# $70 DIY 70W HQI Metal Halide



## co2

This is a 70 watt HQI metal halide pendant that I made for around $70, in this picture I am just holding it over my 75 gallon:














It would probably have been a little brighter but the bulb was brand new and not fully warmed up, I think they break in for a little while and get brighter.

Here are all the parts:













$29.99 BallastWise.com HID E-B DXE70HID1 70W Electronic Ballast

$20.20 Astralux MH 70W DE 8KK Ultra White Bulb

$10 Brinks 300W Halogen Outdoor Floodlight from Walmart

$6 Grounded Power Cord and two extra wire nuts.

For about $70 plus a little extra for shipping, you can make this light. The floodlight comes with 3 wire nuts, so you only need two more. The wiring is very simple, there is a diagram on the ballast, it's pretty self explanatory. The floodlight comes with 300 watt halogen bulb that you throw away, and a 70 watt HQI bulb fits the same socket.














*The wire that is hanging down from the floodlight is for ground, the setup is not grounded in that picture, MAKE SURE TO GROUND THE LIGHTING ENCLOSURE/REFLECTOR/SOCKET AND BALLAST.

Here is the light output shortly after turning it on, I am using a different ballast and the setup is grounded in this pic:














You can remove the reflector and socket, and mount them in a hood or enclosure. You could just hang the floodlight, but it would be kind of industrial looking.

I am using this same kind of bulb over a 60cm (18 gallon) tank and it's the perfect amount of light for that tank. I think that one of these along with one or two compact flourescents would be great over a 3 foot tank, or two of these with CF's for a 4 foot tank. I think that a 96 watt CF with two of these hanging 10" above a 4 foot/120cm tank would be perfect.


_****Warning: Use this information at your own risk. I take no responsiblity for any damage and/or injuries that might occur.****_


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## TheOtherGeoff

sweet. ive been waitinf for something like this. gonna go piss my dad off now. haha


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## Brilliant

The warning is well deserved. 

How much did the bulb cost after shipping from Singapore?


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## co2

Brilliant said:


> The warning is well deserved.
> 
> How much did the bulb cost after shipping from Singapore?


This is no different than any retrofit you buy. I ripped that warning right from the orignial ODNO thread, there is a risk anytime you use electricity near water.


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## Brilliant

I was wondering how much the bulb cost after shipping and if you had to order 10 of them.

AFter seaching a bit I found this same idea elsewhere with the same bulb...still looking for the bulb from US vendor.


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## co2

Brilliant said:


> I was wondering how much the bulb cost after shipping and if you had to order 10 of them.
> 
> AFter seaching a bit I found this same idea elsewhere with the same bulb...still looking for the bulb from US vendor.


Show me where the "same idea with the same bulb" is. As you know, I am not the first person to use this floodlight on an aquarium, but I haven't seen anyone use the same bulb and ballast and save a lot of money in the process. ODNO drives bulbs with more power than they were designed for, this DIY does not, I used the warning not the design. The ballast is UL listed and if installed correctly is not dangerous. The housing itself is designed to be used outdoors (where it can get wet). You're not going to find that bulb from a US vendor, Viclite was easy to deal with.


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## Brilliant

How much was the bulb with shipping? I think that is a great deal (but dont want to buy 10)

How-to: Make your own 70w MH Pendant - Nano-Reef.com Forums

BTW..I asked the question because the site says export pricing at the top and prices then start at 10 pc.

These HQIs are no joke...they are like mini super novas. Just be careful


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## co2

That is not the same bulb. 

Also, it is hard to find that ballast for $30. 

I'm just trying to save people money. BallastWise's price seemed so cheap, nobody wanted to try them out. I took the risk and am just trying to pass along info to help people.


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## Brilliant

OK. thank you. How much was the bulb with shipping?
How much was the total cost after mouting expenses and shipping?


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## co2

I bought 2 bulbs from Viclite over 6 months ago and I don't remember how much the shipping was, but it wasn't very much.


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## conduct

Hey I think this is a great idea of a HQI Metal Halide I might even take it a step further with 150watt model and Coralife 150 WATT - 10,000K bulb. I seen that ballastwise.com offers up to a 400 WATT model. But very good DIY HQI setup.


