CHEAP HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTING!!!!!!

[Great Reefer Man]

Ok....where do I start??? I was at Fred Meyer's today and I saw a 175W Mercury Vapor Security light. It is put out by The Designer's Edge. It includes a 175W mercury vapor bulb. It says the bulb "provides a brillian blue white energy efficient light". AND IT DOES!!!!!!!!!!! This light is awsome!!!!!! The cost????? $39.99!!!!!!!!!!! On my tank now I have 2 175W 10K's and then this bulb right in the center. It works wounderfully. I put the whole fixture (minus the acrylic cover and reflector, right into the canopy. I supported it with 2 small 2x4's for it to sit on. I also built a little reeflector to go above it. I am stoked for only $40.

Ok....now the warning. I hear that mercury vapor is not the right "kind" of light for a reef tank. I may in the coming weeks, get some sort of algae bloom. But...maybe not! The light seems ever so slightly whiter than my true 10k's. It is just as intense thouogh! I tried to fire a 175W Venture metal halide light in the fixture but it didnt work. The ballast in the fixture is just a typical core and coil.

I heard that some Iwasaki's work on a mercury vapor ballast. I also heard they are VERY yellow. Why dont they cause massive algae blooms? Just a thouoght. This whole setup cost me $40. If it works well.....I believe it could be the next South Down!!!!!!!!!

Dennis

[thezookeeper]

Check out my latest thread..."Check this out" in this forum. THOSE are Iwasaki's on Mercury Vapor ballasts. Iwasaki's are ideal lights for the PAR and spectrum you get. I believe the double ended HQI's are as well. The Iwasaki's are a mercury vapor bulb as well. HTH

[img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]
Joanne

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That which does not kill us makes us stronger...like lifting those salt buckets.

[Ninong]

The Iwasaki lamp is a metal halide lamp that was designed to replace mercury vapor lamps, which is why it was designed to run on the existing mercury vapor ballasts.

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

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"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."—George W. Bush, Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001

[ravenmore]

I've heard the iwasaki's have a more blue tint when run on merc vapor balasts. Haven't tested it myself though. Has anyone else?

-Mike

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I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything.

Website

[Ninong]

Ravenmore ~

There have been a lot of postings on all of the boards to the effect that the 250w Iwasakis are whiter with MV ballasts. There seems to be a noticeable difference in the spectral distribution between the 250w size and the 400w size, with the 250w size exhibiting less yellow than the larger size.

Here are some pics Joanne just took of her 75-gal tank lit with 2x250w 6500K Iwasakis on MV ballasts. She took pics with and without the actinics. You will notice that even in the pic of the Iwasakis alone, there is much less yellow than you usually associate with these lamps. Also, her actinic supplementation consists of 2x40w NO fluorescent actinics. Anyone using 2x110w VHO actinics to supplement their 250w Iwasakis on MV ballasts could expect an even more bluish-white appearance. Here is the link: http://zookeepersreef.homestead.com/Opening.html

Ninong [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

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"I'm hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure."—George W. Bush, Interview with the Associated Press, Jan. 18, 2001

[ravenmore]

thanks Ninong. [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img] They sure look pretty white in the photo's, assuming the color is accurate(white balance can influence color rendition on digital cameras, as photo print processing can in film cameras). Looks pretty good.

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I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything.

Website

[jasonchi]

I have the same exact setup. 2x250w iwasaki 65k, advance MV ballast with CAP. They don't look as white as the pic. If I turn off actnic, they looks yellow. with my 2x110w actnic on, they looks perfect.

[thezookeeper]

The coloring in the photos you see is accurate. They were as white as they look without actinics. They have a yellow cast when just turned on. But after a few minutes when they warm up, they are the white that you see. I was skeptical at first too. But the MV ballasts definately make a difference. HTH somebody!

P.S. My MV ballasts do NOT have the capicitor. This may make I difference, I don't know.

[img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]
Joanne

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That which does not kill us makes us stronger...like lifting those salt buckets.

[This message has been edited by thezookeeper (edited 05-29-2001).]

[Ninong]

Moved to Lighting forum.