Hydroponic MH

[Daniel62]

Could someone pls tell me what is the difference between them and the one's sold
for reeftanks. Ie the ballast, socket etc.
Thanks.
New to this but still havingfun

 

[Modo]

I would imagine only the packaging. A MH ballast will start a MH bulb that it is rated for no matter. Check the bulbs specs to the ballast but I would imagine it is a marketing thing and not a logistic one.

Most hydroponic lights (for homegrown tomatoes riiiight?

) are Mercury Vapor due to the high output of red in MV bulbs. But, even if so mercury vapor ballasts will burn a Iwasaki bulb. You just can't go to a higher Kelvin bulb(10k 0r 20k)because these need a MH ballast.

Just check the ballast to see what type/wattage bulb it fires and go to town if the price is right.

 

[Bodine]

These are the type of lights I use on my 180.
Got my 400 watters without bulbs, work just fine. i burn 400 watt 20K Osram/Radium bulbs in these "reefer growing" lights.....Note the duality....

I like mine. The ballast is enclosed, no ballast mess behind the tank. The bulbs are horizonal and they have a glass lense for splash protection

Got mine from
http://www.hydrofarm.com/

You can probably pick these up at DEA auction real cheap.....

 

[fishfarmer]

I'm looking at a couple of hydroponic light setups in High Ti....er Aquatic Ecosystems, Inc. catalog, www.aquaticeco.com. They're either MH or HPS. I'm assuming the bulbs they supply with these will be low kelvins, 4000k or lower. You shouldn't have a problem using a higher kelvin bulb, which they do sell as well. These suspended packages look decent, ballast enclosed in the hood. Lowest price for 175w MH package is $176.95, highest price for a 1000w package is $379.95.

I don't work for this company, but have had great success ordering from them.

 

[davelin315]

There's no difference in the ballast, the socket, or anything else. Really the only difference is the bulb itself (different K rating for plants versus corals) and possibly the design. I have 2 pendants that I spent $300 on 10 years ago, and a single fixture (ballast is in the fixture) that I spent $100 on 5 years ago. The only difference is in the structural design, otherwise they're exactly the same thing.