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## |GTO|

Everyone knows that DIY is far more satisfying (and money saving) than buying commercial products already made for aquariums. even with that said, you must wiegh the DIY satisfaction against the peace of mind that a tried & true tested product professionally made for specific applications brings to the table.

cheers,


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## co2

conduct said:


> Hey I think this is a great idea of a HQI Metal Halide I might even take it a step further with 150watt model and Coralife 150 WATT - 10,000K bulb. I seen that ballastwise.com offers up to a 400 WATT model. But very good DIY HQI setup.



Thanks. The BallastWise 150W does look good, you could also use the ADA 8,000k bulb if you went that route. It costs more than the Coralife, but the color of the ADA is worth it IMHO. If you do go with 150W, you can't use the Brinks Floodlight, the contacts are farther apart, you can use something like this. Then you will have to find a reflector.


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## Burks

Cool idea. Let us know how the plants like it and any potential problems you run into. DIY stuff is always neat to watch come together and work well.

I believe that ANY light fixture is a potential danger. The problem lies with the operator.


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## co2

jdb416 said:


> Everyone knows that DIY is far more satisfying (and money saving) than buying commercial products already made for aquariums. even with that said, you must wiegh the DIY satisfaction against the peace of mind that a tried & true tested product professionally made for specific applications brings to the table.
> 
> cheers,


I know what you're saying, and you are right


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## |GTO|

i think your setup is a great idea and im very interested in how it turns out.

honestly DIY projects such as this can be very very safe given the right precautions are taken.

Ill keep checkin back to see how your project comes to fruition and how the final outcome works out.

great job--ya know someone has to do the research in this crazy hobby of ours. the work is useful in upping the ante for progress and is much appreciated.

cheers,


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## Rex Grigg

A floodlight reflector is not going to be the best choice for aquarium use. There's a reason they are called floodlights. And it's not because the concentrate the light in a small (aquarium sized) area.


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## co2

Rex Grigg said:


> A floodlight reflector is not going to be the best choice for aquarium use. There's a reason they are called floodlights. And it's not because the concentrate the light in a small (aquarium sized) area.


I know what you're saying Rex, but have this $250 Aqua Medic pendant, and the cheap reflector is not a whole lot different. I hang them 8-12" above the tank and the light spread is good. This is very different than using a shoplight with NO flourescents. Plus... for $8-10, the floodlight is a good deal if all you use is the socket, try finding that alone for $10. I have never seen a reflector sold for 70W HQI's, if you look at the retrofit kits you can buy, they all use strange reflectors. This one is actually one of the best I have seen. Nano reefers have been using 70W HQI's for a long time, and they have used this reflector, usually on small (~10 gallon) tanks, it is proven. Why ADA released a bigger (250W) HQI MH I have no idea. Everyone knows that the answer is usually not to add more light. I guarantee that 70W HQI's will be more common on planted tanks in the future.


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## ianiwane

The light spread looks fine to me. Flood lights are made to be mounted really high up, of course light spread will be far if they are mounted up high. In the case of using it in an aquarium, it seems like the spread of light is just fine.


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## conduct

-Craig
You mentioned that you are currently using a setup like this over a 18 gallon tank. If by chance could you post a picture so I/we could see the current spread of the light.
Thanks


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## co2

conduct said:


> -Craig
> You mentioned that you are currently using a setup like this over a 18 gallon tank. If by chance could you post a picture so I/we could see the current spread of the light.
> Thanks


This is from my "Volcaniscape" thread:










You can see that the lighting is very even:










One MH bulb can easily cover 2 feet of tank if it's mounted 6"-12" above the tank, regardless of wattage. I can't tell you how much it adds to the look of a tank with the shimmering of MH light. It sounds like it wouldn't be a big deal, but when you see it you will know what I mean. The bigger the tank, the more the shimmering helps, in my opinion.


