Lighting for 36 Gal Bow

[aaron]

I have finally decided on a 36gal bowfront for my living room, next thing is to buy some lights. I had originally planned to buy lights from mistsc but the bastard sold them after saying he would hold them for me.
Anyway I was wondering, does the centre brace cast a significant shadow if you only have a single MH light? Should i go with two MH's one on each side? I am open to all lighting suggestions but i'm trying to get out of this as cheaply as possible (which means i cant afford a chiller for those about to suggest three 400W's).
My current thinking, if the brace is not an issue, is to get a HQI 250W with electronic ballast. but I'm open to suggestion.

 

[rickytsui]

i think u better off with 2 mh then one cuz i have one mh over my 65 and i have alot of shadow in the centre of the tank

 

[aaron]

That's what i was afraid of, Anyone care to throw an opinion in for or against, double ended bulbs Vs. singles?
And anyone know where i can get a couple of 175W ballasts for around $100?

 

[joseney21]

oceanencounter.com has the evc tech ballast for $94/ea.

 

[DRZL]

Hahaaa...36G BFer here.. dude all you have to do is remove the black brace and replace it with a "cut to size" CLEAR piece of acrylic, screw it down w/ nylon(not metal) screws, voila. thats how i have it on mine and my 250W is shining every spot in it.
Ill post a pic so you dont have to rip your hair out, for a fee....a frag feee...bwa ha haaaa haaa


j/k
remember DIY is a beautiful thiing, think about how much $$$ you just saved.

 

[aaron]

Anyone used the bluewave ballasts? they seem pretty cheap - $145 for a dual 175W magnetc ballasts.
Would the extra $50 be worth spending for the electronic ballasts though? What are the downsides of magnetic ballasts? does anyone here use them? do they really make a lot of noise?

 

[joseney21]

they tend to overdrive bulbs (brighter light), as the electric ones tend to run bulbs at their wattage or a little lower.overdriving a bulb will shorten a bulbs life and give you a higher electric bill, doing the opposite will give you opposite results....this is stuff i've read, over and over,in many places- not personal experience.eventually the difference in electric bill will pay for the ballast if you own it long enough.

[ May 03, 2005, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: joseney21 ]

 

[aaron]

I dont pay for electricity where i live, and the landlord doesnt seem to notice the rising pile of electricty devouring equipment in the corner of the basement.