors a few inches will work perfectly fine for light coverage

 

Great thread, just read the whole thing!
Here's my ramble/question.
Six or so years ago, I ordered 3 Hamilton Reefstar 175W pendants. When they arrived, they were 400W DE not as I ordered. I took them home.
After blowing bulb after bulb, I finally sent them to Hamilton and had them retro them to SE. The 400W Hamilton ballasts are M135's and they sent me three of their 400W 14K bulbs. End of bulb blowing problem. Now to the question. Everything I read says pulse start ballasts can only run Radiums or Ushios. Am I reading wrong, or are there other bulbs that like to run on these ballasts? And I haven't heard a mention of Plusrite bulbs, are they junk? Thanks, John

 

If you can run a Radium DE you should be able to run a Phoenix DE I would think on the pulse start.

 

Metal Halide ANSI Codes - Aquarium Lighting Bulb & Ballast Cross Reference Guide - Aquarium-Lighting-Guide.com

hey John

have you seen this article?
it lists many different lamp types and the ballasts that are compatible with them

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/sj/index.php
also the list on the bottom of this article has more options for pulse start 400 watt lamps

Steve

 

Yes Steve, I've read so much I'm blinded.
Seems to be a hole concerning M135 ballasts that nobody wants to take a stand on. Like I said these ballasts were originally sold to me with DE who knows what kind of bulbs. Is this ballast even designed to run a DE HQI bulb like it was originally sent to me, and were the Hamilton mogul bulbs they sent me after the retrofit meant to be run on M135's? :-/
Dingo?

 

Bumpity bump.