Another 150w Iwasaki question

[BigA]

Would a 150w Iwasaki have more PAR than a 175w 10k? I want the 250's but I don't think I have amps to run them. I have only a 60amp service in my house and I don't think I can give up 18% of my power to run the 250's. HQI's are out of my price range.

~BigA

[BigA]

I know someone knows this....

[Jakedad]

I think your math is a little off Big A. 175w is only 1.45 amps. Thats only 2.4% of your 60 amps. If your worried about it, 2 suggestions; 1. replace some of your lights with lower wattage bulbs. 2. You might have an electrician install another 80 amp panel and run a separate circuit to your tank. It cost me $400 and was well worth the expense.

[Jakedad]

Big A, by replacing lights to lower wattage, I was referring to the ones in your house not your tank.

[BigA]

I did run a 15 amp circut to my tank but I only have a 60 amp main lug going into the building. A new 100 amp service would be around $2000. I'd be ok if I didn't have a 1 HP pump in my spring house(it dims the lights in the house when it kicks on!).

My math might be off...I thought that a PFO tar ballast running a 250watt bulb would draw around 5amps peak and 4 amps running. That would be around 10amps for the tank.

I was just thinking that if the 150watt Iwasaki has more PAR than the 175w 10K that my IC 430 running 3 110 watt Actinics and the 150watt Iwasaki's might have the same look and light as the 175watt 10k's. I want to shy away from the $160 per year bulb cost of the german 175 watt 10k's.

~BigA

[BigA]

If I replaced that 1 HP pump(which is old and over-powered)with a 1/2 HP pump I would have enough power to run the 250's. That might not be a bad choice. I'll just tell the wife it burned out, LOL.

~BigA

[Schottman]

Yes it is always better to lie get what you want and then repent just before you get caught!!! [img]/ubb/lol.gif[/img][img]/ubb/lol.gif[/img][img]/ubb/lol.gif[/img]

Schottman [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

[BigA]

~Schottman

You're right about that...did you read my other idea about turning the water heater in the house down? LOL

Anyways, I went over the math and electic load again and I think I could run 2-250watt MH if I wanted to. I am thinking now that 250watt iwasaki's with anything less than 4 VHO actinic's would be way too yellow for my taste. I'd be pushing it now fitting 2 VHO's and the MH's in an 18"- wide tank.

What I have on the table now is 2-150watt iwasaki's, 2-175watt 10k's, or 6 110 watt VHO's. I think I'm going with the 175's after all. I might even wait and go with 150watt HQI's when they come out with retro fixtures. $350 is way too much for a single bulb fixture and ballast.

~BigA

[David Grigor]

All depends on specific ballast but in general a Tar type ballast for

175W = 1.8 amps
250W = 2.5 amps
400W = 4.0 amps

So I think you have over estimated and closer to 5 amps for a both 250Wers not 10.




[This message has been edited by David Grigor (edited 05-09-2001).]