If your aquarium is small, and if the surrounding area is also small, you`ll surely want tools and equipment that don`t take up much space but are highly efficient. If that`s the case, you`ll definitely be interested to get a metal halide lamp for your aquarium. Metal halide lamps are known to produce high-intensity light even with their compact size. For such small lamps, metal halide lamps are efficient and powerful.
You might want to look into the 175-Watt 14000K Metal Halide Bulb - Hamilton, Mogul Base from
Pet Store if you`re searching for a good metal halide lamp. This lamp offers crisp, high-intensity light that can enhance coloration of
fish and corals. Its white light is tinged with a bit of a blue tint, which brings out colors very vividly. The light it produces is enough to simulate daytime sunlight, though you may want to use other lamps when simulating sunrise or sunset.
The 175-Watt 14000K Metal Halide Bulb - Hamilton, Mogul Base can be used for reef tanks as deep as one-and-a-half feet. Other lamps don`t reach those depths, but this lamp will do that with no problem. It works with standard-sized magnetic or electronic ballasts, so setting it up will be a convenient process.
175W 14000K METAL HALIDE SINGLE ENDED BULB—HAMILTON
The Hamilton single-ended 14000K metal halide bulb offers excellent coloration and good intensity. It is crisp-white with a blue tint. It brings out the fluorescent pigments in corals nicely. Fluorescent supplementation is usually not necessary, but can be used for added intensity and to simulate dawn and dusk. This bulb will work with a standard magnetic ballast, magnetic pulse-start ballast or electronic ballast. An excellent choice for reef tanks up to 18" deep. on how the different Kelvin ratings appear and more information on metal halide bulbs.
Common questions/problems concerning metal halide lamps:
- Metal halide lamps of the same kind are different colors?
Metal halide lamps operate by passing an electric arc through an arc tube that excites particles in the arc tube. When the metal particles reach an excited state they emit energy in the form of visible light. It takes 100 hours of operation before the metal particles stabilize and become a consistent color. All metal halides require 100 hours of operation before color and light output stabilize. All metal halides inherently have a slight color variation between individual lamps. - The metal halide lamp fires and then either burns dull or the arc extinguishes?
Usually the ballast and lamp are not receiving enough power. Metal halides pull a high current. Usually the problem is either there is too great a load on the circuit or the extension cords are of a small wire size and can`t handle the power needed by the ballast. Use only heavy duty extension cords and try running a ballast off a circuit from another part of the house. - Do I need a cover shield between the lamp and the aquarium?
Metal halide lamps produce a large amount of UV and also have a potential of exploding. The single ended metal halide lamps have an outer jacket which eliminates most of the UV. However, they have an inherent risk of exploding and UL requires metal halide lamps to be enclosed. On double ended lamps there is no UV shield. Double ended lamps must have a glass shield or major eye injuries including blindness may occur. - Can I operate a ballast and lamp together which are designed for different wattages?
Each wattage lamp and ballast are designed together for optimal performance and safety. If you over drive the lamp it may explode and shorten the life of the ballast and lamps. If you under drive the lamp it will also shorten the life of both components and also may explode. Do not mix different type wattages of lamps and ballasts.
NOTE: The bulb should be handled carefully. Using soft gloves is a good idea to keep finger prints off bulb. This is during installation and replacement.
**Please Note** Pulse start type lamps may ignite and work just fine on a probe start ballast for a few months; however, as the lamp ages, the electrodes erode and higher voltage is needed to start the lamp. The open circuit voltage provided by probe start ballasts is not sufficient to ignite a pulse start lamp.
