Halide Lighting

[dave_gray2077]

I'm just wondering why metal halide lights are so expensive from dedicated aquarium suppliers?

And why do ADA replacement lights cost £90 when my local Wilkinson's store sells them at £15 quid for the branded ones?

I'm a little nieve on this subject so is there something special about them? Can you just use cheep DIY security lights if you provide ventilation to the ballast units?

 

[Underwurlde]

Allow me to take you to one side & explain something to you....

If the word 'aquatic' appears on the box, charge 3x more for it.
Now if the letters ADA appear on the item, then charge 10x more for it.
Have you seen what ADA charge for some bent glass tubes (aka lily pipes)?

MY GOD IN HEAVEN.

Now for fluorescent bulbs, it does matter what coating you use for the phosphors. I'm pretty sure however, that a metal halide bulb is a metal halide bulb. Now it may be the case that ‘aquatic’ halide lights may indeed have an IP rating…. But I doubt it because they get so hot. Anyway, the same starters etc can be used, I may be wrong, but there is nothing ‘special’ about ‘aquatic’ bulbs…. So:

Can you just use cheep DIY security lights if you provide ventilation to the ballast units?

I don’t see why not, but don’t just take my word for it….

Andy

PS
You owe me money mate. This post has the words 'aquatic in it. That'll be 10 of your UK pounds please.
Hold on, the letters 'ADA' appear, that'll 100 of your UK pounds please.

 

[dave_gray2077]

I know what you mean with ADA glass.

Iv never came across IP rating before what is that? I understand K rating and Watts lumes all that. Just never see that before. I did lighting for a project in A-level physics and never heard of it.

Its just for a new aquarium i have got and fluorescent bulbs on a 125l tank take up to much space. when you are looking at 200w of light for a new planted tank it starts to get expensive

I was in B&Q yesterday and they were selling 2 150w laps on a scaffold stand for £50. ballast included. Its a bright yellow stand but a quick paint job and its perfect to jam behind the tank. Adjustable hight to. Not bad for 300w of lighting.

Is there any1 who thinks this is a bad idea?

 

[Underwurlde]

IP rating is not a bulb rating it is a product rating: IP: ingress protection or International Protection rating... How 'sealed' is a certian enclosure. Pertenant here becuase the thing uses mains voltages and is dangling over water in moist / condensation conditions. The higher the IP rating, the more difficult to design & assemble the enclosure the more expensive it becomes....

... as long as you have considered this then I think you have a great idea there. Just make damn sure the things don't fall in the water!

[URL="http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code"]http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code[/URL]

Andy

 

[joecoral]

perhaps the aquarium ones have a different spectrum to normal "security light" halides like you would get from wilkinson etc?

 

[andywg]

Here is the real crux:

I may be wrong, but there is nothing ‘special’ about ‘aquatic’ bulbs…. So:

As detailed below:

perhaps the aquarium ones have a different spectrum to normal "security light" halides like you would get from wilkinson etc?

Joe has it right.

Can you just use cheep DIY security lights if you provide ventilation to the ballast units?

Most standard industrial MH bulbs are around the 2400K, so are far more yellow than most of us want. The bulbs for aquarium lighting will range from 6,700K (I assume, for FW plants) right up to 30,000K for those that like a blue reef.

The best thing to do is get a security light, or shop light, where you can remove the actual lighting fixture part. This allows you to relocate the ballast to the cabinet to save a bit on heat. Then just buy a proper bulb and away you go. This is keeping my reef going quite nicely.

If you head to the sponsers section, I seem to recall a good post by Petpirates about how to make MH from security lights.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yup, just one thing to make sure... Some of those "halide floodlights" or "security lights" are made with ballasts deisgned for mercury vapor lights... stay away from those cause all bulbs made for aquarium spectrum will not operate properly on mercury vapor ballasts. Look for ones that say HID (high intensity discharge), metal halide, or even HPS (high pressure sodium). Those ballasts are compatible with aquarium bulbs.

