400 watt MH Ballast

[2021]

I have a 400 watt metal halide ballast that a friend gave me, it looks to be brand new. It is a Magnetek 400 watt - part # M400MLTAC4M. It says to use a M-59 or H-33 bulb.

I don't know really anything about MH, My question is that will this work for aquarium light? or is this something totally different?

I think it is too big for my 55 tall, but it might be somthing I can trade down for a 250 set up. Any help would be great.

Thanks Daniel

[LoneStar]

look anything like this?

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-43407113301415_1969_19295955

http://www.accessdiscounts.us/sku-26125.html

If so, its likely a magnetic ballast. It should fire a 400w metal halide bulb. Does it have a mogul socket attached to it? Or is it just 2 wires coming out? Photos of what you got would help too :thumbs_up::wink_smile:

As for the aquarium end of the deal, it may not be the most efficient or pretty ballast, but if it fires a bulb, it'll work. Most of the nicer ones in the hobby are electronic ballasts (more efficient than magnetic ones) and come in cases to disperse heat. A 55g tank is pretty long (4ft) so a single 400 would not cover the whole distance. Plus it may be too much light for a tank that size. A 250w or (2) 175w would work perfect for it! I did a single 250w metal halide on my old 55g and it worked out well. Some of the sides were a little darker, but it worked well for low light corals.

[2021]

That is what it looks like. Although I olny have the ballast.

So this ballast isn't much help to me?

Also it has just the wires coming out.

[LoneStar]

Well you can buy a mogul socket and wire it to the ballast. Then you should be able to run 400w mogul based metal halide bulbs.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~SearchStr~mogul+socket~action~view~idP roduct~CP5513~idCategory~FILTACMH~category~Metal_H alide_Mogul_Socket_Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies_Lig hting_Accessories_Metal_Halide_Sockets~vendor~.htm l

If your a little iffy whether or not it will fire a bulb, you can find a used 400w mogul based bulb on here or online. That would save you some money just incase the ballast is no good.