12k reeflux ballast question

[salty55]

I was just looking over sanjay's lighting website and noticed he had done most of his testing with an M80 HQI ballast for the 12k S.E. reeflux bulb. do I need to bump my galaxy ballast up to the HQI setting to get the proper performance and light spectrum? I have only been running it in the 250 watt position. I thought radiums and ushio were the only ones that used an HQI spec single ended bulb?

 

[alton]

I have run 12k reeflux for years until I switched to radium last year. I ran them on coralvue ballast. The lamps lasted from 12 to 18 months. Grew corals very well, I see no reason to use a hqi ballast to overdrive them.

 

[hedgedrew]

I use 400 w radium and reeflux and i do not run them on hqi setting. Too white. They run better on reg se tting esp the reeflux

 

[sirreal63]

He tests the bulbs with the M80 included for those people who want to over drive the bulb, the ballast you are using is ok and should be run in a standard 250 watt setting, it is the proper setting for that bulb. I would not recommend over driving that bulb. What you lose in PAR you make back up with bulb longevity.