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Help - Metal Halides/ HQI

grathod

Member
Joined
16 Jan 2009
Messages
101
Location
Preston, Lancashire
Hi Guys

I swapping my scape to a lower light scape and am currently running an Arcadia Series 4 pendant at 150w metal halide...

I'm thinking of changing the bulb to a 70w bulb and was wondering whether the unit will blow the bulb as rated at 150w, does anyone know if i can get away with with a 70w bulb in a 150w unit? (normally i would assume this is ok as you can run a 100w bayonet bulb and a 60w bulb in the same holder but with the ballast and all I've no idea if this is safe)

By the way the guys at Arcadia are not great communicators, i emailed their technical help person one Mr Chambers and 3 days later still no reply. Considering i spent just under £400 for their unit just over 12mths ago, you'd think they'd get back to you a bit quicker but nada.

Any Sparky's out there that can help?
 
Thanks guys, back to drawing board then, might attempt making my own lighting unit using some led strips of eBay so some research ahead. Once again appreciate the help.
 
Well if you are into DIY you can just buy a 70w MT light unit from EBay for £37 including bulb & postage.
I have a single 70w MT over my 90x60x40 & it covers the whole surface area, my plants are growing well & no sign of any algae.
Not as though you need any DIY to make it work it just looks a little like an outdoor flood light :D
 
foxfish said:
Well if you are into DIY you can just buy a 70w MT light unit from EBay for £37 including bulb & postage.
I have a single 70w MT over my 90x60x40 & it covers the whole surface area, my plants are growing well & no sign of any algae.
Not as though you need any DIY to make it work it just looks a little like an outdoor flood light :D

Hey foxfish, got a link to the sort of thing you are talking about ? :)
 
foxfish said:

i've been wanting to get one, never occurred to me to buy one from ebay... what light do you use though. can't seem to find any 70watt locally which is meant for a planted tank... they do sell in hardware stores... but no details on their color temperature? can we just use any 70watt bulb even those meant for spotlights?
 
I am sorry Rad but you post has confused me, the light I linked to comes with a 6500k bulb.
"can you use a 70w bulb meant for spotlights" do you mean in a metal halide unit? if so then no - you need a purpose bulb to fit a MH fitting!
Colour is a human thing not a plant thing, you can grow plants under virtually any colour but some bulb colours may look too blue or too white for us to enjoy looking at in our house environment.
In my case I am quite happy with the daylight 6500k bulb but I do use an additional blue spectrum T8 for the sunrise sunset effect.
 
foxfish said:
I am sorry Rad but you post has confused me, the light I linked to comes with a 6500k bulb.
"can you use a 70w bulb meant for spotlights" do you mean in a metal halide unit? if so then no - you need a purpose bulb to fit a MH fitting!
Colour is a human thing not a plant thing, you can grow plants under virtually any colour but some bulb colours may look too blue or too white for us to enjoy looking at in our house environment.
In my case I am quite happy with the daylight 6500k bulb but I do use an additional blue spectrum T8 for the sunrise sunset effect.

you answered my question, sorry about the confusion i was talking about metal halide bulbs and their color temperature.... because i can't find any 70 watt metal halide bulb with different color temperature except those sold at hardware stores, so was wondering what the effect was on plants growth :D
 
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