MH Ques?

[aquaticsdeptleader]

Hi

I have looked at many diffrent websites and have yet to find any concrete information about mh fixtures.

there are multiple kinds of ballastis (which is better) or is this a matter of oponion for me i would prefer versitility

the kelvin scale on these bulbs do you need certin ballasts to fire the diffrent ks or is wattage the only determineing factor?

radium bulbs?

double ended bulbs?

iam clueless here can someone please help me out

or point in a more benficial research direction

thanks

jim

[Hommeworks]

I'm not specifically knowledgeable in this area, but I got 1 ballast from PFO Lighting which is a dual. I can plug two MH fixtures into it. Not sure if you've seen the ballasts for MH, but they are large and heavy. Having one unit with dual attachments is space saving.

Not sure if PFO is only manufacturer offering this.

[tdwyatt]

Photosynthesis and photoadaptation

Sanjay's DYI MH lamps

Spectral analysis and MH ballasts, Is there a difference???

Spectral analysis 400 watt lamps (part 1)

$00watt used bulbs (Part 2)

250 watt bulb comparison (part 3)

This should give you some leads to investigate.

Hope this helps

[aquaticsdeptleader]

thanks guys

information provided is great exactly what i was looking for

thnaks again

jim

[aquaticsdeptleader]

from waht i have red so far i like ice cap ballasts and iwaski 6500 k bulbs anybody have any other oponions

i want to buy mh's but i dont want to pay bmw dollars for pinto quality

thanks

jim

[tdwyatt]

Originally posted by aquaticsdeptleader
from waht i have red so far i like ice cap ballasts and iwaski 6500 k bulbs anybody have any other oponions... ...i want to buy mh's but i dont want to pay bmw dollars for pinto quality

If you are handy, you can purchace the Advance tar ballasts and do a great job with dyi stuff to make a hood. If you want to go with an electronic ballast, both the blueline and Icecaps are fantastic, and are ABSOLUTELY SILENT IN OPERATION! I am in the midsts of replacing all the PFO duals (about 4 yrs old and getting loud) with the newest Icecap 250 watt HQI ballasts. They will fire any bulb reliably and do not depend on a particular brand of bulb to do their job. I am driving the 12K Sunbursts with them without problems and have the 6500K Iwasaki bulbs ready to go into the next test. I will post if I find any problems, but the most outstanding thing so far is that they work with every bulb I have tried so far: no oscellations, no flickers, and no restrikes. ICECAP HAS GOTTEN THESE RIGHT!

Cost of operation and heat and noise are definitely the primary considerations I had for deciding to upgrade the ballasts. The buLbs appear to burn brighter with the Icecaps that they did with the PFOs, but you can get a dual PFO (already wired in a sealed unit) for around $150 US if you shop around, wheras the Icecaps are about $130 each (one bulb only). At this cost difference, if you figure on around 6 or 7 cents for a KwH for power, it will take around 3 to 4 years for the energy savings to pay for the Icecaps (see Sanjay's article link above). However, if the indirect costs (cooling for the house, for example, or the noise factor) and the extended life of the bulbs are taken into account, and if the improved quality of the units and their higher outputs are factored in, then the difference may become moot. Then again, if you go out and buy your Advance ballasts and capacitors and project case, you can build a ballast setup (less bulbs) for around $50 US/bulb. Hard to decide where to go with this, as there are many alternatives, and the costs of the actual materials may be offset by the convenience and energy savings of the Icecap units from the start. Heck, just the fact that the Icecaps MH electronic ballasts are so small and compact makes them worthwhile.

Much to consider, just my 2 cents worth. I am kicking myself for not getting the Icecap HQIs when they first became available, a much superior ballast.

[aquaticsdeptleader]

thank you

ok so my first real reef will be a 75 or 90 gallon tank looking for dual mh setup i like the iwasaki k6500 250 watt bulbs and the ice caps ballast tdwyatt i thought that icecaps were tuned specificaly to one bul and k the hqi will fire any though? i thought the hqis were the doubled ended or did i not absorb everything from your previous lesson. I dont like the dual ended the uv is not for me. Anyway my main questions is should i suppliment light for the corals with vho's. I know they will get all they need from the mh's but is there a need to get vho's for dawn dusk ect. also will 250's be enough for sps and claims or should i bite and buy 400's or can that icecap hqi run 400's without being reconfigured.

