Quality Lighting

[Nalaundi]

other than obvious extras.. what makes a lighting fixture better than another.
ex power compact both same length same wattage same extras... is there quality in the fixture or is it just the bulbs...

curious.. looking at a jebo 130watt 30" fixture vs the aqua light 130 watt 3o" fixture. same thing for metal halides.... any thoughts?\

also... would it be cheaper (apart from purchase price) to run 195 watts from a 2-65 watt and a 1-65 watt together or a single 150watt metal halide?

 

[Dorkhedeos]

other than obvious extras.. what makes a lighting fixture better than another.
ex power compact both same length same wattage same extras... is there quality in the fixture or is it just the bulbs...

curious.. looking at a jebo 130watt 30" fixture vs the aqua light 130 watt 3o" fixture. same thing for metal halides.... any thoughts?\

also... would it be cheaper (apart from purchase price) to run 195 watts from a 2-65 watt and a 1-65 watt together or a single 150watt metal halide?

Cheaper ballasts can be less efficient, get hotter, and fail faster. If you are going to buy a ballast, I would suggest getting one thats not from an unknown brand. Just get something in the middle. For the jebo, im pretty damn sure they are crap and the aqualights by coralife, they are like the high end of the crap category and very low end of the decent. Itll be cheaper to run the 150w halide of course. Watts is how much energy they use I would go with the halide with an ushio or phoenix bulb. Bulb is personal preference though. If you get t-5s i would suggest making your own fixture with individual reflectors. You will probably run half to 3/4 the wattage to get as much light from those fixtures that you mentioned. If you go halides and you arent really good with wiring, then just get a mid range one thats already complete.

 

[SkiFletch]

Ummm, well I'd avoid Jebos, they're REALLY cheaply made. Their fans are junk and will rattle quickly, ballsts are actually OK, but their lamps and reflectors are garbage (bad phosphors, and no individual reflectors). Usually its things like these (especially the reflectors) that set a good unit apart from another. Ballasts are somewhat of a concern, but not as much as reflectors, cooling, and lamps.

Actually it would probably be cheapest to get a 175watt halide run off an electronic ballast as far as electrical costs goes. You could also see if you can find a 4-tube staggered T5 fixture with individual reflectors as that would be the most efficient. PC's are sadly neither electrically efficient, nor light efficient. They were supposed to "revolutionize" lighting 5 years ago, but when people realized they stunk and electronic ballasted T5's and Halides are better, that didn't exactly happen

Edit: Also to clarify a confusing concept: 175watt halide with an electronic ballast will usually put out more light and use less electricity than a 150watt halide with a magnetic ballast. The differences in reflectors and ballasts between the two styles of halide is what really makes the difference.

 

[Nalaundi]

wow.. I never whould have thought Im glad I asked :=) thanks!

 

[Dorkhedeos]

Ski, I found out that there are electronic ballasts for lights as low as 70w. I think im going to rig my tank up with the 70w electronic ballast once I get it going. They arent cheap though, its about 110 bucks for a 70w ballast I dont mind paying because I wont get that nice hum that I will get with the magnetic ballasts.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yup, there are electronic 70watters. I've never personally seen an electronic 150watt model. Doesn't mean they don't exhist but that wattage seems to more commonly be magnetic.