halids or halogen?

[datsnotacarp]

I am having problems choosing lights for my planted tank.
little while ago i purchasd three 150w halogen flood lamps
thinking this will look nice , but is this right ?
what is the diff between the two?
halids or halogen thay are going on a 5 ft tank




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[Paulio]

Halides create a ton of heat, are not very efficient for this use and dont give a very nice color. Halide is the way to go. Is there a reason you are going this route instead of Fluorescent?

Paul

[datsnotacarp]

Did you mean halogen create a tone of heat??
there is to many plugs for to many fluros on that tank!
need better lighting for plant growth! or do i need halids?

[Paulio]

Did you mean halogen create a tone of heat??
there is to many plugs for to many fluros on that tank!
need better lighting for plant growth! or do i need halids?



Yep, oops! I meant Halogens. What size tank are you working with?

Paul

[ronrca]

Paulio is correct! Halogen's create a lot of heat but so do halides, maybe not as much but still enough. The trick is mounting! For a 150W tank, I would recommend halides though, suspended above the tank and leaving it open to disapate the heat into the room instead of into the water.

[ChloroPhil]

datsnotacarp,

I think you'll find that Compact Fluorescent fixtures will be cheaper than the Halides. If you wish to use pendant lighting then by all means, get Halide. Try to find 125 or 175 watt fixtures and use 5300-6700 degree Kelvin bulbs. Anything stronger than that, 200+ watts will be too much for your tank.


Best,
Phil

[Paulio]

Also check out this post

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.phpboard=19;action=display;threadid=11667