best 20k 400w bulb

[zapata41]

not a very fair analogy there mac. so you are telling me that everything you own that has to deal with this hobby you have seen in person or have used before. did you jsut wake up and the stuff was there, but only for like 10 minutes, just enough time to decide if you want to buy it or not. hence the reason why i am asking ppl on this forum that have onwed the bulbs before and hopefully i get real answers.

just look at all the ppl buying vortech pumps, how are they any different than i am. taking a stab at something and hoping you like it.

Tim

 

[twon8]

i think the 12k coralvue are nice, worth checking out at least.

 

[zapata41]

I can get a good deal on some helios 20k, so I am going to go down that road for the first set of bulbs, then I might try the 12k that they make. one of the big reasons I wanted to use the evc ballast is that I might not drive the bulb as hard as the hqi but it can drive a lot of different bulbs very well. all of the 20k bulbs that I am looking at push out more par than my setup so I don't think that I will hate the decision

Tim

 

[ReeferMac]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7276773#post7276773 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zapata41
taking a stab at something and hoping you like it.

LOL! With your money perhaps.
No, careful research, is what lead me to have most of the equipment I have. I bought the 250 Hamilton ballast 7 years ago, because I heard lots of users tell me they had them for years w/o any problems. I run Iwasaki's and Ushio's in that... again, due to the copious number of people I've seen have success with them (w/ my own 2 eyes). And one of the best tanks (color-wise) I ever saw, was KMagyar's 65 lit w/ a pair of 400W HQI Radiums... been in love w/ 'em ever since.

- Mac

 

[Covey]

I can make it a little easier Zap.
http://oceanencounter.com/Merchant2...=OE&Product_Code=EVCEB400&Category_Code=EVCEB
The EVC 400W ballast have been out of stock for like 2 months now and Vince didn't know when he was getting anymore in.

Unless you have another source?

 

[zapata41]

yeah i found a source for some reef fanatic ballast.

and i dont feel that it is taking a blind stab at it or risking my money. i liked my 250w setup, just that nmy vho ballast went out so i decided why by a new vho ballast when i can upgrade to 400w. i have done lots of research as far as numbers go on all the balalst and bulbs that i am interested in and just wanted to get real work experience like true bulb life from setups like the hqi radiums. i have no regrets with the 250w setup that i ahve and i am pretty confident that i wont have any regrets with the 400w setup that i am getting.

thanks to all those that have shared their experiences here, without some of the little things i might have been real surprised when my radiums poped after 4 months.

Tim

 

[CamBarr]

Radium

 

[Leopardshark]

Trust me and all other who vote for Radium. Corals will never look as nicer than with this bulb.
IÃ"šÃ‚´ve tried ushios, XM10k, Coralvue, Hamilton and none of them look as nice and brings out the colors better than Radiums. Yes it is a PITA to change them every 6 months but I think they are worth it.
BTW, IÃ"šÃ‚´ve seen radiums with icecap ballasts and they look amazing too, but a lot bluer which makes the corals glow even more but the tank is definitely bluer.
HereÃ"šÃ‚´s a pic of my tank with 2 radiums on PFOHQI400w and on the sides there are hamilton 250w 14k with Icecap ballast.
You almost canÃ"šÃ‚´t tell the difference in the color but the radiums are a little bit bluer and far more intense (obviously, they are 400w).

 

[smcooler]

I have tried every lamp out there and have to agree the radium is the way to go my corals never looked beter running 400 watt hqi with 4 160 vho on a 180. It's worth the extra $, sell a few frags to make up the cost.

 

[ReeferMac]

LOL! I wish I still could, Stan. My LFS told me I'm the only bloke running them, and he has to order them by the case... So I either need to trade in a whole bunch of corals at once, or find a new way to pay for 'em. He's gotten me Hamilton 20k's, but they just aren't the same.

- Mac

 

[zapata41]

wow, radiums and vho's, that must be pretty blue.

well i went ahead and got a reef fantatic ballast running helios 20k

will post some pictures asap


Tim

 

[smcooler]

Mac sell them local or with your local reef club if you have good frags and the not so common you should be able to sell a few a month.

Helios are way bluer then radiums when you run radiums on the hqi ballast there not that blue, xm 20k's and evc 14k's are much bluer.


stan

 

[Leopardshark]

Radiums on the PFOHQI are not too blue.
On icecap ballast it is another story.

 

[zapata41]

well all is ordered and on the way. no one had reef fanatic ballast in stock but i got a nice deal on a pair of new icecap 400w wihch i am told are the same as the evc tech and reef fanatic ballast, they all three look identical
Tim

 

[Leopardshark]

which bulbs did you get?

 

[zapata41]

i got the helios 20k 400w bulbs on the icecap ballast. looks pretty darn good. just the look i was hoping to get. a 10k with blue suppl. look. i did loose a tiny bit of yellow and red though. but then again there is a lot more blue, makes the xm10k look super yellow. will post some pics tomorrow

Tim

 

[Ceak]

pics please!

 

[zapata41]

ok here is a quick pic i took with one 250w 10k xm bulb and one 400w 20k helios bulb. the 400w bulb is mounted about 4" higher than the 10k. sorry the pic is crappy. the bulb was only on for about 5 minutes when i took the picture. will get some more pics tomorrow when my replacement bulb comes in as i broke one of the helios while installing it.

Tim

 

[zapata41]

i am gonna do a radium and helios comp later on tonight. my buddy is bringing over a brand new radium so we can compare the two. should be interesting. will post pictures later

Tim

 

[zapata41]

ok here is the comp. pics. the first pic was taken with auto mode on the camera. the helios is on the left and the radium is on the right. the helios has about 10hrs burn time and the radium has about 10min. both are run on the new icecap 400w ballast, both are in lumenarc reflectors at the same height. now one interesting thing is that the radium mogul base is mounted in the highest mounting hole on the reflector, puts the bulb closer to the top of the reflector, where as the helios mogul base is the opposite, its in the lowest mounting holes. i have noticed that with the moguls mounted different, with the 250w 10k setup, that the tank look more intense, brightness, with the reflector that has the mogul base mounted higher in the reflector, must be focusing the bulb in the reflector way better.

ok well here are the pics. the second pic is taken in M mode on the camera, shutter speed is the same and WB is set to metering mode so it doesnt look super 20k'ish

enjoy

Tim
here is my conclusion with the two bulbs. i like the helios better. the radium seems to wash out some shades of green, still give great pop on other shades of green though. other colors are pretty similar to the helios, just some look a little washed.

Tim