250 watt SE MH lamps compared

[DarG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11895667#post11895667 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Radicaljbr
Okay, now for the stupid question.

Why do you need to change a bulb? Do these PARS and ranges change with age?

Yes, par decreases with age and spectrum shifts (basically the color changes). How quickly depends on the bulb and ballast type that the bulb is driven with. Higher quality bulbs generally will retain usable par and their color for longer.

 

[Radicaljbr]

And so corals will not grow or stay stable under this color change?

Thanks

 

[DarG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11895813#post11895813 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Radicaljbr
And so corals will not grow or stay stable under this color change?

Thanks

Not necessarily. There comes a point where the par is no longer high enough for some of the corals. But spectral shift can also diminish par even with overall output of the bulb diminishing more slowly. PAR is a measure of the photosynthetically active radiation. The light in the spectral range that corals can utilize for photosynthesis. If there is some shift out of the range that corals can effectively use it has the same effect as the par itself decreasing. In addition, shifts to the red spectrum ( I think it;s the reds) has long been associated with nuisance algae growth (when other parameters are favorable as well). But Im not an expert on this stuff, I can only supply the laymens version as I understand it.

 

[Radicaljbr]

Thank you so much!!

 

[Charlie Davidson]

2 questions..
I saw someone ask about the helios bulbs? , but never read a reply.. (I just bought some 20k helios- seem to be sim. to ac14 but would like to know PAR)
Mentioned several times -- Ushio 14k but- i have never seen the 14k 250w FS.. Where can you buy them?

 

[ReefEnabler]

hey guys,

I have a 220 tank coming in a couple of weeks and PFO 250W eballasts coming. So far I have bought some XM10k bulbs. I will also be running icecap VHO actinics.

I am thinking of using one bulb in the middle of my tank that is a higher kelvin rating. What blue bulb do you think would work best with 2 XM10ks?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[ReefEnabler]

I was confused about some of the results I read.

looks like on page 1, the XM 20k scores 242 on the standard PFO ballast.

Then the XM15k scores 264 on the same ballast (m80, same ballast right?) and people seemd dissapointed. Isn't that a decent improvement, or am I missing something? is there another bulb that outperforms thats more blue?

 

[DarG]

The M80 ballast is a magnetic HQI ballast made for double ended lamps. It will overdrive single ended lamps (probe start) and while they will have signifigantly higher output they wont last nearly as long as on the proper ballast. The M80 is also good for the few HQI rated pulse start SE lamps

 

[ReefEnabler]

doh, I meant the m58, not m80.

the XM15k still scored 264 on the m58 (on the 2nd page of this split).

isn't that a good increase from the 242 of the 20k?


Like I said, I already have my m58 PFO standard MH ballasts and I'm looking for the bluest bulb with the highest par to supplement two XM10ks. Since the 10ks are such par monster, should I choose the 3rd bulb purely on the looks? I'd like to still get good par and I'm thinking about the XM15k. Is it pretty good blue? anybody have pictures?

 

[DarG]

Im not sure what scale the output was measured on but no, that doesnt sound like a sizeable increase. I can tell you that the DE version of the XM 250 watt 15K also does not have much higher par than the 20K DE XM.

 

[ReefEnabler]

ok well I will get some XM 20ks since nobody has any suggestion for a blue bulb with higer kelvin

*edit* going to try the radium 250s and XM 20ks.

 

[Charlie Davidson]

Radium will not fire on probe start ballast (USA)

 

[ReefEnabler]

really? then how does the first page of the first split have PAR results for the Radium on the PFO standard ballast? did he have to mod it?


so are the XM20ks pretty much it?

sanjays site doesn't seem to have the PFO standard ballast so It's not that helpful to me.

 

[ReefEnabler]

*double post*

 

[Charlie Davidson]

PFO HQI ballast (big difference)
OK I looked back-- you have a electronic ballast, (you can run both probe and pulse start bulbs.. I was confused because you talked about 2-3 different ballast..
You can run a radium

 

[PaulErik]

On Sanjay's site the magnetic ANSI M58 ballast is the same as the standard PFO magnetic ballast.

The Radium 250-watt lamp will not light reliably on a standard ballast (ANSI M58) and is not recommended for it. It is designed and recommended for use on a HQI ANSI M80 ballast.

 

[ReefEnabler]

Yes, Charlie you are right.

I called to confirm the model I am getting. It is a PFO 250w electronic ballast. Their website is out of date and doesn't list eballasts in that range for some reason, and I haven't seen results for this ballast in this thread. Anybody have information on it?

I'm hoping its able to at least do as well as the blueline eballast with the radiums.

sorry for the confusion on the model numbers at first I thought the PFO standard was the eballast, all my confusion.