This is an Aqua Medic pendant, but it uses the same Astralux bulb and the reflector is very similar to the DIY. I would be using the DIY, except I already had this pendant. The advantage of the DIY is that it uses a silent and more efficient electronic ballast, and it costs less than a third of this. The disadvantage is that it doesn't look as good exposed unless you make a housing for it. I am going to switch from the AM's magnetic ballast (you can hear the fan) to one of the cheap electronic ballasts I used in the DIY.

I mounted it up higher than necessary to start the tank with lower light, but I like it at this height, it's really easy to work in the tank and plants are already growing fast enough. HC has already pretty much covered the substrate in 3 weeks.


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## magikfly

I had a custom pendant made, using 3x 70W Venture 6500K bulbs.
The only supplied the housing and reflectors, I assembled the whole thing
Here it is: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/39491-85g-open-top.html

All I can say is, anyone who says MH is hard/dangerous/risky to set up by yourself is wrong.

I used external ballasts, I don't know if they sell them in the US, but they are basically waterproof electronic ballasts so water won't be a problem.
Kudo's to CO2


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## co2

magikfly said:


> I had a custom pendant made, using 3x 70W Venture 6500K bulbs.
> The only supplied the housing and reflectors, I assembled the whole thing
> Here it is: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/39491-85g-open-top.html
> 
> All I can say is, anyone who says MH is hard/dangerous/risky to set up by yourself is wrong.
> 
> I used external ballasts, I don't know if they sell them in the US, but they are basically waterproof electronic ballasts so water won't be a problem.
> Kudo's to CO2


Awesome tank magikfly! I don't know how I missed it. Thanks a lot for posting because I always thought 70W MH's would work on a tank that size but hadn't seen it done, awesome! Looks like plenty of light and low electricity use. Very nice housing!


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## mrk442

Great info! Thanks for sharing.. with any luck i will try this out with some CF's on the 40b i am setting back up


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## timr

This is intriguing. I was just looking yesterday for 70w HQI pendants. This is a great alternative. I may try this on my 50 after x-mas. 

With the ballast being remote, does the light get hot like a PC bulb? I would consider building a wooden enclosure for the cheapo light, but I don't want a fire.


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## epicfish

Hm, now it's time for a DIY housing thread. =P

Great work. I might have to try this one day...when I figure out an esthetic way to mount it. =)


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## magikfly

timr said:


> This is intriguing. I was just looking yesterday for 70w HQI pendants. This is a great alternative. I may try this on my 50 after x-mas.
> 
> With the ballast being remote, does the light get hot like a PC bulb? I would consider building a wooden enclosure for the cheapo light, but I don't want a fire.


Yes it does, try to use as much metal as possible as the bigger the metal frame is, the faster it dissipates heat.
If you do use wood it's going to be hard to cause a fire, however the intense heat will surely make the wood curve and curl


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## co2

Yeah, it's the housing part that I don't know about. They do get hot, but I think that a 70W would be ok in a wooden enclosure, like the kind that AHS sells. I say that because nano reefers use them in plastic nanocubes and they don't melt.

I found a thread on NanoReef.com where a guy made this pendant, he was going to sell them but he said he's too busy now:
































I got quotes to make a black powder coated pendant for (2x) 70W HQI and (1) 96W 8800k CF and it was insane. Anybody work with metal?


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## MeuserReef

I have had (2) *150W* DE Halides running on my reef for over 3 months now in the same Brinks Halogen fixtures with no issues (knocking on wood...)

The key is to keep them at least 2" from the sides and top (as per the Brinks instructions) and to vent the canopy real good (I have 4 PC fans on this now). The plugs connect the fixtures to electronic ballasts mounted on the back of the tank's stand. 

The way I see it.... the fixtures were made for a 500W Halogen lamp and Im using a 150W Halide. Apples to Oranges I know... but the fixture is made to handle heat no matter what bulb is in use.










Just my $.02


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## co2

Nice, that's the same fixture, haha. Thanks for posting. Did you have to modify it to take a 150W bulb, or does a 500W halogen socket size equal 150W HQI? What kind of ballasts are you using?


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## MeuserReef

co2 said:


> ...Did you have to modify it to take a 150W bulb, or does a 500W halogen socket size equal 150W HQI? What kind of ballasts are you using?