I know long winned many questions anyone how answers thank you very much for your time

jim

[cyberchef]

The new Ice Cap MH HQI ballast are for running the double ended bulbs but they will also run any of the other MH bulbs. Here's a link to thier website...

http://www.icecapinc.com/methal.htm

The 6500 K Iwasakis tend to look a little yellow (from what I've been told) so if you prefer a whiter or bluer look you will need to supplement with either VHO or PC actinics... It really breaks down to personal taste more than anything when it comes to the color of the light to match what each individual prefers...

[tdwyatt]

Originally posted by aquaticsdeptleader
also will 250's be enough for sps and claims or should i bite and buy 400's or can that icecap hqi run 400's without being reconfigured???

Hi Jim,

Don is correct on the post for the new Icecap MH ballasts. They utilize a sweeping frequency technique to make the ballast capable of firing ANY 250 watt metal halide bulb, regardless of its configuration and manufacturer. The other MH ballasts that are manufactured by Icecap are specifically tuned to match the needs of groups of bulbs (earlier fixes at meeting the needs of firing those bulbs) and I don't know whether or not they will continue to make those ballasts now that the HQI ballast is available to fire all types of bulbs. Check the link for more info. BTW, Icecap has definitely the best manufacturer/customer service in the industry, they will respond to emails, most often in the same day, and have been more than excellent in fixing problems due to customer misapplications, broken or "blown" ballasts, rewiring for new apps, etc., etc., etc.

The 250 watt ballasts will only run 250 watt bulb apps. They can be rewired for other wattage apps, but it will require shipping the ballast to Icecap for rewiring/servicing, so you'll need to make some type of allowance for surrogate sources of light during the overhaul. Unless your tank is REALLY deep, the 250 watt MH apps are more than adequate. Although some sps will do best under 400 watt intensity, it really is not necessary, and the 250's are the best for tanks in the 18 to 24 inch depth for MOST biotope apps (i.e., fore-reef and most reef top apps). If you wish to have a shallow reef top with only Acropora spp. and Pocillipora spp, etc., then you may want to consider the 400 watt systems, but this will limit your selection of specimens (i.e., they MUST all be very light needy specimens and those usually must be acclimated to that intensity of artificial light). Such a biotope would most likely benefit from the HQI apps as well. Interestingly enough, even with 400 watt lamps, we don't nearly reach the level of quantum energy at the surface of the water that the Sun provides in tropical latitudes...

Much to consider, but primarily it will depend on the biotope you wish to emulate.

Hope this helps.

[aquaticsdeptleader]

thank you guys

as always your help is greatly apprectiated

jim

[hondotob]

What are all the parts the Ice Cap HQI Ballast come with?
Thanks Bill

[tdwyatt]

Originally posted by hondotob
What are all the parts the Ice Cap HQI Ballast come with?
Thanks Bill

The ballast, and an owner's manual, and a registration card for the 3 year warranty.

That's it.

nothing else.

Oh yeah, the box it comes in...

Weighs maybe a pound or two, and it is small enough to fit in your hand.

Doesn't need a heat sink.

Incredible...

Makes all other ballasts obsolete.

Now, if they were about $50 each, they would be almost PERFECT!!!

[hondotob]

I'm turning my 100 gallon into a reef.I had a 55 gallon in the early 80's using the Berlin method and a complete hood from custom sea life i think it was anyway it had two 175 MH and two o3 blue's.The hum was to loud ,so i sold the tank about a year later.Right now i have a 29 gallon in my office with three 65 watt pc's.But the 100 gallon i want MH and i want to do it right this time with little or no noise.I was thinking two Ice cap 250 HQI 10,000 k .However i do not know what socket to get for the HQI bulb or what it's even called or what type of bulb also what type of fan and where it should be put.Thank You for any help you can give so that i can do it right the first time.
Thanks Bill

[tdwyatt]

There are many companies on the internet that sell aftermarket "retrofit" kits for HQI double ended bulbs, Hellolights is one such company with good pricing. You don't have to go with the double ended buolbs for the Icecap ballasts, they will fire any bulb with any socket. Mke sure to get a good parabolic reflector for your mounting, and if you decide to go with the double ended bulb, keep in mind that it is absolutely necessary to mount a protective pane of glass between the tank and the bulb to shield for UV.

A link to the double ended fixtures at Hellolights.com.

[hondotob]

Thank You! for the help.
Bill