Hamilton vs. AB

[rebrob]

Hello great masters of the Reef aquarium world,


i am interested in upgrading my lighting system in a serious way and i need your advice. I would like to not have any livestock limitations in the future.

I have a 72 gallon bowfront and have been using 2 175w pendant lamps to light the reef. They are doing ok (clam and LPS's), but heating is an issue and i would like a better use of the wattage.

So, I am looking at the 4 foot:

hamilton delux protostar with 2-250 w HQI and 2-96w PC actinics. $729

Aquaspacelight 2-250w HQI and 2-24w Osram true 03 blue PC. $789

WHat is the difference? Why is the aquaspacelight more? Why is the PC wattage so low on the aquaspacelight? I have never heard of an "Osram ". Are HQI better than regular MH? Lastly, will i have heat issues with the 250's, though these fixtures have fans?

Thanks for your help,

Robbie

[rebrob]

???

Anyone out there??

[Ninong]

... but heating is an issue and i would like a better use of the wattage.

So, I am looking at the 4 foot:

hamilton delux protostar with 2-250 w HQI and 2-96w PC actinics. $729

I have no experience with this fixture and no opinion.

Aquaspacelight 2-250w HQI and 2-24w Osram true 03 blue PC. $789

WHat is the difference? Why is the aquaspacelight more?

It's made in Germany. It's a quality fixture with good fit and finish.

Why is the PC wattage so low on the aquaspacelight?

That's because they are sticking two 24w Osram blue PCs in the middle of the fixture between the two 250w HQI DE lamps and that's all the space they have available.

I have never heard of an "Osram ".

They are a large German company. They own Sylvania. Osram is a subsidiary of the gigantic German conglomerate Siemens AG.

Are HQI better than regular MH?

Some people believe that DE lamps are more efficient than mogul lamps of the same wattage. I'm one of those people.

Lastly, will i have heat issues with the 250's, though these fixtures have fans?

Yes and no. Yes, you will probably have heat issues and no the Aquaspacelight does not have any fans.

Aqua-Medic offers several different versions of 48" metal halide fixtures: http://www.aqua-medic.com/products/lighting.html

In that size, they now offer an Aquaspacelight fixture with electronic ballasts. This would greatly reduce the weight and the heat generated. They also offer the 48" 250w AB-10000 HQI DE Aquaspacelight with a BLV 150w 20,000K HQI DE lamp in the middle instead of the two 24w Osram blue PCs. That runs about $100 more and I think it's a better choice.

Besides the Aquaspacelight fixtures, they also offer other 48" fixtures that might interest you. These have remote ballasts which simply moves the heat to a different area of the room. These metal halide fixtures are available with T5 actinic supplementation.

[rebrob]

i hate to be the newbie with this stuff.
I went to: http://www.aqua-medic.com/products/lighting.html

and couldn't find the:
48" 250w AB-10000 HQI DE Aquaspacelight with a BLV 150w 20,000K HQI DE

I found it with the PC's but not with the 150w HQI

I also couldn't find prices, do i have to order it from LFS? Won't that run me more than buying the fixture online?

Thanks

[Ninong]

i hate to be the newbie with this stuff.
I went to: http://www.aqua-medic.com/products/lighting.html

and couldn't find the:
48" 250w AB-10000 HQI DE Aquaspacelight with a BLV 150w 20,000K HQI DE

I found it with the PC's but not with the 150w HQI

I also couldn't find prices, do i have to order it from LFS? Won't that run me more than buying the fixture online?

Thanks

They didn't have prices on that website because that was the manufacturer's website. They don't sell direct to us. You have to purchase their products through one of their dealers, either an online dealer or an LFS. Usually online vendors are cheaper than LFS.

The Aquaspacelight with the 150w BLV 20,000K HQI DE lamp in the middle between the two 250w AB-10000 HQI DE lamps is a U.S. modification (I think) and maybe that's why it's not on their site. I know a couple of guys who have that version and they like it. You can see it on this vendor's website (at the right as "featured product"): http://www.customaquatic.com/customa...asp?brandID=AM

P.S. -- Note that the online vendor refers to the 250w lamps as 13,000K. These are 250w AB-10000 HQI DE lamps. Aqua-Medic claims that these lamps are 13,000 Kelvin (AB-10000 is just the name of the lamp from the days when it used to be a 10,000K lamp).

[innovativelights]

Hi Rebrob: Feel free to give us a call we are lighting specialists and one of the sponsors here at Reefland. We also offer a number of 48" fixtures that offer both single and double ended MH setups. Our site is www.innovativelights.com our toll free # is 877.26.LIGHT.
Let us know if we can be of any help.

Best--Princeton

i hate to be the newbie with this stuff.
I went to: http://www.aqua-medic.com/products/lighting.html

and couldn't find the:
48" 250w AB-10000 HQI DE Aquaspacelight with a BLV 150w 20,000K HQI DE

I found it with the PC's but not with the 150w HQI

I also couldn't find prices, do i have to order it from LFS? Won't that run me more than buying the fixture online?

Thanks