 

[Underwurlde]

There you go then, learn something new every day!

 

[dave_gray2077]

Thanks for the help . The ones I have seen for sale are security lights. I check the ballast type.

 

[michaelwgroves]

Sorry to spoil the party, but you do get work you pay for. This is a bit like comparing a Ferrari and a Mondeo.

This topic has been discussed many times in the past, check out this post

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...p;#entry1781486

 

[andywg]

How is that comparing mondeo to ferrari? And which of those is the better light? Most Ferraris are notorious for spending half their life in the garage due to shoddy workmanship (not to mention the past horrendous cabin quality). I would say we are more comparing skyline GTR to Ferrari. One you pay a lot for the performance at the start, the other you pay far less at the start, invest a little extra cash and time (but still nowhere near the price of the Ferrari) and you get performance that is just as good.

At the end of the day it is the individual's choice, but I will not be ripped off by paying extra for a prodcut just because someone wrote "aquarium" on the box. The ballasts (if you get the right industrial one) will have basically identical control gear in them to run the light. Then it is all down to the bulb.

In fact, I have looked through the link in your linked thread and he only re-iterates what ski said: when getting industrial MH lamsp, make sure they are not MV ones. The link most definitely does not say it is a bad idea to use industrial units.

 

[michaelwgroves]

How is that comparing mondeo to ferrari? And which of those is the better light? Most Ferraris are notorious for spending half their life in the garage due to shoddy workmanship (not to mention the past horrendous cabin quality). I would say we are more comparing skyline GTR to Ferrari. One you pay a lot for the performance at the start, the other you pay far less at the start, invest a little extra cash and time (but still nowhere near the price of the Ferrari) and you get performance that is just as good.

At the end of the day it is the individual's choice, but I will not be ripped off by paying extra for a prodcut just because someone wrote "aquarium" on the box. The ballasts (if you get the right industrial one) will have basically identical control gear in them to run the light. Then it is all down to the bulb.

In fact, I have looked through the link in your linked thread and he only re-iterates what ski said: when getting industrial MH lamsp, make sure they are not MV ones. The link most definitely does not say it is a bad idea to use industrial units.

I agree with what you say, I also don't like to pay over the odds, so I always research everything. I was just pointing out it's not as easy as picking up any old MH off eBay. You do need to do your research, most peoples research seems to only get as far as the bulb, when the ballast is just as important.

There is also the looks question, most Aquarium MH are designed for use in your lounge, so they do try and make them look sort of nice. The industrial one's pay no attention to the aesthetics.
On that point, don't try and tell me if you had the cash you wouldn’t go for the Ferrari...........

 

[Underwurlde]

but I will not be ripped off by paying extra for a prodcut just because someone wrote "aquarium" on the box.

So, I'm not the only one who thinks this way then!

 

[andywg]

There is also the looks question, most Aquarium MH are designed for use in your lounge, so they do try and make them look sort of nice. The industrial one's pay no attention to the aesthetics.

But I prefer my lights in a hood rather than in an open canopy lighting up everything in the room. Trying to put a unit with the ballasts attached to the fixture in a hood is far nastier than an industrial unit where one can easily split them.

On that point, don't try and tell me if you had the cash you wouldn’t go for the Ferrari...........

You couldn't pay me to drive a Ferrari. A Lambo yes, but never a Ferrari. You just look like a merchant banker (in every sense of the phrase). And to be honest, I definitely would go for a Skyline with huge mods to it over a Ferrari. There are skylines with more BHP at the wheel than a Veyron has at the fly. Not to mention the Supras that have quicker 0-60 times than a Veyron.

 

[Underwurlde]

To be quite honest, Lambo, Ferrari, Veyron for that matter, I'd feel an utter tit getting out of either.

Give me an Alfa 159 any day of the week - who careas about spec's ....

Andy (Rover 416 driver ) DON'T SAY A WORD. NOT A WORD....