I have been reading in the lighting forum and could not find some answers.
I am a saltwater aquarium nut. I just so happen to have a spare 250w MH fixture with a hella expensive reflector I used a few tanks ago before switching to LED. The problem is I have a 20k bulb in in, which is probably not ideal for growing. Lots of blue, almost no reds. Think papa smurf colored light... Awesome for coral coloration though, really makes them pop.
What is a good bulb to use? Can I just get a cheap ebay grow bulb and call it a day. ($10 shipped, holy shit! I pay $60 for aquarium bulbs) Or is there a much better specialized bulb. Also what is the ideal K spectrum, The ebay bulbs seem to be around 4.2K.
How high can I suspend this before losing major benefits? I want to cover a 3x3 preferably. I know in the aquarium world a single halide worked best in a 2x2 space though.
Lastly, just as a side note. I see a lot of people concerned here that by using high wattage grow bulbs they are going to get SWAT agents crashing through their windows on little ninja ropes. The saltwater aquarium community is one of the largest forums based entities on the internet. Look up reefcentral.com's traffic statistics. Before the recent boom of LEDs, probably 30%+ of tank owners were illuminated with at a minimum 250w MH, many using 400s, and many using as many as 3 of these to illuminate a 6' tank. There has never been a single reported case of a drug raid because of this. I lived in military housing for years using this, and had that bright glow emitting from my living room window every day. If any place would cause a problem it would be on base. Just to ease anyone's fears.
Any other advise would be greatly appreciated as well!
I am a saltwater aquarium nut. I just so happen to have a spare 250w MH fixture with a hella expensive reflector I used a few tanks ago before switching to LED. The problem is I have a 20k bulb in in, which is probably not ideal for growing. Lots of blue, almost no reds. Think papa smurf colored light... Awesome for coral coloration though, really makes them pop.
What is a good bulb to use? Can I just get a cheap ebay grow bulb and call it a day. ($10 shipped, holy shit! I pay $60 for aquarium bulbs) Or is there a much better specialized bulb. Also what is the ideal K spectrum, The ebay bulbs seem to be around 4.2K.
How high can I suspend this before losing major benefits? I want to cover a 3x3 preferably. I know in the aquarium world a single halide worked best in a 2x2 space though.
Lastly, just as a side note. I see a lot of people concerned here that by using high wattage grow bulbs they are going to get SWAT agents crashing through their windows on little ninja ropes. The saltwater aquarium community is one of the largest forums based entities on the internet. Look up reefcentral.com's traffic statistics. Before the recent boom of LEDs, probably 30%+ of tank owners were illuminated with at a minimum 250w MH, many using 400s, and many using as many as 3 of these to illuminate a 6' tank. There has never been a single reported case of a drug raid because of this. I lived in military housing for years using this, and had that bright glow emitting from my living room window every day. If any place would cause a problem it would be on base. Just to ease anyone's fears.
Any other advise would be greatly appreciated as well!
