car hid lights and leds for aquarium use

[mdeezy]

one of my other hobbies is working on cars.. so i come across these oem hid ballasts and bulbs some what frequently..

i was thinking about making a tiny pendant for my little picotope! i still need to figure out how to power it and how to power it safely.. the newer setups i have, are intended to last the entire lifetime of a car, they put out less heat than a halogen bulb and have the same intensity as a metal halide

good idea or bad idea? they're pretty cheap now, you could even pick up a generic kit off ebay or craigslist that come in different color temps.. the balasts and bulbs are alot smaller than a metal halide

heres what i have

(2) Hella generation 4 ballasts
(2) Philips D2S 85122+ 4300k

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/JaniceLopez/philips-d2s.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/JaniceLopez/hella-gen4-ballast.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/JaniceLopez/angel_eye_09.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/JaniceLopez/angel_eye_10.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/JaniceLopez/angel_eye_11.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/JaniceLopez/angel_eye_12.jpg

have you seen those BMWs with the rings around the headlights? they're called angel eyes.. there is a DIY version of these angel eyes using those acrylic rods used for window blinds.. i made a couple sets before and theyre actually really bright if done properly, the cool thing about making your own, is you can bend the rod into any shape you'd like and use less LEDs! i think these would make some nice moon lights.. but we'll see!

heres the diy
http://www.geocities.com/jvxdriver/eagle_eyes.htm

i'm gonna try to get started on these today, ill take pictures along the way

[sKwiD]

I was looking at LED powered aquariums awhile back and the light units are so expensive! Got me wondering whether or not buying a bunch of LED strips from (from ebay or something) and putting them together would have the same effect.

I don't see why HID's wouldn't work since they're super bright, yet super cheap. Let us know how your corals like them. I was thinking maybe a 6K and a 14K might look good together.

BTW: You wouldn't know how to do a Projector Retrofit would you? I'm too chicken to open up my headlights and tamper with them. :)

[Redeye]

Aquatic life makes a HID reef light

was'nt impressed with the performance by any means

[mdeezy]

i just finished up a retro on my friends golf with s2000 projectors ive done retros on a few cars including my own.. best way to open up your headlights is to put them in the oven (preheated) @ around 200-250 degrees on a cold damp towel for about 10-15 mins it softens up the adhesive and the 2 halfs come apart like nothing!.. if you want more information on retros.. go here! hidplanet.com the forums have everything you need to know

[mdeezy]

hmm maybe for my application the hids would be perfect its for my 3g pico hahah.. any lighting has to be better than the factory light that it came with

[Redeye]

you will cook a 3g

[barometer]

you will cook a 3g

that's what I'm thinking. But even if you manage to work out the heat, I think color is gonna be an issue. I'd be sure to mix plenty of blue in with whatever whites you choose to try. Too low a kelvin value is gonna look crappy and prolly promote algae. Also, PAR is gonna be a factor......not all LEDs/HIDs are equal as you already know ;)

[mdeezy]

picked up a used computer power supply on craigslist.. got around to hooking up the ballast and bulb to it.. heres a little test of the 1st time powering it up and holding it over the tank.. i was thinking heat was gonna be an issue as well but the bulb put out waaaay less heat than the 12" dual pc light im using.. but im thinking the color temp is more of an issue.. maybe supplement with actinics?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDb6YB1SkWQ

[afitzwater]

looks awesome... howd the corals react?

[mdeezy]

i set up the light over the tank temporarily with the pc's pushed back halfway.. its been on for the past 2-3 hours everything seems to be reach for the light especially the xenia and frogspawn.. im keeping the light pretty high up for now just so its not so intense for the coral.

[Sam Maghsoodloo]

I want to use these ballasts for another project. How can i get them, and how much do they cost? I'm assuming they can use 12Vdc?

[suver569]

Looks a bit yellow from the video. Can you suppliment with Actinics to get some of the blue back? The shimmer is nice BTW.

[suver569]

Just curious if anyone has checked out this option. Looks pretty nice and the color options are pretty decent. $60 for 2 ballast and bulbs is pretty good. Find a reflector and there you are.

[jesus]

has any one else tried it and worked for them this sounds promising

[Mikehino]

Any updates