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Hydroponics lights and lead strips



Some time ago the question of where to get those little aquatic plant 
baskets lead to a suggestion to try hydroponics supplies search on the 
net.  While there was a rock wool growing medium I was unable to find our 
little baskets.  This post covers two subjects.  Baskets and lead strips 
and (2) hyrdroponics lights.  
In selling bunches of rotalla indica (I grow about 500 ten inch stalks a 
month) the shops would prefer to have the lead strip to hold the bunch.  
Also for selling sword plants they like the pots.  Does anybody know 
where I can get a reel of lead weight and/or the little baskets?

(2)  While the search of hydroponics supply places didn't give me an 
answer to the above it did give lots of good info on MH lights with much 
better prices than any fish source.  One of the cousins to MH they talk 
about is H.P. Sodium lamp (High pressure?)_.  I don't think this is the 
yellow sodium street light from years ago.  It is supposed to enhance 
orange-red and blue spectrum whereas the sodium lamp I know of is a 
single frequency.  At any rate the new H.P. Sodium lamp is called a SON 
AGRO bulb.  It comes in two sizes (430 and 270 watt) and requires a 
special conversion unit to use in a MH fixture.  
Q.?  Does anybody know anything about using these things for aquatic plants?

Also interesting in the hydroponics stuff is the idea of a moving light.  
For a reallly large tank I wonder if  1000 watt bulb moving slowly back 
and forth over the tank would be as effective and lower watt stationary 
bulbs.  The cost effectiveness of the larger bulbs is attractive.
Q.?  Any thoughts on this approach?

FWIW sample prices for MH fixtures (bulb, ballast, fixture all assembled) 
is $170 for 175 MH, $204 for 250 watt, $255 for 400 watt and $315 for 
1000 watt.
 --Earle Hamilton from northern Michigan where coral once grew