Halide Q & A

[big cats]

I have talked to the owner of the company and he said that they are made in China..the problem I have is that I have friends that have been using them for a year+ without any issues..
So where should I go looking??

[sirreal63]

You just need to decide for yourself if you are ok with a device than can produce more than enough amperage to kill you, and if you are ok with it being built by a company that doesn't care the least bit about your safety, backed by a government that refuses to recognize our laws. You may never have a single issue with the product, but don't for one second assume it is built to the same standards or has passed any of the safety requirements that are required of products built in this country. If there is an issue, you have zero recourse. It may be nothing to worry about, but then it could be, but how would you ever know? If you buy a product built in Germany, Italy or most of the countries in the world, you have some recourse, but China is different, and there is no safety standards that they are bound to. For me it is an easy decision.

[big cats]

Well, where can I find the same type of fixtures available that are made here in the US that are somewhat comparable in price? Any good websites to check out?

[sirreal63]

Hamilton makes some, but in reality any one that isn't made in China is a safe bet. Marine Depot, Premium Aquatics, Aquacave are good places. AquaMedic, Geisman, to name a few. It is ok to ask here, someone will have knowledge or experience with a fixture.

[spider1218]

concerning the expense of a fixture
metal halide balasts start at about thirty dollars for a typical 175 watt or 250 watt setup
they are not electronic but if you are looking at expense only its a good way to go buy a good bulb at about 60.00 and a reflector from 30 to 80 dollars and you have a great light for say 120.00 to 200.00

[big cats]

Well, if I was going MH only expense wouldn't really be my concern. But I want to have some T5's on there for before and after the MH comes on and goes off. Not to say that it's necessary but right now with my LED's I notice that the corals "wake up" better when exposed to only the blue lights for at least 10mins before I turn the whites on.. and man do they do well, I've already had lots of propagation from them and they have only been in the tank for 2 months tops. My Duncan sprouted out 5 new heads at once..

[spider1218]

that is how my setup is only i have the old t8 bulbs for actinc
works great

[big cats]

Now, what if I were to get a ballast that is more safe than the ones manufactured in China?
would that work?

[k4ndyk1ng]

hi all!
i have a 48" x 24" x 12"h hoping for it to be sps dominant my question is sould i go for 2 x 150w halides and how much heat would these produce ?
tanks

[Daddeo]

Originally Posted by k4ndyk1ng

hi all!
i have a 48" x 24" x 12"h hoping for it to be sps dominant my question is sould i go for 2 x 150w halides and how much heat would these produce ?
tanks

You would be better off with 2X250 watt for SPS and the heat for the 250's is a good amount. I don't even have to run a heater! Water evaporation needs to be considered as well. I have 2X250 watt MH above my 120 and water lost to evaporation is about a 1/2" in my DT per day, on a 6 hour lighting schedule for the halides.

[sirreal63]

I don't think 250's would be better, the tank is only 12" high, but that also brings up whether it is better to use a low par 250 or a high par 150. I would skip the extra 200 watts and go with 150 over such a shallow tank. As far as how much heat you would get, 300 watts with the 150's or 500 watts of heat with the 250's.

[Daddeo]

Ah, my bad. I mis-read the dimensions.....

[big cats]

Hey sirreal63, if I were to get a safely made ballast and put it on that fixture I was talking about, would that be okay?

[sirreal63]

Yes, but I would open that fixture up and double check the wiring. I have owned Chinese equipment in the past, (Odyssea) and the wiring was not safe, loose connections poor routing, etc. You never know what you are going to get, so spend an hour and ensure that it is safe. Cheap stuff is cheap for a reason, usually because shortcuts are taken to reduce labor or products that are copied from other products, and while the Chinese are masters at copying design, they rarely copy the quality of materials. I know you want a fixture with T5's and you can get those and not have to worry about whether your fixture is a ticking time bomb or not.

[big cats]

That's true. Do you have any experience with a specific fixture that you know is a good quality one?

[sirreal63]

I have had good luck with AquaMedic but any of the name brands will serve you well, Geisman is also good, as is Hamilton, Sfiligoi is also very nice but expensive. Just avoid the cheap ones or when you do finsd something you like, don't be afraid to ask, chances are very good that someone here has one and can give you their thoughts on it.

[big cats]

Okay, so I know where to start my search then.

And another question for you, personally, what do you think gets better PAR ratings, MH or T5? Or rather, which of the two would give better PAR for my tank? Because I could go either way on this tank and just want to make sure I have something that will get the job done. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, or even that high tech.

[sirreal63]

No way to answer that, it is dependent on the bulbs and ballast and reflector, in both cases. A crappy MH could be blown away by a very good T5 or a crappy T5 could be blown away by a good MH. Either will work but it becomes a case of which you would rather use.

[big cats]

Okay. Well, I guess it will ultimately come down to what I am comfortable with I suppose..I know T5's fairly well with my FW experience..Not the slightest clue with MH, but I am one to always take on a challenge..Thanks for all your help! It's much appreciated!

[sirreal63]

If you go with T5, stay with the ATI fixture, it is hands down the best.

[big cats]

Are those the dimmable ones? What makes them better than the rest? Just been around the longest?

[sirreal63]

They do have ones that dim, but what makes ATI better is the ballasts are correct and the reflectors are about as good as you can get.

[k4ndyk1ng]

Originally Posted by sirreal63

I don't think 250's would be better, the tank is only 12" high, but that also brings up whether it is better to use a low par 250 or a high par 150. I would skip the extra 200 watts and go with 150 over such a shallow tank. As far as how much heat you would get, 300 watts with the 150's or 500 watts of heat with the 250's.

ok thanks ill go for the 2 x 150w

[cichlid1]

Hi, please help me!
I looking for any webshop, where can I buy G12 HID metal halide bulbs (I would like Ushio 150w 14000K) . Important thing: I live in Hungary, in Europe! Which webshop shipping ti Europe?

thanks
Gabor
ps: sorry for my wrong english

[Omie]

Hi RC,
I have a Marineland light fixture with a 150w mh HQI... I always buy the radium 150w 20k because i hear that is one of the best in the market. Anyway I order one and appears that is no longer selling it (or will be soon and I dont found it)... Well, my question is, wich is a great light that i can buy to replace my Radium MH?
Thanks,
Omar