Ressurection of the metal halide from hell

[lars on]

Bought a metal halide light off a guy in Kingston today with a massive box of supplies for 25$, to my surprise the thing is only a year old at the most, has a huge fan built in the side, and the bulb itself is as big as my 20oz pepsi bottle. Some of the screws are rusted. He told me the ballast box didnt work but the guy had never tried fixing it, so here is my thread, where you can watch me demolish this little guy and most likely send it back into the hellish pit it came out of!

Pics to come later!

 

[Wolf-Keeper1]

Sweet. I have a huge lightbulb that would be used on the street lamps. Not sure if it's a mh or the other one. But it's the size of a football. If you wanted it you could hve it. But your kind of far.

 

[lars on]

Geez! That sounds a little to big. But thank you for the offer

// And this time I am not going to make the mistake of leaving this thing on when no ones home, and its not getting turned on or plugged in until I can find whats wrong with it either, dont want no fires

 

[lars on]

 

[sidekicking]

so what are you going to use this light for??

 

[lars on]

Now that you bring that up I have no idea. I was gonna make a nano saltwater tank again, but under 13 Gallons. Prolly just fix and sell, and... REDEMPTIONNNNNN

 

[larry.beck]

Been thinking about the PFO pendants myself...

 

[sidekicking]

redemption sounds good. but this time leave the foam out lol

 

[lars on]

Lol foam is staying out in the garage!!
Pendants on cichlid tanks? That would look cool!

 

[larry.beck]

I would have already gone MH over my big tank if I wasn't afraid of the algae buildup - I like LED because I can run them 12-16 hours a day with very little buildup. But I'm still interested in perhaps a single pendant that would be used at "prime viewing hours" on that tank to highlight one of the rock precipices. I'm currently planning a LED pendant to but jump on a cheap MH just to try it out and see the result.

 

[endangered cichlids]

well i think thats a 250 watt mh , i have 3 of thoughs same lights , also have some twin 250 . and a bunch of 50/50 coralifes.if anyones interested ,, ok hyjack off ..lol

 

[lars on]

ohhh, I may have to bug you later on how they are set-up then

 

[endangered cichlids]

no problem , the light co in vancouver can get u wireing scumatics if u need em

 

[lars on]

no idea what those are but it sounds good!

// Do you have any pictures of your lights?

/// Found the ballast, retails for 120-200$,http://www.customaquatic.com/estore/control/product/~product=LT-PFAQ1-250PS-120, would be awesome to get this thing running

I think my ballast is missing the on off switch

 

[Doza]

I would have already gone MH over my big tank if I wasn't afraid of the algae buildup - I like LED because I can run them 12-16 hours a day with very little buildup. But I'm still interested in perhaps a single pendant that would be used at "prime viewing hours" on that tank to highlight one of the rock precipices. I'm currently planning a LED pendant to but jump on a cheap MH just to try it out and see the result.

You have mbunas Larry.. Algae buildup is great.. LOL free food.. you dont have a sw tank right.

 

[larry.beck]

LOL I love algae on the rocks, but not on the glass and substrate. I bought a 48" 4-bulb T5 fixture (2 actinic 2 10k bulbs) a month or two ago and within 1 week had algae growing on the glass like crazy on my 125g, which has *never* had algae growth before. Returned the fixture and went back to my 36" LED fixture. LOL

 

[endangered cichlids]

I like algae growth ... i try to get it everywhere then i scrap it off and the fish actually eat it up like candy ...