I took out the stock bulb holder only to find that the halide clip is _EXACTLY_ the same as the one for the Halogen bulb. As for the ballasts... They are made by SunPark, a company out of Torrence, CA. I love the halides on the reef and am planning to use a single 70W DE halide in a retro'd Brinks fixture on my first planted Tank that I will setup ..... some day! LOL


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## Robert H

How is the heat build up handled in this? Where is the ground?










the light in the tank may be fairly even, but I bet it also lights up the whole friggin room! There is a lot of light all round that tank. I dislike the JBJ fixtures because they are three inches above the tank... I can't imagine what sitting in a room with this thing would be like. Do you wear sunglasses?


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## ianiwane

Robert the advantage of metal halides are that they allow people to hang them up higher. With mH's you don't want them too close to the water b/c of the heat. If you want the open top look, mH's will always look like that. The open top look is becoming a lot more popular now.


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## co2

Robert H said:


> How is the heat build up handled in this? Where is the ground?


This light uses only 70 watts of electricity... it's been on for almost 9 hours today and it's cool enough to be able to keep my hand on the pendant, it's about as hot as my DSL router. The black cable coming down in that pic is from the pendant to the ballast and has 3 wires, 2 for the socket contacts and 1 for ground. When I'm on my computer I am sitting a foot from the tank and it's like I have a desk lamp, it's really not a big deal. I'm not sure why a lot of planted tank people seem to be scared of metal halides. I see people put hundreds of watts of CF's over their planted tanks, why would a 70W MH seem like a big deal?


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## medicineman

I thought I did just this earlier last year (not claiming that I'm the first though) for cheap $50 each... 6 set of 150W metal halide just like what they use on billboards, parks, parking lots, etc. That is including magnetic ballast (3 out of 6 are dead silent, the other buzz slightly), almost bulletproof MH pendant (with UV shield) and a daylight broad spectrum bulb... just $12 each (not good enough if you have extra $$ to spend on special bulb).

The light spread might be repulsive when filltted on smaller tanks, but fitted on larger tank at the correct height (not too high), it falls perfectly inside the tank, no messy eye-blinding spills.

However I cannot continue to speak about what I made... totally not doable in the other side of the world for the same price.

The hazzard issue is out there. Some of you might remember how I was buzzed when I did my tank and a week later one of the light went out. One of the cable connector melted due to heat. I was lucky to escape alive. Since then I did not use any cheapo connector and the rest is history. I love the quality for the price!! :icon_bigg


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## landlord

thanks for posting this co2! i think this will be used on my next tank, when i get the money to complete it. should cost way less than my plan to use fluorescents alone.

edit: how long did it take to get the bulb? i apologize if this has been asked...


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## co2

medicineman said:


> I thought I did just this earlier last year (not claiming that I'm the first though) for cheap $50 each... 6 set of 150W metal halide just like what they use on billboards, parks, parking lots, etc. That is including magnetic ballast (3 out of 6 are dead silent, the other buzz slightly), almost bulletproof MH pendant (with UV shield) and a daylight broad spectrum bulb... just $12 each (not good enough if you have extra $$ to spend on special bulb).
> 
> The light spread might be repulsive when filltted on smaller tanks, but fitted on larger tank at the correct height (not too high), it falls perfectly inside the tank, no messy eye-blinding spills.
> 
> However I cannot continue to speak about what I made... totally not doable in the other side of the world for the same price.
> 
> The hazzard issue is out there. Some of you might remember how I was buzzed when I did my tank and a week later one of the light went out. One of the cable connector melted due to heat. I was lucky to escape alive. Since then I did not use any cheapo connector and the rest is history. I love the quality for the price!! :icon_bigg


Oh yeah, I do remember your floodlights, I think that might have been one of the things that got me interested in them.


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## co2

landlord said:


> thanks for posting this co2! i think this will be used on my next tank, when i get the money to complete it. should cost way less than my plan to use fluorescents alone.
> 
> edit: how long did it take to get the bulb? i apologize if this has been asked...


