50 Watt Ushio MR16 bulbs

[Donovan]

I am setting up a 800 gallon fish only tank. Fake corals. Please no bashing! I am looking at alternatives to MH lighting to create the shimmering effect but don't have the need for coral growth. Purely cosmetic. Less power consumption, less heat problems.

Ushio has a 12 volt reflector bulb - the brand name is whitestar. They are normally used in art galleries and such. It comes in 6500K with a narrow beam of 12 degrees up to 38 degrees. I am going to get the narrow 12 degree beam. Sylvania has a similar bulb as well.

I am planning on using 8 of these to light my tank. 4 cans on two 8 foot tracks. The single point light source should give me the shimmering effect I am looking for. Plus I will be able to rotate and slide the lights around to point them where I want. I will be also running some PC actinics to give a little more blue.

These lights will only be on when I am viewing the tank. No need to light the tank 8 hours or so a day. Obviously it won't be as bright as big ol metal halides but I should get sufficient lighting with appx 400 watts of light.

Anybody have any experience with these bulbs? Any input would be greatly appreciated

[grim]

You might be interested in throwing in a couple of Ushio Popstar Blue MR-16 Halogen Lamps.. They've got some good spikes around 420-440 and actually look kind of nice (an aqua/light blue color) and also have a 12 degree spread. The 12 degree is a very tight spot, you'll need them mounted 2 feet or higher above the tank to get any more than a small spot at the bottom.

Halides are much more efficient and will run cooler watt for watt than halogen bulbs. 2 175w Halides will likely be significantly brighter than 8 50w Halogens..

jb