They did have some mercury vapor setups. The ones in the regent brand lamps
were 6500K I believe (Whole setup costs around $25 - $30 for the fixture and
bulb) The only problem was the CRI was around 20. They might look ok if
you supplemented it with some flourescents. They also carry the bulbs by
themselves at Walmart for around $9.00 each. I have an ADvanced ballast at
home for MH which is capable of running the MV bulbs but havent tried them
as of yet.

-Dan

"Brad Ray" wrote in message
news:mG6t9.37760$Hj7.17077@rwcrnsc53...
Bugbear wrote in message
om...
I was wandering the aisles of Home Depot as I do on a frequent basis
and came across both metal halide bulbs and sodium. Sodium bulbs,
Takashi Amano has used a bit in some of his layouts with good results.
Anyway, the highest priced metal halide bulb was around $25 and the
sodium around $20. I didn't have enough time to take a detailed look
at them but was wondering if anyone has used them and what sort of
results did they get from them? Just wondering if those interested in
metal halide who are purchasing them through online retailers are
paying to much or if the ones in Home Depot are of the wrong color.

MH bulbs at places like Home Depot are typically a very undesirable color
to
us aquarists. Unless you prefer an extremely yellow-looking tank, I would
recommend springing for a bulb suited for aquariums. Just my two cents.
--Brad