I actually got them (what seems like a long time ago) maybe 6 months ago. It don't think it took that long, maybe a week, week and a half tops. I was a little skeptical because of the price, but I ordered on a Friday which was actually Saturday, they emailed me back right away and shipped them when it was their Monday. I woulnd't hesitate to buy from them again, if a club went in on a 10 pack they would be super cheap.


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## fredyk

thanks for the DIY project. 
My fantasy fish tank has this type of lighting.
Note to self: bookmark this page!
:fish1: 
Mark


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## actioncia

I think this is a great idea for someone who did the research and spending the time on sharing his experience.


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## Burks

Meuser, got any pictures of how the lighting looks on the tank? Interested in seeing how those two light the entire tank.


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## MeuserReef

> Burks...


Heres a picture of the before (PC) and after (MH)









As far a light spillage out of the tank... heres a pic of the tank where it sits today. Light leak is not at all an issue (in my opinion!) The digital pics dont do the 10WPG justice. The tank does not look so washed out in person.









My plan is to setup an identical tank/stand/canopy as this one but as a planted tank... I'm still in the reading/planning stage at this point and am pretty much set on having (2) 15W PC bulbs w/ (1) 70W DIY "Brinks Metal Halide" setup (3WPG at "high noon"). Learning alot from this forum. Thanks.



> co2...


This is a great (cheap) DIY and it is a safe as the person doing the DIY.:smile:


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## Burks

That's a pretty awesome looking tank. I may give that a try next year. Looking to ditch two FW tanks for one SW tank.

I tend to be a little extra cautious around electricity, so I don't think that's much of a concern.


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## epicfish

MeuserReef said:


> Heres a picture of the before (PC) and after (MH)
> [removed picture so my quote isn't super-long]
> 
> As far a light spillage out of the tank... heres a pic of the tank where it sits today. Light leak is not at all an issue (in my opinion!) The digital pics dont do the 10WPG justice. The tank does not look so washed out in person.
> [removed picture so my quote isn't super-long]
> 
> My plan is to setup an identical tank/stand/canopy as this one but as a planted tank... I'm still in the reading/planning stage at this point and am pretty much set on having (2) 15W PC bulbs w/ (1) 70W DIY "Brinks Metal Halide" setup (3WPG at "high noon"). Learning alot from this forum. Thanks.
> 
> 
> This is a great (cheap) DIY and it is a safe as the person doing the DIY.:smile:



So you're going to have a 30 gallon tank, which is 36" long correct? Will this Brinks MH setup have sufficient spread for a 36" long tank? How high does it have to be mounted for it to have this kind of spread?

Also, where are you getting the 15W PC retrofit?


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## fish_lover0591

bump for a great thread i think i may try this on my 20 gallon long.


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## esarkipato

Any suggestions for using 1 or 2 of these in combination with 2x55watt CF's to cover a 75 gallon planted tank? I guess I'm referring to the placement of the lights....CF in middle, and a MH on each side?


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## epicfish

-------- Cf -------- 
====== Mh ======
-------- Cf --------


----------- Cf -----------
---- MH ---- ---- MH ----
----------- Cf -----------


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## esarkipato

Yea, I like the second one


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## danepatrick

so what's the status on this light dude? any house fires yet? over heating? burning out too soon? give us an update!!!


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## danepatrick

anyone have anymore input on this topic? i'm trying to hook up my own DIY halides and was looking for a little more confirmation as to whether this is pretty safe or not. how do you ground the ballast? and light fixture?


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## epicfish

I've had a DIY setup for about 8 months. No problems. Ballast should have 3 wires...black, white, green (ground).


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## danepatrick

why _had_ one? what happened? what do i ground the one from the ballast to and what do i ground the one from the fixture itself to? thanks for replying.


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## Cactus Bastard

danepatrick said:


> why _had_ one?


The alternative would be "I _has'd_ one for 8 months"? :wink: 

And all electrical outlets have a ground, it literally leads to a huge copper rod buried in the ground outside.


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## danepatrick

ah.. I think I misread it. lol! I said ot aloud to myself and realized he's saying I have one that's been set up for 8 months. or at least that's how I take it now. lol.


