Thinking of going 150w HQI to 175w SE. Advise!

[TheReefGeek]

Im not so sure about a 175 MH being the same as a 2x96w, have any proof of this for us? The reading I have done suggests that MH can penetrate much better than PCs, regardless of watts.

[Funky_Fish14]

The HQI actually use more than 150W, the 150W is just an approximating figure. People hook up a 250W HQI ballast to a regular 250W SE to overdrive the bulb and get more output. Anyways, theoretically both are about the same and if you are happy with what you've got, the change is just a waste of time IMO. Also, everyone is talking about the 15W difference, 150 and 175 are actually 25W's apart

Cheers,

Chris

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Funky_Fish14

The HQI actually use more than 150W, the 150W is just an approximating figure.

No 150W is a designed figure of what the bulb will actually use, and no the bulb doesn't use any more than that, aside from the standard deviation inherent with all manufacturing. so one might be 145W one might be 155W but they are all designed to use 150W and should be with in a set tolerance of that number.

Originally Posted by Funky_Fish14

People hook up a 250W HQI ballast to a regular 250W SE to overdrive the bulb and get more output.

Chris

OK people, I am getting tired of repeating myself here, well maybe not
A 250W HQI ballast will not overdrive a 250 watt bulb, it just applies the current and voltages in a different manor but the end result to the bulb is still 250W. so you are not overdriving the bulb but rather running it properly. If you want to get technical the HQI ballast is the closes thing we have to an European ballast and it will drive European bulbs correctly. and sense all our bulbs are based off German bulbs, you do the math..........

Steve

[Invigor]

You're outta your mind to give up a 150w hqi for a 175w mogul

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

Im not so sure about a 175 MH being the same as a 2x96w, have any proof of this for us? The reading I have done suggests that MH can penetrate much better than PCs, regardless of watts.

ya, at 20" of depth through water the PAR from my 175 was only 5% higher than the PAR from my twin 96 watt PC set up.

do a search and you will see all kinda of light testing I did about 3 or 4 years ago

Steve