Guillermo Monroy Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Can someone please explain what is the difference between HQI and the screw in bulds that MH use? Link to comment
EtOH_is_good Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 hqi needs uv screen. hqi uses different ballast. hqi has better par (i think). Link to comment
ricky1414 Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Hqi bulbs are said to be more intense. Many say this is due to the DE pendants having superior reflectors. Link to comment
qfour20 Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Both of the statements above are accurate. HQI (I will refer to them as DE or double ended here) require a UV shield, as the bulb is not shielded. SE (single ended, or "mogul base") bulbs put out less light per watt of input. A rough estimate is that a 150w DE == 250w SE. Usually, the reflectors you will find for DE are far superior, as noted above. Also, most DE bulbs are run from electronic ballasts. This is not the only way, but it is much more common to find electronic ballasts for DE applications. SE, on the other hand, often are sold with cheap-o cap and coil ballasts.** These ballasts are not nearly as efficient as the electronic ballasts, so you are not only getting less light per watt rating of the bulb, but you're also using more electricity to drive that wattage bulb. I would strongly recommend going with a DE metal halide. I have a 70w over my tank, along with some PC actinics, and I love it. Hope this helps, good luck! -q **Some people are using electronic ballasts for their SE bulbs (namely, Icecap) and this is vastly more efficient, but ultimately, you'll probabbly end up with better par / kwh of electrical usage with a DE halide. Link to comment
Guillermo Monroy Posted July 12, 2004 Author Share Posted July 12, 2004 Do you think a 70w DE would work in my Via Aqua 37G tank? Dimensions are roughly 16” W x 21” L x 18” H and I have about 4” of live sand. Really do not if this matters or not but I just thought I would included it. I want to not only eventually put some corals in my tank but also give it the natural bright sun wave shimmering look. What are your thoughts? Link to comment
qfour20 Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 Honestly, your best bet will be a 150DE metal halide or larger (ie: 150 or 250). That tank is a bit too large for a 70w metal halide to suffice. Good Luck! -q Link to comment
Guillermo Monroy Posted July 13, 2004 Author Share Posted July 13, 2004 Can you or some one recommend a website or local store that could get a good deal on a DE 150w MH retrofit with, an electronic ballast? I really want to use the light fixture that came with the tank. I saw this other member do the same to his but the difference is his was smaller. Therefore, I am confidant that a DE 150w will fit in my light fixture. Link to comment
onthefly Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 www.hellolights.com Great customer service! Link to comment
catweh00 Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Contact jorge or lampdr on here. He rocks, i just bought one of his setups and I was very impressed. Craig Link to comment
flyboy01 Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Originally posted by Guillermo Monroy Do you think a 70w DE would work in my Via Aqua 37G tank? Dimensions are roughly 16” W x 21” L x 18” H and I have about 4” of live sand. Really do not if this matters or not but I just thought I would included it. I want to not only eventually put some corals in my tank but also give it the natural bright sun wave shimmering look. What are your thoughts? Talk to Dr. Lamp, he has ads in the classifieds forum, he sells 70w DE for $140, 150w DE for $215 and 250w (DE or SE?) for $140. Your tank is like mine, deep, so I ended up going to a 150w DE Coralife Pendant to penetrate better, the 70w would be OK for a 10 or 20L wich are not too high. I found mine on eBay, two months old for $100.00, not bad for a $400 package! Link to comment
TiGs Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 HQI is a brand like Plexiglass is to acrylic Link to comment
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