# equipment questions



## vvolfe1 (Oct 9, 2006)

1. Are all MH lights the same? I can get some Basic MH lights for free and was wondering if they'd work? 

2. Decided on going with a corner tank due to limitations of area to put a tank. Are there any real drawbacks to a corner tank? The LFS in my are has a 45 but they told me a 92 is available. Which one would be better?

3. Might sound stupid but is it ok to have live rock shipped this time of year?
It is getting kinda cold out there.

Probably should of stated this first but I am hopeing to put together a reef tank. Probably will start out FOWLR for awhile till I get some real experience under my belt. Then gradually put in some corals and things.

Thanks for the Help


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

bet the MH's would be great....after all , look what they do for indoor "houseplants" 46 vs 92 ..............bigger is always mo' betta don't know about the live rock


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## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

I may be wrong, but I think that too much light can be harmful to corals? Burn them? I talked to a guy who had like 400w over his 24g. He said that he would only keep on his MH for like 3-4 hours becasue more would burn his corals. What is the fun in that? Let me know if i'm wrong


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## Reefneck (Oct 15, 2005)

No they are NOT all the same! The ones you can get "free" are not the correct spectrum of light. They will spell death for a reef! You can NOT be cheap in this hobby! Spend the money for the right equipment or don't do it at all.


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## Reefneck (Oct 15, 2005)

BV77 said:


> bet the MH's would be great....after all , look what they do for indoor "houseplants" 46 vs 92 ..............bigger is always mo' betta don't know about the live rock


That is a ridiculous statement! Houseplants (Cannibas) are nowhere close to the same as a living animal like Corals! And being so general with the "bigger is always mo' betta" statement is wrong! As well as improper grammar & Spelling!

Using your analogy, Petco is better than any LFS because they is "Bigger"! Oh wait, I guess they must be since they carry "Mo betta"s than the LFS do!


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## vvolfe1 (Oct 9, 2006)

Reefneck said:


> No they are NOT all the same! The ones you can get "free" are not the correct spectrum of light. They will spell death for a reef! You can NOT be cheap in this hobby! Spend the money for the right equipment or don't do it at all.


Actually last night I read the ballasts and lamps for the first time.. They burn @ 14k. After doing some research I found out that the differences in them is the temp the gas gets. 5k produces a yellow light while 20k produces more blue in the spectrum. So I guess they will work well. I might get some actinics though and package them in a nice hood. Then time them to turn on before and off after the hallides. A buddy of mine had a great idea with blue LEDs for moonlights and a 555 timer. I'll have to try them tonight.


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

where are you getting MH's for free? might be some good info for some of our members. Personally I wouldn't benifet as I do strictly FW and mostly african cichlids but alot of the SW folks migh be really interested in this


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## Reefneck (Oct 15, 2005)

Hmm, You ask the question are they all the same. I answer and tell you no and then you tell me I am wrong in different words??

Ok, Free or not I would not put them on my reef with thousands of dollars in corals.

Good Luck.


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

I agree with reef in the fact that in the real world you normally get what you pay for. Cheap filters are usually just that ... cheap, normally inadequate and sevearly lacking in functionality and any creature comforts. more pricey filters are normally better, more effecient and have niceities (quick disconnects for example) built in to make mantenance easier. Now I've used a basic thing like a filter as an example as they are similar in their basic form in FW and SW. but I'm sure the lighting and ballasts still hold to this. 

HOWEVER, I also know full well that in many cases it's "who you know" as to what you are going to pay for like items. You might have an awesome contact that's looking to make money on the back end with the repalcement bulbs versus upfront on the initial set up. BUT Free sure seems like it'd take them a long time to make up the initial loss if it's indeed a good quality ballast and bulb setup.


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

i just want to point something out, the fact that you find free mh lights from a home depot or a set up for lighting a building, doesnt mean they are going to keep your coral alive. 14k is simply the color the bulb makes, it says nothing about the par value as it penetrates water. dont think for a second that your the first person to think of using other mh systems, there are thousands of people out there doing the same thing, looking for every alternative to try to save a little here and there. but getting the wrong lights isnt gonna be one of the ways. instead of getting free lights, try to find a nice used set for super cheap on ebay or something. 

what wattage are the bulbs your trying to get anyway?>


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## DanCoFishTails (Oct 6, 2006)

Okay, My 2 Cents....

If you go with the free MH, you need to go with the free corals too. Why you ask?

Because you will not be worried about the money you spent on the corals you kill.

As an LFS Owner,
I would suggest you buy the correct lighting up front, not because of the replacement bulbs, but because you will have the correct wattage, par rating and ballast for your aquarium.


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## im_a_clownfish (Sep 19, 2005)

but if he has a ballast and housing for the mh lights (that will run proper aquarium lights, and will support the wattage,current, etc.), and buys the proper lights, I don't see him having a problem. It will save him buying the whole ballast and housing.....But yes, I wouldnt use the free bulbs you got. Not a good idea...


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

the problem is, he doesnt know for sure if they are the correct wattage, par, and many many many other things that corals need. just because they are metal halide, doesnt mean anything. these fish light companies spend lots of money doing the reasearch to provide the best lights they can. if it was just that easy as finding some free lights. wouldnt everyone be doing it?


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## vvolfe1 (Oct 9, 2006)

After doing some research I can say a few things that might help people out that do not want to spend hundreds of dollars for a lighting system. As for ballasts they are pretty much all the same. They are basically a transformer with a firing mechanism in them for intial start up. So you'd need to match the lamp with the ballast to be correct. The lamps or bulbs are a different story from what I have read in the last day or so. MH lamps can produce extreme amounts of UV radiation. Some manufaturers use special glass or coatings on the lamps to reduce the uv while others reduce it with the luminare and cover to be put over it. As for the spectrum they are all very close to the same. Some 14k's burn at 15k while others burn at 13k. I guess I'll break out my spectrometer and check it out to be sure. I also do not know if they are using a different chemical make up in the actual arc part but I really doubt that.


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

all transformers are not created equal though and many higher end ballasts have coditioners that condition the intput and/or out put voltages of the transformer for a more stable and uniform output to the bulb extending the bulb life dramatically. nothing shortens a bulbs life quicker than dips and spikes in power (well continuious on and off cycling maybe  )


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

as for the uv. most double ended bulbs need a sheet of uv glass, but i believe the mogul (screw in) bulbs have it on the actual bulb itself, (at least aquarium bulbs do.)


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## vvolfe1 (Oct 9, 2006)

leveldrummer thanks for the replies. As the moguls go that is just basically the type of socket the lamps fit. As for the bulbs I can get they need a cover over them. The aquarium bulbs most have a different type of glass or a coating on the glass.
Thanks again


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