Re: [aroid-l] HID Lights

Folks,

  The HID lights in question ( at least the metal halide ones ) 
are also used by the reef aquarium hobby.  They provide a lot of 
lumens per watt of energy put in, and seem to be available in 
spectra that plants ( and corals ) appreciate.

  I have had a 400 watt unit in operation over my reef tank for 
quite a while and have not been visited by the DEA ( you would 
think that massive potting soil purchases, huge electricity and 
gas bill, and heated greenhouses would have garnered a little more 
attention... )

  If you're considering getting one, you might also want to 
consider the resultant increase in your electric bill.  400 watts 
is basically ten flourescent lights crammed into about 1/60th the 
space.  It gets hot and it eats a lot of energy.  Running one for 
10 hours a day is 300 hours a month, or about 120 kilowatt hours.  
I pay around 25 cents for each kwh, which adds $30 to my electric 
bill each month.  A 1000 watt setup would add $75 to my bill - and 
that's the reason why I don't keep more high light plants inside.

  Search the web for hydroponics stores and reef aquarium 
suppliers, and you're sure to find a plethora of the devices for 
sale ...

Best regards,
--Albert

 

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