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## PAINKILLER1009

I also need to know how to ground this? I just got done making the bulb fit. I have a 300 watt brinks fixture with a 150w halide bulb in it now. Looks really cool, very tight fit had to take off alot of the ceramic to make it fit. But agian I need to know how to ground it?


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## Jdiddy8384

*DIY 70w mh*

just wonderin if someone could tell me how to hook up the ground for it. Its just a bare wire comin out of the fixture. Everything has went smoothly with this project up til wiring it up. Thanks for the help.


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## danepatrick

if i'm not mistaken and i VERY well could be, but the one i have highlighted in green is the ground wires. **do not hold me to this**


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## danepatrick

ok guys, question.
i spliced the end of the power cord only to find there was no black or white, only a colored ground cable. how do i know which one is hot (black) and which on is neutral (white)???


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## crazy loaches

dbl posted please delete


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## crazy loaches

By power cord, are you talking about the one that plugs into the wall outlet? If so then the prong that is thinner is hot and the one that is wider is common. The wires should be in the same position. Usually one wire is smooth and the other has a ridge, so you can tell which wire is which at the other end. But to be sure I suppose you'd need a dmm or something with some alligator leads you could hook up to the wires(not while energized), then plug in to see reading... between hot and ground you should get your 120V, between common and ground youll get 0V.


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## danepatrick

are you pretty sure of that? i don't want to get zapped or worse, catch something on fire! lol!


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## anthonysquire

Could you wire up 2 of these to a single 150 watt ballast?


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## JimmyYahoo

Surge protectors have some pretty decent cords. Have any of those around you could cannibalize? Leads like that in wirenuts all loose and what not would have me worried.


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## danepatrick

JimmyYahoo said:


> Leads like that in wirenuts all loose and what not would have me worried.


you can just wrap it in electrical tape. :icon_wink


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## strizzi16

how would you wire a 150 watt ballast to 2 70 watt lights?


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## cookingnerd607

I find the best cords to use for ballast releated equipment.. come from pc componets. I usually have a few dozen spare ones laying around. They can be bought from surplus stores for 1-2 bucks a peice. Much cheaper than the cords from lowes/home depot


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## epicfish

strizzi16 said:


> how would you wire a 150 watt ballast to 2 70 watt lights?




You don't/can't.


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## strizzi16

so you would have to get 2 individual 70 watt ballasts...or do they make special ballasts for 2 bulbs


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## epicfish

I don't think there are dual 70W ballasts, so you'll need two 70W ballasts.

They make dual 150W, 175W, 250W though. Dual 400W too I think. But no dual 70W.


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## danepatrick

> By power cord, are you talking about the one that plugs into the wall outlet? *If so then the prong that is thinner is hot and the one that is wider is common. The wires should be in the same position. *Usually one wire is smooth and the other has a ridge, so you can tell which wire is which at the other end.


can anyone confirm this???


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## swylie

danepatrick said:


> can anyone confirm this???


Confirmed. The fat prong is neutral/common and the thin one is hot.


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## eklikewhoa

I made a few of these for reef tanks....just gathered parts and test running it for my Mini-M right now and if all is good I will be modding my Mini-Solar.


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## eklikewhoa

Forgot to ask...anyone have a place in the states to get the 8800k astralux bulb? or any bulb below 10000k for the 70w?


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## Jack Gilvey

eklikewhoa said:


> Forgot to ask...anyone have a place in the states to get the 8800k astralux bulb? or any bulb below 10000k for the 70w?


 +1...any domestic source for the 8000k/70w Astralux?


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## UA_Flyfisher

Haven't found the Astralux but I did find a 6500K bulb from Venture Lighting:

Venture Lighting Bulbs

And it is available:
Light Bulb Emporium


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## indovinavi

You can also find the bulbs on eBay- just ordered a 70w 10k bulb $24.99 (19.99 +5) shipped will probably get it early next week. The people over @ ballastwise are very very friendly! I thought I'd order the 100W model but couldn't find a 100w bulb anywhere. They had my order changed in minutes and shipped out the next day. I got the floodlight from Lowes, and they sell a 500w halogen fixture for 5.99. I will post pics when it's all built.

