needing new lights...

salttess · 06/04/2011, 04:54 PM

I have a 240 gal. tank, 60x30x30. I have had 250 watt metal halides for ten years or more. The ballast has burned out on one side this weekend. I knew this was coming because of them being so old. Now I need new ballast and lights. Not sure of what to get, so much has changed since Ive had to shop for them. Can you please recommend lights for my tank. I keep softies, and large pylops and a few hard corals. I would like to keep more hard corals. I have rose anemonies that have split so many times that Ive just given some away. I dont want to harm them. Thank you!

sporto0 · 06/04/2011, 06:06 PM

i use 2 250 watt Aqualine Bushke 10,000k mh bulbs with 2 super actinic vho's both sytems use icecap ballasts on my 90 gal & have good growth & coloration. for a 240 gal i might upgrade to a 400 watt bulb but if the 250's have worked for you for ten years i don't know if you should switch unless you feel your sps need the extra light.

hollister · 06/04/2011, 06:16 PM

L.E.D. , the new wanted lights. Less power great coral color.

Just remember to reduce the lighting time to a few hours and add an hour every day untill your back to normal to reduce stress on your system and stock. Even if u just replace the ballist.

Faye · 06/04/2011, 06:55 PM

Led or halides again. These halides are pretty nice...

http://www.reefspecialty.com/virtuem...ndant-kit.html

You can get them in double ended or single ended, and if needed you can get the retro fit instead of the pendant if you have a canopy. They are pretty awsome reflectors, and they put the light into the water very well.

I'm not big into LED like a lot of people are. They are to expensive. You could be looking at double the cost from halide to LED for a 5ft tank, and it would take a long time to make the money back on the energy. With halide you can also switch bulbs to get different colors. Granted you could get the dimmable LED's.
There are also T-5, but I assume you want to keep the flicker of light so I reccomend LED or halide.

salttess · 06/04/2011, 07:50 PM

You're right ...I got halides to begin with because of the shimmer effect. Dont have a canapy..have a piece of plywood suspended from ceiling with reflector and lights above tank. They are in a back room, only the front pane of the tank shows. I guess I need to decide if I want to go to 400's. I have 250's now. My bulbs are single ended and I may go to double ended as the ends of my tank are kind of dark.

salttess · 06/04/2011, 08:17 PM

If its just the ballast thats bad, can I replace it with one that will run 400 halides or will I have to replace the bulb attachment also?

Faye · 06/05/2011, 11:15 AM

What kind of pendant do you have?

Faye · 06/05/2011, 11:20 AM

I actually have the lumenarc ballast that allows you to have 250 watt halides, it allows you to over drive the 250 watt halide by 10% and then it allows 400 watt halides, and allows you to over drive the 400 watt halides by 10%. All you have to do is turn a nob. SO if you are on the fence about the buld size you want, that would be a good option.

johnike · 06/05/2011, 11:34 AM

I have 3 400W Hamilton Reefstar Mogul base pendants, PM me if interested. The M135 ballasts love Radiums.

salttess · 06/05/2011, 05:20 PM

Well, it wasnt just the ballast the plug to the bulb attachment fried also. I just purchased a reflector with 3 halide bulbs and one ballast. Johnike, I wish I had read this post earlier and would have thought about that, Thankyou.
I figure if they are ten years old, its time to get new. The one still working will be a back up. I really like the shimmer effect from halides. Leds were just too much for a tank my size. Thankyou all for the input!

06/04/2011, 04:54 PM	#1
salttess Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: MS Gulf Coast Posts: 620	needing new lights... I have a 240 gal. tank, 60x30x30. I have had 250 watt metal halides for ten years or more. The ballast has burned out on one side this weekend. I knew this was coming because of them being so old. Now I need new ballast and lights. Not sure of what to get, so much has changed since Ive had to shop for them. Can you please recommend lights for my tank. I keep softies, and large pylops and a few hard corals. I would like to keep more hard corals. I have rose anemonies that have split so many times that Ive just given some away. I dont want to harm them. Thank you!

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06/04/2011, 06:06 PM	#2
sporto0 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. Posts: 2,924	i use 2 250 watt Aqualine Bushke 10,000k mh bulbs with 2 super actinic vho's both sytems use icecap ballasts on my 90 gal & have good growth & coloration. for a 240 gal i might upgrade to a 400 watt bulb but if the 250's have worked for you for ten years i don't know if you should switch unless you feel your sps need the extra light.

06/04/2011, 06:16 PM	#3
hollister Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 2,037	L.E.D. , the new wanted lights. Less power great coral color. Just remember to reduce the lighting time to a few hours and add an hour every day untill your back to normal to reduce stress on your system and stock. Even if u just replace the ballist.

06/04/2011, 06:55 PM	#4
Faye Moved On Join Date: May 2011 Location: PA Posts: 411	Led or halides again. These halides are pretty nice... http://www.reefspecialty.com/virtuem...ndant-kit.html You can get them in double ended or single ended, and if needed you can get the retro fit instead of the pendant if you have a canopy. They are pretty awsome reflectors, and they put the light into the water very well. I'm not big into LED like a lot of people are. They are to expensive. You could be looking at double the cost from halide to LED for a 5ft tank, and it would take a long time to make the money back on the energy. With halide you can also switch bulbs to get different colors. Granted you could get the dimmable LED's. There are also T-5, but I assume you want to keep the flicker of light so I reccomend LED or halide.

06/04/2011, 07:50 PM	#5
salttess Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: MS Gulf Coast Posts: 620	You're right ...I got halides to begin with because of the shimmer effect. Dont have a canapy..have a piece of plywood suspended from ceiling with reflector and lights above tank. They are in a back room, only the front pane of the tank shows. I guess I need to decide if I want to go to 400's. I have 250's now. My bulbs are single ended and I may go to double ended as the ends of my tank are kind of dark.

06/04/2011, 08:17 PM	#6
salttess Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: MS Gulf Coast Posts: 620	If its just the ballast thats bad, can I replace it with one that will run 400 halides or will I have to replace the bulb attachment also?

06/05/2011, 11:15 AM	#7
Faye Moved On Join Date: May 2011 Location: PA Posts: 411	What kind of pendant do you have?

06/05/2011, 11:20 AM	#8
Faye Moved On Join Date: May 2011 Location: PA Posts: 411	I actually have the lumenarc ballast that allows you to have 250 watt halides, it allows you to over drive the 250 watt halide by 10% and then it allows 400 watt halides, and allows you to over drive the 400 watt halides by 10%. All you have to do is turn a nob. SO if you are on the fence about the buld size you want, that would be a good option.

06/05/2011, 11:34 AM	#9
johnike Moved On Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bureau County Illinois Posts: 5,406	I have 3 400W Hamilton Reefstar Mogul base pendants, PM me if interested. The M135 ballasts love Radiums.

06/05/2011, 05:20 PM	#10
salttess Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: MS Gulf Coast Posts: 620	Well, it wasnt just the ballast the plug to the bulb attachment fried also. I just purchased a reflector with 3 halide bulbs and one ballast. Johnike, I wish I had read this post earlier and would have thought about that, Thankyou. I figure if they are ten years old, its time to get new. The one still working will be a back up. I really like the shimmer effect from halides. Leds were just too much for a tank my size. Thankyou all for the input!