help me decide.

[StirCrazy]

Ok, I have come to the cross roads and I can't decide.. well I probably can but I am having a hard time. I have to chose between setting up two 150 watt 10000K DE HQI MH or two 250 watt 10000K MH bulb. so lets hear your views on the two choices please.

Steve

[Mak]

Oh my God... Stircrazy look at your number of posts :D . But seriously I think I would go with the 250's but the price between the 2 bulbs would probably be the final factor. How much more are the HQI's?

[StirCrazy]

the two setups would actualy be the same price.. the HQI bulbs are cheeper but the ballasts are more.. so the money isn't a concern.. what I am trying to figure out is would a 150 watt osram 10000K Double ended HQI bulb have more output than a 250 watt osram 10000K MH (normal style)

I should also add that I am putting a 6" sand bed in so that will make my water colume only 18" deep.

Steve

[ 31 March 2002, 22:53: Message edited by: StirCrazy ]

[Mak]

Hmmm... You got me thinking. From what I read in another post they were using a 400w Ushio and switched to a 400w HQI and said the HQI appeared to be 15-20% brighter if thats the case then IMO I would go for the 250's. Now I'm thinking with my new 90g I'll go with a 400w HQI (don't need the price of 2 bulbs) considering the old ballast is kinda old. Good luck!!! plenty of more brain boggler's ahead!!! :D

[ 31 March 2002, 23:25: Message edited by: TRIGGER_HAPPY ]

[One_Divided]

I say you take the advise of the article you love to refer to so much and go for the 150 hqis.. :D

Also keep in mind the HQIs last longer too.

Or IMO you could do the smart thing and go 250w iwasakis tongue.gif

[StirCrazy]

Originally posted by One_Divided:
Or IMO you could do the smart thing and go 250w iwasakis tongue.gif <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">thoes are not one of the choices so I won't even entertain that sugesstion. The problem with that article is that no one around here caries the AB HQI's if they did there would be no desision.

the choice I am trying to make is between a double ended HQI and a normal MH bulb which are both 10000K, not between different MH bulbs of various colour.

Steve

[Mak]

Stircrazy, looking around it looks like these HQI's you want aren't going to be brighter over the 250's. I'm no scientist but looking over this, a user said 15-20% brighter and the manufacturer's claim 30-40%, if this is so 15% brighter= 172.5w lowest and 40% brighter= 210w highest, but no way I belive 40% I would guess more like 25%=187.5w JMO. BUUUTTTTTT I think you already have your mind made up(just read your other thread) and are just looking for someone to say GO AHEAD sounds awesome! If you go with the HQI's the rest of us could learn from your venture!!! ;)

[StirCrazy]

Ok I have been looking around and I can't get a strait answer from J&L on what brand "german" refers to so I decided to save my money for now and skip the MH lighting. the way I see it is it will be about 6 months to a year till I need them and maby more testing will have been done by then. also that is 500.00 that can be spent better elsewhare.. like 90lbs of rock. smile.gif

I think for now I will just upgrade my actinic to PC so I will have 5, 96 watt PC bulbs. that should be able to keep mushrooms and such smile.gif

Steve

[Mak]

Good call, it will give you time to make a decision you won't regret ;) . That's about when I'm going to be needing my new MH's :cool: . It's going to be a long 6-12 months...