MH lighting sources in Omaha

[koikeeper]

Do we have any electrical supply sources, etc for setting up lighting for the tank? I have read in the forums here about electrical outlets and even home depot carrying cheap MH's. Just not familiar with what is avialable in Omaha yet... So what kind of deals have you been able to find for your lighting?

koi

[MICHEAL1]

Hellolights.com is by far the most economical place to get halide setups. Their XM bulbs are very good and low priced, and their ballast and reflector packages are a really good deal.

mike

[koikeeper]

HelloLights is actually where I plan on buying my lighting from if I cannot find a competitive local source. I always try to buy local, unless the price difference is just not worth it...

koi

[smcwhirt]

The problem with purchasing a Metal Halide from someplace like Home Depot is that it will be an industrial fixture for lighting something like a warehouse or a gymnasium. The color spectrum will be poor for use in aquariums. MH bulbs and ballasts are depent on each other to some extent. So even if you found a inexpensive ballast it may or may not fire a bulb of the proper kelvin for your aquarium. The other problem in Omaha may be deciding on a MH setup. I believe only two of the LFS have MH systems setup, Reef Tectonics and Aqua Pets. I believe Bellvue Pet Center is the only one that regularly stocks MH ballasts, fixture and bulbs. When looking at online pricing for systems remember that unless you're going with an electronic ballast the shipping costs can be rather high. A single bulb ballast can easily weigh 20 pounds. The other drawback with the local selection or lack of is deciding on a bulb ballast combination. There are endless debates on bulb color and par levels and double ended bulbs vs single ended bulb, visual appearance vs. the needs of the corals. So without a couple different choices to look at locally you're just going on what you read or are told. I certainly understand why there aren't tons of MH displays at LFS, the cost would be painful. Lighting was the single hardest choice I think I had to make so I'd definetly recommend you do a lot of reading and asking before you dive in.

Sean