best pcs for the money

[carpenterwrasse]

I am looking to get some new lights but don't have the dough for the mh and was told that power compacts are not too bad for their price anyone with a good brand give me an idea

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Try the Curent USA PCs....but my advice would be to go with VHO set up initaly it will cor a little more the the PC becauce you will need a canopy for your tank but in the long run the VHO bulbs are about half the cost of PCs and you can get a quad ballast for about $150 with end caps capible of firing 16 feet of bulb (about 384 Wh of light)... Try going to #ed_op#A href="http://www.hellolights.com"#ed_cl#http://www.hellolights.com#ed_op#/A#ed_cl# if you go with a retro system or a DYI you can realy save some money.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#tigersax7#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

Do a little more research, I think you will find with a little DIY effort you can get halides for close to the same cost or cheaper than PC's! 2x250w MH will run you about $200.

[carpenterwrasse]

what is the cost to run the mh vs pcs

[dakar]

Pretty much even watt for watt. Depends on the power factor of the ballasts, some are better than others.... the real saving will show up in about 6-8 months when it's time to replace all the PC's vs. the halides which will run well for around 12-16 months or longer (a few variables there).

[carpenterwrasse]

would i need to build a canopy over my tank.... i really don't want to hang lights from my ceiling or walls

[dakar]

That is the downfall to a DIY setup, they almost always will require either being suspended over the tank or built into a canopy. But as *most* use a canopy it's not an issue.