thinking outside the box

[Creben]

i have been wondering how hard it is to go out and buy high-powered lights, that are not meant for aquariums, but still have them work great.
how come something like this would not work?

HTG Supply - HTGSupply 400 watt High Pressure Sodium Grow Light

and these babys are 100 watts?

http://www.1000bulbs.com/category/100-watt-par38-halogen-light-bulbs/

is it the wrong spectrum? what types of things to the traditional MH lighting fixtures give me that i cant get anywhere else?
feedback?

 

[dcantucson]

Aquarium lighting is specialized lighting and involves many factors such as Kelvin temperature, watts, lux, lumens, wavelength, spectrum and more. I don't for a second pretend to understand it all but I do know the lights you find in home building stores will in no way work as a substitute. If it would we all would be using it.

 

[ccCapt]

Neither are the right color spectrum. They can be used if you don't mind your water looking yellow.
You can buy a magnetic metal halide ballast from your electrical supply store and that will work fine, but you need to buy a bulb in the 10K to 20k color spectrum and they are only available from aquarium related stores.

 

[14 gallon nanocube]

those 400 watt lights used for growing plants are way to low in the spectrum 6500k or less to much red.would be great if you had a two hundred gallon stock tank for a sump you would grow macro like its going out of style.the other lites would be good for an algea scrubber.but will not work on a tank

 

[Creben]

Ok. What about me finding a HPS light with the righ wavelength? That's the most important part yes? Has anyone on here used sodium lighting?

 

[14 gallon nanocube]

you wont find hps lights in the right spectrum