5500K Mh light

[rossb]

Does anyone have an opinion on 5500K Mh lights? I can get these for about 35 bucks US in a medium base (which I need). The 6500 and 10K and easily double that. This would be for a tanks with invertebrates and some fish.

Failing that does anybody have a mogul base Mh pendant only (I have a ballast)?

[Bob I]

I am assuming the bulb would be for our new fixture? Most of the literature states that midday lighting in the tropics is 5500K. In othere words you should be fine. If you can still access my website after the recent move, you will see pics with an old 5500K Coralife bulb. If you cannot get it let me know and I will send you some pics.
Bob

[Canadian Man]

5500k are ok. Bob should be agreeing with me that they are as well.
He has one and apparently used it for along time.
You will probably have to add quite alot of actinic's to make the color to your liking but it will work.

If you need a pendant reflector I have some extra but it's only the reflector and you would have to get a socket for it.

[Canadian Man]

Good timing Bob!
Same post time! 8) :D

[reefburnaby]

Hi,

5500K is fine as long as you don't mind the slight yellow/green tint. Also, I would check if the bulb has UV shielding -- not all domestic bulbs have this and they are designed to operate in an enclosure (i.e. outdoor applications).

A medium base MH bulb is not very common for the usually 175W and above lamps. They are usually used in the smaller wattages. So, I would check compatibility between the ballast and bulb before it is turned on (usually the ANSI code works).

- Victor.

[Delphinus]

Um ...... from what I was able to read about those solar system ballasts, they use some kind of proprietary bulb. It's not just any random 175W halide with a medium base. Nobody but Coralife has a product that dims halides -- this concerns me. (Icecap kind of does, but only a half-intensity output -- not a ramping dimming like these.) It's your risk of course, but, I urge caution before committing to anything. You could be risking exploding bulbs -- I've had a halide bulb explode in my tank and it cost me several pieces of livestock due to the UV burn :( So please be absolutely, absolutely sure you know what you're doing!!! Check that the bulb you want to get can work on the ballast -- maybe send an email to Coralife and ask them.

Good luck!

[rossb]

I had considered the ramping nature of he ballastt. With the coralife ballast you can set the ramping to 0, so it should beclose to a normal ballast. Given the cost of saltwater gear, I was thinking on saving a bit of cash...

[Bob I]

I have not yet found a Coralife URL that takes me directly to Coralife. As to the Coralife 10,000K bulb that came with the fixture. I really like it. The color rendition is quite wonderful. Also my animals like it, so if I have to save up my change, and buy a bulb once a year, I am prepared. I have seen the bulb listed at Champion lighting for $89.00 US. I am going to shoot an email to Brian at Hellolights to see if he has access. If he does we can get AJ at Aquarium pros to get them for us.

[Bob I]

I urge caution before committing to anything. You could be risking exploding bulbs -- I've had a halide bulb explode in my tank and it cost me several pieces of livestock due to the UV burn

There is a UV shield on the fixture. :D

[rossb]

89 buck is starting to sound OK. I have only found them for $119 USD. I think that the 10K is a good idea

The manufactures web site is here
http://www.esuweb.com/new_site/

[Bob I]

I went to their website and found nothing on that syatem. Have you found a writeup anywhere?

[Delphinus]

Sorry -- I didn't mean to pee on the parade. :shock: I just meant, whatever you do, be careful and good luck. I can find the rain on a perfectly sunny cloudless day, and sometimes forget that others don't always have the same bad luck I do!

The colour of that bulb was quite nice. And the ramping was the coolest feature I've ever seen on a ballast... if perhaps a little scary..

Good point about the on/off option. If you were to go that way, I don't see any reason why you couldn't just move the cable over to a mogul base socket.

But, if the bulb is $89 then that's actually not too bad a price, that's roughly the same ballpark as any other 175W/10K, so that could make the whole issue a non-issue.

cheers

[rossb]

I have searched quite a bit and have not found anything technical about this system. I am still looking.

Pee on the parade...Hahhh! I think every comment is a good thing and the extra reminders of things to consider are great. it is one of the tragic things about getting older..you mind is the first to go...thanks

BTW...new tank is up and running in freshwater mode!

[Bob I]

89 buck is starting to sound OK. I have only found them for $119 USD.

Sorry, that should have read $109.90 US. I quoted from the wrong line. :(. It is looking like it is going to cost dearly for that special feature. :)

[rossb]

So Bob now that you have this nice rampable MH pendant ... this means you might have 175W Mh with a mogul base for sale???

[Bob I]

So Bob now that you have this nice rampable MH pendant ... this means you might have 175W Mh with a mogul base for sale???

I am dreaming of possibilities.
#1- sell the entire Mogul base system with bulbs.
#2 - Keep the ballast, as it is possible to get a regular medium base bulb for the pendant & hook it up to the ballast, if the proper bulbs get too expensive & then sell the pendant and the bulbs.
#3 - Keep everything

The bulbs for the pendant are
#1 - Xanium H3 15000K bulb (two months old)
#2 - 10000K bulb ( six months old)
#3 - 5500K Coralife bulb (one year+ old)

If I sell the pendant the bulbs have to go with it.

So, make offers, and if workable we can see. :D :D :D