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Re: high pressure sodium lights



Ernie <EDepascale at aol_com> wrote:
> Subject: high pressure sodium lights
> I have been reading you folks for a few weeks, and I have learned from and 
> enjoyed a great deal. Would any or all of you comment on the use of high 
> pressure sodium lighting. I looked in the krib, but I found only one mixed 
> comment- seemed to grow plants but over heated the fish room so the writer 
> opted for a low watt flourescent setup. The ones I have been offered came 
> from a horticultural operation and  360 watt lamps (new) with a corresponding 
> 4oo watt ballast.   Ernie D.

Ernie, the HPS lamps aren't suited very well for the aquarium. They 
have great intensity, and can grow some red plants, but the 
spectrum is all wrong. I believe HPS lamps are ~2000K, and have 
hardly any blue light. Without blue, plants grow long and leggy, 
plus the water looks errie. 

There are conversion bulbs available to use with your ballast. You 
can get one 5000-6500K and will be a lot happier. Make sure it's a 
HPS ballast first. It seems like you have a 360w HPS conversion 
bulb already. If my memory is right, a 400w MH ballast takes a 
360w HPS conversion bulb, and vice versa. Search the net for bulb 
dealers. You can find some good prices if you hunt around.

Jamie    <"\\\>< Aquatic plants, water chemistry, and cichlids
Greenwood, SC     http://www.ais-gwd.com/~jjirons