Whats the future for MH lights SE vs DE

keqwow · 01-04-2006, 09:55 AM

I am just doing some research and making plans for the hood I am planning to build for my 55 gallon tank. Someone mentioned in one of my other posts that they thought SE MH lamps might go away in the future and the DE is what the "new" direction that most MH reef lighting will go towards. I was just hoping to get some more opinions on this. If I am going to make the investment, I don't want to be spending big bucks on the VHS system if DVDs are the new wave. Another reason I am wondering about this is because the DE are more expensive...more expensive ballasts....then you have to get a glass shield of some sort to protect from the UV rays etc. etc. Seems like the SE MH lamps are still pretty popular, and easier/slightly cheaper to install. Again...I appreciate any thoughts or opinions on the subject.

110galreef · 01-04-2006, 10:02 AM

I don't forsee SE going any time soon. The DE has advantages as well as disadvantages.

The popularity of SE may decline but they will not be gone in a few years. You also can get electronic balast and run both the SE and DE with these. So maybe get the electronic balast for now the you can always change to either bulb type.

I wouldn't base a buying decision on this. Weigh the options as you see them now and then buy what makes sense.

I just bought the Ice Cap 250 electronic ballast to run a SE 250 bulb for now. They were like $40 more than magnetic, but that way if I wanted to upgrade to DE I very easily could!

reef_noob · 01-04-2006, 11:45 AM

I think that in terms of commercially available fixtures, DE are much more attractive(size, can easily use the same case for different wattage bulbs, most fixtures have glass anyway, etc...) , and as such most large scale manufacturers will go that way(you can already see the trend that way). For custom/retrofit, SE will probably still have longevity, mostly because of the need to shield DE, which may be impractical in a custom canopy. That said, I just put a 70w DE retrofit into a floodlight case that I never could've fit a se bulb into.

I don't think that SE bulbs will be hard to find in a few years, but I still suspect that they will ultimately be the less popular option, particularly as more affordable commercially available fixtures come on the market.