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Re: Halogens




>> Just saw an add on TV for some really cheap halogen lights.. like 150W and
>> 500W ones....  what are peoples experiences with these and are they >suitable
>> for planted aquariums ?
> 
> Stay away from them. They give off much too much heat and have a relativly
> low (2800-3200 K, approx, maybe 3600 K tops) color temperature light.

The color temp is not bad for plants and will do very well for most every
plant. The heat, efficiency, and color to our eyes is another matter.
I grew 200 different species quite well with them but they vary in
usability.
The 150-500watt types are not very good IMO. The GE "color precise" 50 watt
track lighting 12v did the best of the all of the ones I tried. Looked the
best too(3050K). You can get the "spot" narrow focus bulbs and add this to a
MH set up for a very neat affect that will not heat the tank up much. These
spots can be placed 2-3 ft or more away from the tank. The floods are more
for the 12 inch distance range. I tested the heat from 3 x 50 watt lights at
12 inches for a 20 gallon tank and got an average of about 1-2 degree (C)
rise per photoperiod of 12 hours. This took into account ambient room temp
changes vs a FL T-12 set up with 60 watts of light as well. There's about 2x
the light coming out of the FL T-12's in this set up. But you pay for over
2x the electric. I flowered Crypt parva submersed using them. *If your after
bright and cheap, T-8's are hard to beat.

They have their place in small tanks/spot lights/dimmable lighting accents
but not a main source for any long term project/ big tanks etc. I messed
with them for about 5 years in a lighting quest. MH's/PC's/T-8's/T-12's are
cheaper in the long run. Might not seem like it at first but they are if you
look at the long term.
Regards, 
Tom Barr