Plasma Lighting

[Paulo]

I just wondered if anyone has tried plasma lighting on thier tanks? I know this is experimental and color is not great for the viewers but does the Corals survive/thrive? I find this very a very interesting subject and I hoped that our sponsor(I think) that was trying would be able to try it out but he was not happy with the light and returned it. I have read that the dimmable plasma engine/driver is either out or being tested so that should be interesting. ANyways just looking around the net and driver look to around $600 on tv projector sites. Are there plans for other "bulb" with different color rendering and ect. Any info would be appreciated.
Paulo

[evilc66]

I would love to experiment with plasma, but the color temp is a major roadblock. Getting a more reef appropriate color temp would probably require a company like Ushio to get involved, but the cost of the base system would have to come down considerably to make the technology commercially viable. It also has to get closer to the desired efficacy too to make it more appealing than MH. Right now, efficacy is about the same, but at a much higher pricetag.

On the plus side, the tiny size, long life, and the ability to dim make it very attractive. It would be a lot simpler than LEDs to implement with similar performance and control. Not as energy efficient though.

[ReeferRob]

I was watching a TV show on Discovery or something like that, and they were talking about how its made and what not.......point coming, but that plasma lighting is what is replacing street lamp everywhere. Few days later I noticed different fixtures up on top of a few poles, I think on 696......

[evilc66]

696 has LED highway lighting in certain areas. I think plasma is a little too new for that type of application.

[Hopkins]

Didn't Todd of Cherry Corals put a plasma bulb over his new 600 gallon tank.

[evilc66]

Yes, but I don't know if it stayed there. I had heard rumor that there were some technical difficulties with the ballast, and the poor color temp that ended up making him take it down. This could be totally false of course.

[Paulo]

They did not keep that bulb at cherry. He was waiting for a version that is dimmable. I was reading some DYI applications that used tv projector plasma engines to light. SOund like big problem is color.

[tazzy695]

I asked them in the sponcor threads and they said they didn't like the color it made so they returned it

I will admit a bulb the size of a small standard led putting off light the strength of a 400w mh is pretty impressive as he fired the light up when I was at his place once

[evilc66]

I think it might warrant a call with the company to see what can be done to reduce the cost and get a more appealing spectral output. I tell you what though, with how even the spectral output is, it will make a great grow light, or for very large freshwater planted tank.