New lighting for a 90 gal?

[MNGold15]

I am looking to upgrade my current lighting on my 90 gal, (4 ft.). I have the coralife mh 2x150w fixture and the 96w actinics. I am thinking I need more light than that, and I was just wondering what everyone suggests. Thanks!

[storrisch]

if you do upgrade I might know someone from work that would be interested in that coralife fixture....just an FYI

[MNGold15]

Sweet sounds good. It is only about 4 months old.

[wolmutt]

I have the same fixture, but the 250w ballasts and lights. I like it, but it sits really close to the water with the legs supplied, and was a little over priced IMO. If I were to get a fixture now I would want T5 supplements instead of PC. I know USA Current has a fixture with T5 HO and 2-250w halides, but I'm not sure what to think of the fixtures from that company yet.

[mattb]

Do you want to build your own hood, or buy something? I'd get away from the Corallife stuff... A good solution could be to get two lumenarc 3s ( may be even the minis) and get a dual 250 watt HQI pfo ballast, and run Radiums. Very nice.... But it depends on what you want to do.

[oyam123]

Im not much for DIY, so I got a 2x250w MH and 2x110w VHO hood from Hamilton. Plug& Play, love it. cost was $700. I think it was worth it after pricing out ballasts, bulbs, fans, hood etc.
Dirk has some nice PFO hoods...PM him.

[mattb]

Hamilton does have nice stuff. I've got a 4' 3 x 250 watt HQI with 2 * 54w T5s.

[MNGold15]

I was thinking of Hamilton. Does anyone have a link to the fixture? I am not a big fan of the coralife fixture, the reflectors are way to small IMO. But I was also wondering if the 250w ballasts would just plug into the 150w fixture, and of course change to 250w bulbs. I used to have alot of coralife things, then I learned some things, lol. They work alright, but not near as good as the more expensive competitors. I would DIY, but I want it to turn out nice, as I am building a new canopy for what ever fixture I end up with.

[MNGold15]

nevermind about the link. I found hamiltons website, lol.

[kjdeut]

Can you use your old fixture and replace the sockets and ballast? When I first got my 92 I had a Jalli 2x150 hqi with 1x96 PC actininc. I pretty much ripped the guts out and replace them with 2x250 hqi. I had to get the 250hqi sockets and ballast but they were a lot cheaper then buying an entire new light fixture.

Ken

[MNGold15]

Well I think I found a fixture I fell in love with from hamilton. It is the 4' PROTOSTAR 250 WATT 10,000K HQI & FLUORESCENT 110W VHO. oyam123 is this the one you have? If so, where did you get it for $700? Hamilton charges $889 for it. If I can get that fixture for $700, I think my coralife fixture will be for sale. :smile:

[David Grigor]

But I was also wondering if the 250w ballasts would just plug into the 150w fixture, and of course change to 250w bulbs.

250W DE bulbs are longer and wider than 150W. So in addition to changing out/ replacing the ballasts, you have to replace and retrofit a new socket, likely having to make a special bracket to mount the socket on and cut away some of the reflector. Even then the reflector distance from the bulb will have changed and likely not as effecient. While it is technically possible the work involved you won't be able to put it reverse the changes and make trying to resale it virtually impossable once butchered, your better off just selling the unit as is and purchasing something else. Especially since you mention you don't have much DIY skills.....

As far as hamiliton, be sure it comes with parabolic reflectors. I know some hamilton reflectors just paint the inside white and not parabolic so likely not as effecient at maximizing light.

[oyam123]

Well I think I found a fixture I fell in love with from hamilton. It is the 4' PROTOSTAR 250 WATT 10,000K HQI & FLUORESCENT 110W VHO. oyam123 is this the one you have? If so, where did you get it for $700? Hamilton charges $889 for it. If I can get that fixture for $700, I think my coralife fixture will be for sale. :smile:

I got the SE one...I dont like the DE/HQI bulbs, its just not the same MH look.