Mike

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=260217729711


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## indovinavi

So I have everything installed and hooked up the power, and all that is happening is a very dim blue light. When I leave it plugged in thinking it needs to heat up, it just stays that way.

Am I doing something wrong?


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## epicfish

You're sure it's wired up all correctly?

What sockets are you using? Ballast? Bulb?


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## indovinavi

Nevermind - after checking it all out, and trimming off some of the ceramic, the bulb fired up bright! I'll get pix in the morning

70w 10k - ballastwise ballast.

Mike


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## epicfish

indovinavi said:


> Nevermind - after checking it all out, and trimming off some of the ceramic, the bulb fired up bright! I'll get pix in the morning
> 
> 70w 10k - ballastwise ballast.
> 
> Mike




Inadequate contact with the sockets, huh?


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## indovinavi

I did think it was an unusually tight fit... after checking EVERYTHING else, I thought I'd try checking the fixture and bulb. Thanks for your help!

So here is the net result. So far, it is setting on the previous lights on the top. Thinking I should have the lamp suspended from the ceiling with piano wire. Any ideas?


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## epicfish

Is it sitting on the glass top?


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## indovinavi

No, on the top of the other lights. There is a 5 or so inch gap between the light and the glass-top


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## epicfish

Make sure the other lights don't melt.


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## indovinavi

we'll find out when I get home in 3 hours


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## epicfish

indovinavi said:


> we'll find out when I get home in 3 hours


So, how did the fixture fare?


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## indovinavi

It turned out OK! thought I'd drop it from the ceiling, but the misses said NO... 

feel like I hear that a lot these days......


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## coldfusionpower

ahaaa .. glosso at my 4ft tank keep begging for more lights .. this could be the answer ! thanks !


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## Church

I just found this thread while searching for the possible existence of 100w pendants, and I must say this diy guide is EXACTLY what I needed to find! I'm gonna light my 45T with a pair of these! I can't wait to get started now!


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## Church

Okay, so have there been any updates since this thread was created as far as availability for those 8000k 70w bulbs? I can find 6500k ones, but I want the 8000k's!!!!


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## epicfish

I have a few 150W 8000K bulbs. As far as the 70W 8000K bulbs go, you'll have to order them internationally, and shipping is $$$.

If enough people want them, I can see what I can do about getting a group buy together.


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## iek

strizzi16 said:


> so you would have to get 2 individual 70 watt ballasts...or do they make special ballasts for 2 bulbs


This is exactly what i've got: http://katalog.vossloh-schwabe.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prmenbr=1251&prrfnbr=108145&smlwlfsmlkz=1&LANG=GB&cgrfnbr=33681


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## coldfusionpower

what do u think guys ... for my iwagumi 4ft glosso ... two of 70w MH or two of 150w MH ?


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## forddna

How tall is the tank?

For everyone who has done this, have any of you measured the flood light pendant itself? Can someone post the dimensions?


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## coldfusionpower

2ft high ..


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## coolnick

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. I just ordered up two of the ballastwise ballasts, two 6500k bulbs from the link on the previous page and two reflectors from hellolights. I don't trust modding the halogen sockets so I spent some extra cash for safety and peace of mind. All in all, I eneded spending a little over $200 for two 70 watt setups for my 65g breeder. I have a 2x95 CF setup on there now that I hate so the two 70w MHs will be replacing that setup. I will report back when I build a new canopy and get it all installed. Months from now. :redface:


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## Church

If I were to put 2x70w MH's over the top of a 25" tall 45g tank, Does anyone think I could get away with NOT injecting CO2?


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## Hoppy

You could get away with not using pressurized CO2 if you hang those light 2 feet or more above the tank. You would save electricity because those lights would also serve as the main lighting for the room!


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## Church

Good point! I was actually thinking about mounting them in a canopy, and it wouldn't be 2 ft high... but your point is taken, and if I leave this as open top, I could keep the living room lamp turned off!


