[FesteringGob]

I have a friend in the electrical industry that can get a halide ballast for me at little or no cost. I also have a friend in the welding industry that can make me a stainless cover with fan slots. Would you go this route? Or is it best paying for one made by the professionals? They look easy to make.

[tatuvaaj]

Originally Posted by FesteringGob

Would you go this route?

I would. HQI lighting is technically extremely simple to put together, normally the problem is finding/getting a good fixture with good reflectors.

BTW, stainless steel might be a bit too heavy (depending what kind of fixture you are planning to make...) The aquarium fixtures (at least here in Europe) are made from some kind of aluminium alloy and are pretty light weight.

[Reefland]

I find DIY projects intriguing but personally am not a huge fan of them (probably because all of mine fail). I would go with the professionally built units.

[innovativelights]

Hello: I would suggest going with a professionally made fixture. PFO Lighting, Sunlight Supply, IceCap, Coralife all make excellent lighting fixtures. We recommend this as these products are made for aquarium use, and are warranted. DIY Projects can be very satisfying and also more cost effective but in our experience with customers, they usually begin with a DIY type setup and upgrade later to a custom setup. Either way please feel free to call us if you have additional questions. Thanks for your time.