[mattb]

Well I think I found a fixture I fell in love with from hamilton. It is the 4' PROTOSTAR 250 WATT 10,000K HQI & FLUORESCENT 110W VHO. oyam123 is this the one you have? If so, where did you get it for $700? Hamilton charges $889 for it. If I can get that fixture for $700, I think my coralife fixture will be for sale. :smile:

This is what I have, with an additional hqi bulb in it over a 120. It's really nice, yes it's got reflectors. It's really bright, I like the bulbs too, though am now trying out the Giesemans Marine 13k, very similar in appearance to the eye. Sanjay doesn't have any specs about this bulb though, so I can't really tell you about how their spectrums differ.

Also remember that 250w HQIs aren't really 250w, more like 360. I had an electrician measure the amperages with an amp meter starting them up. Each ballast was drawing close to 6 amps each. So make sure you've got the amps to support them.

[MNGold15]

250W DE bulbs are longer and wider than 150W. So in addition to changing out/ replacing the ballasts, you have to replace and retrofit a new socket, likely having to make a special bracket to mount the socket on and cut away some of the reflector. Even then the reflector distance from the bulb will have changed and likely not as effecient. While it is technically possible the work involved you won't be able to put it reverse the changes and make trying to resale it virtually impossable once butchered, your better off just selling the unit as is and purchasing something else. Especially since you mention you don't have much DIY skills.....

As far as hamiliton, be sure it comes with parabolic reflectors. I know some hamilton reflectors just paint the inside white and not parabolic so likely not as effecient at maximizing light.

Thanks david, I think I will just end up buying a whole new fixture, I just wasnt sure if there was a size difference between the 150w and 250w. The hamilton fixture I am looking at says it has the hammertone strip reflector. Is that the better one? Otherwise is there another fixture you would recommend. I have done alot of DIY, but want it to look very clean, and I dont really trust myself. :brainoverload:

oyam123, I guess I have never really seen a difference between the SE and DE bulbs. I have never seen them running side by side so I guess I really never thought there would be a difference. I really like the overall look of that fixture, and i deff. want VHO actinics. Whould you buy a different fixture if you could, or would you stick with the one you have.

Thank you all for the help/comments.

[mattb]

DEs are brighter due to the increased wattage...

[David Grigor]

I don't recall where the white paper is ( search on RC perhaps ) but there were some numbers done on hammertone vs. parabolic. Like everything some hammertones did quite well and even better than some parabolics but not all were created equal and some hammertones were quite poor.

You'd probably be quite surprised if you haven't already done a wattage reading on your current 150W HQI. I had the aquamedic 3X150W spacelights and they actual draw a little over 200w each.......

[storrisch]

have you looked at AquaMedic fixtures as well? Dirk carries them. I was using the Oceanlight Pendant over my 26. They make a 250 w/ HO t5's

[MNGold15]

I have looked at aquamedic a little, but I seem to be leaning towards the hamilton. Ocean Devotion (Ed) told me that he could get me the DE 250w mh with the 110 vhos for low $800's. So far thats what I am considering. Any opinions about that?

[storrisch]

If you are building a canopy for it I would personally just order a retrofit kit. It would save you a decent amount.

from Marineandreef.com
http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/metal_halide_Ham250_Re250.html
48" 2x250W 10K 2-96W Actinic Bulbs 48" x 9.0" x 5.0" $574.40

[Dirk Griffin]

I have quite a few 4' hoods, some with MH and DE hqi, they are more $$ but also better quality hoods, IMO
There is a Pfo pro 2xMH your choice of wattage, 2 vho and 2 fans
-Pfo Acro hood 2x250hqi, 2 vho
-Aqua medic NG 2x250hqi, 4 T-5's
-Aqua medic Space/Ocean lights 2x250hqi some with 150hqi, others with 2x24w pc's
And as long as we are at it, for anyone else
For 4' hoods with other lighting
-Pfo 4x110w vho
-Custom sea life 4x96w pc's
-All glass 2x55w pc, have 3' also
6' hoods,2/3 Aquamedic Space/Ocean lights 3x250w w/2x150hqi or 4x24w pc

Dirk 651-388-7319

[storrisch]

told you Dirk had it. (I think that could be a new blanket statement)