Car headlights

sleezyp1 · 03/22/2007, 05:48 AM

Ok here's the question. Has anyone tried to use car halogen or the bluer zenon lighting for there reef? They are very bright and come in all sorts of wattages. I know right off the bat the color would be off. What about energy usage? Does 100watt 12v DC use more power than 100w 110v Ac? Does it take more power to convert it over to Dc and then rendering it inefficient?

sleezyp1 · 03/22/2007, 07:22 AM

?

TavisB · 03/22/2007, 07:54 AM

Im sure the color temp would be waaaay off. I wonder though if you could get a HID type light in the right color temp?

luke33 · 03/22/2007, 07:55 AM

Never heard of anyone doing this before.....how much are we talking about for cost of these lights?

05Xrunner · 03/22/2007, 10:28 AM

Someone over at nanoReef used HID's off a Benz for his tank.
i found a few threads about it..i just cant seem to find the one where the guy did it and took pics of it on his tank.

tprize · 03/22/2007, 10:45 AM

HID's are way more then a good light would be, you would be spending a lot of money on them.

corndogg · 03/22/2007, 10:51 AM

The problems I would think would be finding a reflector that worked well with the orientation of the bulb and that HID headlights only run at around 35-70 watts. Plus they're more expensive than conventional reef metal halide lighting.

http://www.suvlights.com/information.php?info_id=17

michaeldaly · 03/22/2007, 11:43 AM

halogen bulbs are very yellow.

Xenon might work but they like MH need to be run on control gear and are about 3 - 4 times more expensive than halides.

luke33 · 03/22/2007, 05:28 PM

And i'm not quite sure about the whole heat thing and running them for 8-10hrs a day. Doesn't sound like a great idea to me.

sleezyp1 · 03/23/2007, 05:52 AM

What about energy usage?

jayreef1213 · 03/23/2007, 12:27 PM

It's funny I was thinking of the same thing seeing how I'm in the auto recycling business. I contacted Slyvania and the highest kelvin degree is 4100k on there siver star bulbs. Way off for a reef

03/22/2007, 05:48 AM	#1
sleezyp1 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Farmingville,NY Posts: 449 Blog Entries: 1	Car headlights Ok here's the question. Has anyone tried to use car halogen or the bluer zenon lighting for there reef? They are very bright and come in all sorts of wattages. I know right off the bat the color would be off. What about energy usage? Does 100watt 12v DC use more power than 100w 110v Ac? Does it take more power to convert it over to Dc and then rendering it inefficient? __________________ Joe Current Tank Info: 72 gal bow front,90 gallon reef 30 gallon clown host. 12 gallon nano, 2.5 eclipse explorer

03/22/2007, 07:22 AM	#2
sleezyp1 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Farmingville,NY Posts: 449 Blog Entries: 1	? __________________ Joe Current Tank Info: 72 gal bow front,90 gallon reef 30 gallon clown host. 12 gallon nano, 2.5 eclipse explorer

03/23/2007, 05:52 AM	#10
sleezyp1 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Farmingville,NY Posts: 449 Blog Entries: 1	What about energy usage? __________________ Joe Current Tank Info: 72 gal bow front,90 gallon reef 30 gallon clown host. 12 gallon nano, 2.5 eclipse explorer

03/22/2007, 07:54 AM	#3
TavisB Pastafarian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 226	Im sure the color temp would be waaaay off. I wonder though if you could get a HID type light in the right color temp?

03/22/2007, 07:55 AM	#4
luke33 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,375	Never heard of anyone doing this before.....how much are we talking about for cost of these lights?

03/22/2007, 10:28 AM	#5
05Xrunner Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Pittsburgh PA Posts: 768	Someone over at nanoReef used HID's off a Benz for his tank. i found a few threads about it..i just cant seem to find the one where the guy did it and took pics of it on his tank.

03/22/2007, 10:45 AM	#6
tprize Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 1,077	HID's are way more then a good light would be, you would be spending a lot of money on them.

03/22/2007, 10:51 AM	#7
corndogg Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: (707) Posts: 720	The problems I would think would be finding a reflector that worked well with the orientation of the bulb and that HID headlights only run at around 35-70 watts. Plus they're more expensive than conventional reef metal halide lighting. http://www.suvlights.com/information.php?info_id=17

03/22/2007, 11:43 AM	#8
michaeldaly Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Earth Posts: 2,009	halogen bulbs are very yellow. Xenon might work but they like MH need to be run on control gear and are about 3 - 4 times more expensive than halides.

03/22/2007, 05:28 PM	#9
luke33 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,375	And i'm not quite sure about the whole heat thing and running them for 8-10hrs a day. Doesn't sound like a great idea to me.

03/23/2007, 12:27 PM	#11
jayreef1213 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: NY Posts: 124	It's funny I was thinking of the same thing seeing how I'm in the auto recycling business. I contacted Slyvania and the highest kelvin degree is 4100k on there siver star bulbs. Way off for a reef