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WTB Metal Halide Setup


ocboat

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I've set up a carpet anemone tank and would like to try an old school halide over it.  I dug out an older 250w Aquamedic space light but the reflector is very small and I don't think its providing the spread or PAR that I'm looking for.  I'm hoping someone out there has a 250w setup that includes a ballast and a decent pendant, I'm not worried about a bulb since I would expect to have to purchase a new one.  I'd even be interested in just a pendant since I could probably figure out a way to get it to work with my current ballast with some splicing.  Thanks.

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4 hours ago, ocboat said:

I've set up a carpet anemone tank and would like to try an old school halide over it.  I dug out an older 250w Aquamedic space light but the reflector is very small and I don't think its providing the spread or PAR that I'm looking for.  I'm hoping someone out there has a 250w setup that includes a ballast and a decent pendant, I'm not worried about a bulb since I would expect to have to purchase a new one.  I'd even be interested in just a pendant since I could probably figure out a way to get it to work with my current ballast with some splicing.  Thanks.

I have some available, make me an offer.

I recommend the green ballasts for a single light, blue if you want two lights.

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My 2 cents..and trust me, I have more MH ballast and refector experience than anyone on this forum than anyone.  I would go with lad a sharks refectors and kshacks selecta watt.  Running a 250 at about 300 watts produces ideal light. 

You can pm me and i can talk bulb colors if you want. 

If you want DA BALLER' MH setup, like out of this world good.. try to find a used geisman spectra. 

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On 12/2/2021 at 9:47 PM, pdxmonkeyboy said:

My 2 cents..and trust me, I have more MH ballast and refector experience than anyone on this forum than anyone.  I would go with lad a sharks refectors and kshacks selecta watt.  Running a 250 at about 300 watts produces ideal light. 

You can pm me and i can talk bulb colors if you want. 

If you want DA BALLER' MH setup, like out of this world good.. try to find a used geisman spectra. 

@ocboat I agree 100% on the Giesemann Spectra. I have one and the Radium MH & Blue+ bulb combo is the best color blend I’ve ever come across. Tossing some 450/470nm LED strips for pop and that’s the best lighting ever. I am not really open for selling but I guess everything can be for sale at the right price. 
 

But I do have a Hamilton Cabo Sun Large Mogul and a 400w ballast and Radium 400w if you’re interested. 

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Dang, I've got two of those reflectors that Ladashark has along with two 250W+HQI selectawatt ballasts sitting under my bed waiting for a rainy day. With brand new Radium bulbs too. This set up grew SPS like crazy, but I couldn't handle the heat in my house or in the tank. PDXMonkeyboy is right on the 300W output, because they were significantly hotter (temperature) running the 250W+HQI setting on selectawatt than my old blue magnetic ballasts.

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I've sourced a 250w select-a-watt ballast but I am still looking for just the right pendant style reflector to go with it.  Thanks for everyone's suggestions so far and those that are answering my PMs.  I just wish I would have held on to all my older MH equipment that I have used over the years.

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28 minutes ago, ocboat said:

I've sourced a 250w select-a-watt ballast but I am still looking for just the right pendant style reflector to go with it.  Thanks for everyone's suggestions so far and those that are answering my PMs.  I just wish I would have held on to all my older MH equipment that I have used over the years.

Well, what is the size of the area you are lighting?   I have tried several several "aquarium" reflectors.  Some were pretty good.. some.. like the Hamilton cayman sun.. I was like "where the hell is the light going"  certainly not down.    The reefbrite hood looks pretty solid and ..Reefbrites.   You could also go ebay cheee-I-nah  T% and halide hood.  T5 and MH are kind of the best of both worlds.   

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The tank is a 24"x24"x20"cube, 50 gallons.  I know what you mean by "where the hell is the light going", that's what I said about my Aquamedic space light.  I was getting less than 100 Par on the sand bed and barely 150 higher in the tank.  That's not very good considering that the M80 ballast is pulling 330 watts.  I am considering the Reef Brite pendants but was hoping to find something used and less expensive to make sure that I even want to run with MH.

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  • 1 month later...
5 hours ago, ocboat said:

Bumping back up to see if anyone has either a single or double ended pendant laying around.

I do have the 400w single pendant with the big hood and a radium 20k bulb. Likely cover all of your 24”x 24” tank. Not pretty but gets the job done. 
 

I got it on a frag trade, so if you want to do a trade for it also that would work. Located in Vancouver WA

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17 hours ago, DaveZ said:

I do have the 400w single pendant with the big hood and a radium 20k bulb. Likely cover all of your 24”x 24” tank. Not pretty but gets the job done. 
 

I got it on a frag trade, so if you want to do a trade for it also that would work. Located in Vancouver WA

That's a bit bigger than I'm looking for but I will definitely keep you in mind if I can't find something a little smaller.  Thanks.

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