# Can we use these on corals???



## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

Can we use Metal Halide Work Light for corals???

250watt x 2 = 500 watt

and it's 100 times cheaper than buying from fish store!


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Are you sure those are MH. From my experience most of those are Halogen Lights


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

UnderTheSea said:


> Are you sure those are MH. From my experience most of those are Halogen Lights


what's the difference?


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

bigfishy said:


> what's the difference?


a lot...do a thread search


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## bioload (Oct 20, 2009)

Halogens would be cheaper. 

The common consensus is that they add a lot of heat, and don't have the spectrum options of other lights. I have the burns to prove that my MH's are pretty hot and they are only 175's but I think the operating heat temp may be a mfg specification you can check. I don't think you can get away for the yellow colour though.

I haven't come across any examples of a tank where halogens were used but will keep looking. If someone told me not so long ago that they were trying to light their tank with LED's I would think they were crazy....but very interested.

Seeing is believing......


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## cablemike (Jan 7, 2009)

ive tried all the cheaper options but in the end i had to bite the bullet and by the halides.. halogen is all yellow and red spectrum and wont grow anything but plants, led are way to expensive, high pressure sodium too much yellow and red good for plants only, mercury vapour is just green light spectrum which is pretty much unless unless you want to light a parking lot.. halides and t5's are the only reasonably priced options that work flawlessly. this isnt a poor mans hobby.. but if your smart you can get awsome deals on lights in the buy and sell. I paid a total of 650.00 for my light but if i bought them new at retail it would have been 1240.00 before taxes.. so a total of 1400.00 if bought retail.. i got them for half price..


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Unfortunately, I've never seen listed/manufactured double ended halogen bulbs that will give the color temp required for reef systems as the are too warm, ie. too low K rated value. For the light based configuration that you show, you're unfortunately out of luck there 

Although they do make bi-pin "encapsulated" halogens that are reef suitable but only in 10,000K. They are used in the AquaticLife fixtures.

HTH


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## cablemike (Jan 7, 2009)

wtac said:


> Unfortunately, I've never seen listed/manufactured double ended halogen bulbs that will give the color temp required for reef systems as the are too warm, ie. too low K rated value. For the light based configuration that you show, you're unfortunately out of luck there
> 
> Although they do make bi-pin "encapsulated" halogens that are reef suitable but only in 10,000K. They are used in the AquaticLife fixtures.
> 
> HTH


actually they are the same as the HID lights they have been using in luxury cars for the last few years.. i was actually gonna make a lighting setup with a cheap HID kit from the flea market but then i couldnt figure out what to use as a fixture other then going to the wreckers and getting old headlight housings to install them in and that isnt cheap, even at the wreckers.. i have seen a few guys using setups with BMW headlight assemblies but there very expensive.. its still cheapest and easiest to just but some used halides off of Aquarium Pros. you can get a setup with two lights on there for under 200..


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

My mistake CM...hamsters asleep at the wheel 

I've found some HID kits @$169UDS/pr w/o reflectors but how to wire those puppies up...I don't know...LOL!


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## cablemike (Jan 7, 2009)

wtac said:


> My mistake CM...hamsters asleep at the wheel
> 
> I've found some HID kits @$169UDS/pr w/o reflectors but how to wire those puppies up...I don't know...LOL!


to a computer power supply.. and older computer like a pentium 1..


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

cablemike said:


> to a computer power supply.. and older computer like a pentium 1..


sorry for my ignorance..

What is HID??? stands for???


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

HID = High Intensity Discharge

Basically light is created by an arc (electrical charge) that passes through an ionized gas like mercury, xenon, helium, etc.

Halogens are basically "super charged" incandescent light bulb with higher light emission per watt used and the heated filament that emits light.

I stand corrected in my previous post that "encapsulated" halogens are HIDs as in AquaticLife units.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

cablemike said:


> to a computer power supply.. and older computer like a pentium 1..


Hmmm...more things to cram into the mellon to tinker with...thanks...LMFAO


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I remember MeowMix and I had fun trying to retro one of those lights with MH. He did a pretty good job!


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