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Lights for big tanks
>This is a big tank (and will be a lot of fun), but to hassle with the
>ballasts and fixtures for 16 48" bulbs? You may want to consider buying or
>building a hood and mount 4 or 6(=better 3watts/gal), 96w power compacts.
>Even better, go with an open top tank using 4 175w MH pendants.
For a tank thayt size I'd be tempted to use 2 430W Philips
Son-Agro. Ostesnibly a 400W Metal Halide (MH) bulb, but with a 30W
High Pressure Sodium (HPS) capsule insde as well to put out extra
red light - which MH is lousy at making, but is important
for happy (and colorful) plants.
Of you could go the el-cheapo route and use hardware store
"security" lights. two 150W mecury vapour (MV) and one 70W
HPS, you'd spend very little but more light tha you'd
probably ever need.
I don't know about anywhere else, but Costco here has
150W MV's for $38 CDN, and 70W HPS are around for about
$80 CDN. Thats with bulbs and ballasts, although you'd
probably want'need to take them apart and mount just
the parts you need.
--
Richard J. Sexton richard at aquaria_net
Maitland House, Bannockburn, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1Y0 +1 (613) 473 1719