HPS balast with MH lamp????

[Fastlife]

Hello there 3reef community... newbie her, have a question about a HPS ballast i just aquired (High Pressure Sodium) Can it be used with a metal halide bulb?

[Diver_1298]

After a small amount of research I am going to say No.
The bulbs use different ballast types. For example a 250w high pressure sodium (HPS) uses a ANSI type S50 ballast while a 250w metal halide (regular probe start) uses an ANSI type M58 ballast type. I believe the voltage going to the bulb is different and they actually make special bulbs metal halides to work in a HPS fixture. So again that leads me to believe that No is the answer. Sorry, there is a wealth of info out there and I know a little so... Ask away
Jim

[Fastlife]

Thank for the info.

[Diver_1298]

No problem,
Karma to you and welcome to 3reef. 2 posts
jim

[Fastlife]

Thank for the karma .Tank has been set up for about 7 weeks. Live rock has been in for about 2 weeks ( one week with lights one so far) as mentioned with equipment . Do i need an extra 175watt mh lighting to achive the 5 to 6 watt per gallon of light? . Like i metioned earlyer that ballast(HPS) is from a outdoor light (Parking lot ). I also have a 100W mh outdoor ballast, its for my brother. Could he use the mh outdoor ballast for his tank? I am going to try to get another one but with a higher wattage.

[Diver_1298]

Yes, he could use the ballast for his tank. The only thing you have to look out for is that most of the standard outdoor mh ballasts are probe start ballasts. Meaning, if you want to change the bulb to a higher kelvin rated, bright white or blue bulb you just need to ensure that is is NOT a pulse start bulb.
Watts per gallon is a very general rule of thumb? If the tank is deep you need more watts to penetrate the depths, if it is long you need more light fixtures or longer bulbs to spread out the light.
Par example' A deep tank like mine 25" I used 2 - 250 watt metal halides. On a shallow tank 18" or less 175w or 150w mh's would be sufficient. On a real shallow tank 12-13" compact flourescents are more than enough. Look at your options, listen to other people and make an informed decision that you can afford and live with. You don't have to go overboard with lighting like I did I just wanted to make sure that if it was out there and I liked it I would have enough light to keep it happy.
Jim