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## Church

Okay, so I actually think I'm going to do this over my 10g now! I'm going to put it up high enough to not over-light the tank, and to make use of the light spillage, my better half will be putting pots of her cooking herbs all around the base of the stand. And it will actually brighten up an otherwise dark corner of our new place! But I have a few questions, to people who've done this:

1) First of all, would a 10,000k bulb be too blue, like borderline actinic? If so, I'm going to go with a 6500k, but in PC fluoro form, it's a little too yellow for my liking, to use by itself. But I'd rather have that then too blue.

2) Is there any reason why I shouldn't be able to use one of these 300w halogen floor lamps instead of a floodlight? The bulb it uses looks the same as the ones in the pictures of the floodlight, and I have one laying around in my mom's garage that used to be in my bedroom when I was a kid:










...Because it would look a lot nicer hanging from the ceiling than a floodlight would. :icon_roll


Price-wise, this is definitely the best option for me, seeing as how I could get by only spending $30 for an electronic ballast and $25-30 for a HQI bulb. I like saving money!


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## taekwondodo

epicfish said:


> I have a few 150W 8000K bulbs. As far as the 70W 8000K bulbs go, you'll have to order them internationally, and shipping is $$$.
> 
> If enough people want them, I can see what I can do about getting a group buy together.


I'm interested - if we can't get a group buy, send me the URL... how much each are they? What brand?

I built 3x150 using the BW ballasts - and used the 150 DE reflector's from Hellolights. Works great (but I think it's time for a bulb change).

Thanks,

- Jeff


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## coolnick

I think 10k K (lol) is a little too blue for a freshwater setup. The 6500 K lamps should in theory produce more light energy than a 10k K lamps. They certainly look brighter and closer to a pure white light.


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## epicfish

coolnick said:


> I think 10k K (lol) is a little too blue for a freshwater setup. The 6500 K lamps should in theory produce more light energy than a 10k K lamps. They certainly look brighter and closer to a pure white light.


10KK is closer to "pure white" than are the 6500K/6700Ks. 6500K/6700K are often referred to as "daylight", whereas 3000K-4500K is called "soft white"...at least in my experience.

Anything from 6500K to 10KK should work fine for freshwater; check the spectral output or better yet, use a PAR meter to see what setup fits your tank best. Theoretically, 6500K will have more usable light than 10KK, but I've seen 15KK (or more like 10KK) MH bulbs push out immense amounts of PAR/PPFD.


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## Church

Okay, so I just found this over at hellolights. I think I might end up going with this, instead of using the floor lamp I posted above. It just looks like a well-made reflector, and it will look nicer hanging from the ceiling.

So I guess my question about the 10kK MH bulbs is, can I expect _any_ bulb to have the same white color I've come to know and love out of my Coralife t5's? I need to order me a bulb, and I don't want to get one that looks more blue than the 10kK t5's I use.

Thanks!


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## epicfish

Church said:


> So I guess my question about the 10kK MH bulbs is, can I expect *any* bulb to have the same white color I've come to know and love out of my Coralife t5's? I need to order me a bulb, and I don't want to get one that looks more blue than the 10kK t5's I use.
> 
> Thanks!


No.


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## Church

I knew that was the answer. 

Dang, so does anyone know of an inexpensive, white 10,000k?


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## macclellan

Church said:


> 2) Is there any reason why I shouldn't be able to use one of these 300w halogen floor lamps instead of a floodlight?


The floodlight has a decent reflector. I doubt the floor lamp does.


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## Church

I know it's just not the nicest looking thing to be hanging from the ceiling, you know? I'm ultimately not that worried about it, I just thought I'd brainstorm for aesthetically pleasing options before going that route. 

Right now, the big thing is I don't know what hqi bulb to order, and I want to order one today.


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## coolnick

I got two of those reflectors from hellolights and I was very pleased with the fit/finish/quality and I got them in a couple days. Same with those Venture 6500K lamps, I got them about 2 days after ordering.

What kind of heat output should I be expecting from these two 70s compared to the 2x95 CF setup that I am currently using? I will be mounting the ballasts in the stand and building a 12" tall canopy with vents in the rear, but no fans so far.


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## forddna

Can someone PLEASE measure the Brinks reflector for me?? :icon_redf Just the reflector itself. Thanks!


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