400 Watt MH
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Equipment
Forum Description: This is the place to ask question about reef equipment.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=478
Printed Date: January 17 2026 at 7:21am
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Topic: 400 Watt MH
Posted By: jbruse
Subject: 400 Watt MH
Date Posted: April 30 2003 at 5:18pm
| Hey guys I got a 400 MH fixture housing and reflector and I wanted to know if I could just buy a light to put in it, it is 400 watt pulse start is this the right type of fixture/ballast for the good reef bulbs? If it is they can be had CHEAP!! |
Replies:
Posted By: jbruse
Date Posted: April 30 2003 at 5:20pm
| Forgot to mention we can get them here in town for $88. So if they will work we could all be running MH at almost no cost. |
Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: April 30 2003 at 6:19pm
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jbruse, Tell me more! I would be very interested in a couple. Let me know where you got it. Shane p.s. How's the tank coming along? |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: April 30 2003 at 6:22pm
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Yup, just wire it up and screw in a bulb. Most bulbs will operate on a probe start ballast which is cheaper then the pulse start ballast. Here's a link to a 400 watt probe start ballast ($53 plus shipping): http://www.hellolights.com/40magmagm59b.html">http://www.hellolights.com/40magmagm59b.html You might want to check locally for a probe start ballast, I'm guessing they can be had locally for about the same as at hellolights. ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: jbruse
Date Posted: April 30 2003 at 6:49pm
| If anyone has a old MH bulb we could try let me know. I am going to try and pick up the thing tomorrow and if anyone has a bulb they can bring to the meeting I will bring it with me. They have bulbs but they are only 4000k (not good enough for a reef tank). Also Jon do you know if this will work with a smaller bulb and where is the best deal to be had on MH bulbs? |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: April 30 2003 at 7:11pm
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Not sure what you mean my smaller bulb, but the only bulbs the probe start ballast won't fire is the HQI (double ended) and Radium bulbs. For bulbs check http://www.hellolights.com">www.hellolights.com and http://www.marinedepot.com">www.marinedepot.com and I'm sure others can chime in too. Is there anyplace local that can compete pricewise? ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 14 2004 at 3:04pm
 Old thread but new question, maybe...
We found 20, yes twenty, M59 ballasts and fixtures for $15 each (with GE 400W bulbs which are a useless 3500 Kelvin)(Funny thing, people (I hope not hobbyists  ) are stealing the bulbs and leaving the ballasts/fixtures!). When searching, we found the same Hellolights page link that Jon gives above. It shows quite a few 400W bulbs that will work with an M59 Magnatek ballast. These 20 ballasts are made by Lithonia Hi-Tek. Are we correct in assuming that this ballast is useful with those same bulbs ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: rstruhs
Date Posted: February 14 2004 at 9:31pm
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Mark, where and when can I pick one or two of those up? Rodney ------------- Rodney, Sandra, Jeffery, and Laura Struhs South Jordan, Utah 98th South & 40th West. (801) 282-2744 75 gallon reef 55 gallon reef 55 gallon FOWLR 20 gallon FOWLR |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: February 14 2004 at 10:25pm
Yes mark they will work. A M59 ballast is a M59 ballast. That's a good price. Another $7 for a socket, a few buck for odds/ends/wire, $50 for a bulb and you've got fairly cheap sunlight  .------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 16 2004 at 9:20pm
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Thanks Jon.
And thanks to Crazy Tarzan who found them and notified me. They are at the Provo Deseret Industries store. I'm getting some PM's. Perhaps one person can buy six or more and then sell them to others that couldn't make the trip. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: February 16 2004 at 9:49pm
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Yeah I'd like a couple! ------------- Jared Neilsen Lehi, Utah |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: February 16 2004 at 9:56pm
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Mark are they multi-tapped for use with 120 volts? ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 16 2004 at 10:38pm
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Recalling what Crazy Tarzan and 8isenuf said when they saw them, yes they are for 120V. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: February 22 2004 at 7:06pm
| What ever happened to these ballasts? Did someone pick them all up? If so I am interested in buying two. Please let me know. |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: February 23 2004 at 3:44pm
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Just to reconfirm what has already been said... I have a Cooltouch lighting setup and it came with 2-M59 ballasts. They work fine. I'm currently running 400w 10k Ushios but have decided to go with the 10k XM's (more PAR |
Posted By: Ryan Willden
Date Posted: February 23 2004 at 7:23pm
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DON'T BUY THE BALLASTS FROM THE D.I. IN PROVO! I
bought one today to see if it would work, and they are only 480 Volt Ballasts. Unless you have that kind of a circuit in your house (which I highly doubt) then it will not work. Anyway, I'm glad to be the test dummy to find out if these worked, but don't waste your money... Coincidentally, if anyone does have a 480V circuit in their house, let me know. I have a Ballast for sale for only $10! 
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Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: February 23 2004 at 7:27pm
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Bummer... ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Ryan Willden
Date Posted: February 23 2004 at 7:30pm
Yup...
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jfinch wrote:Posted By: Crazy Tarzan
Date Posted: February 23 2004 at 7:31pm
| Hmm.... tranformers, coils of wire.... electromagnetic currents... I bet you could figure out how to get one to work off a 120 v outlet... however don't know what else it might do to everything in the house. Maybe some new zooanthids would pop up in your tank after a while... |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 23 2004 at 9:05pm
 ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|