Can 20K XMs match Radiums for color?
- Thread starter Covey
- Start date
proboscis
New member
im using hamilton 400w 14k not that impressed i have 2 36 watt p.c. actintic supp. its really blue but thats about it... not great growth some corals don't like i can tell, its @6 months old right now im leaning towards a xm 20k replacment. i think this post pushed me to try something new....... i will say my ballast is standard that came with the hamilton fixture so im pretty sure its a m-58. how does m-58 look with a radium?
zapata41
In Memoriam
i will have some pics for you inh a week when i set the new frag tank up. display is running 2 400w radiums in elec RF ballast. the new tank will run a 400w 20k xm on m59 ballasts
i also havea friend near by that runs radiums on 400w hqi ballast and they are much more white than mine
Tim
i also havea friend near by that runs radiums on 400w hqi ballast and they are much more white than mine
Tim
they make all the acros glow!
I think electronics make them look a bit dimmer, but bluer....and less electricity costs! Longer bulb life....
I run high powered fands on the ballasts and 3 inches from the burning bulb...I can almost touch my 250 halides without getting burned (almost!) they run so cool with the fans.....cooler ballasts...equalls cooler bulbs, which equal longer bulb and ballast life, and less energy consumption!
Smaller shovel...smaller hole!
Doc
I think electronics make them look a bit dimmer, but bluer....and less electricity costs! Longer bulb life....
I run high powered fands on the ballasts and 3 inches from the burning bulb...I can almost touch my 250 halides without getting burned (almost!) they run so cool with the fans.....cooler ballasts...equalls cooler bulbs, which equal longer bulb and ballast life, and less energy consumption!
Smaller shovel...smaller hole!
Doc
Greg Hiller
New member
I tried the 400 W 20K Radiums for a while on an HQI ballast. At about 6 months colors of corals were fading, and growth rate had dropped way off. I've also tried the 20K XM 400W SE, and while nice and blue, I also found that the growth rates were very slow.
Currently on my 400 G system I have a pair of 10 K 400 W SE XM's interspersed with three 250 W DE 14K Phoenix bulbs. I'm having (IMO) very good growth rates and color.
There's a resent thread where I snapped a bunch of photos of this tank:
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=26804
Currently on my 400 G system I have a pair of 10 K 400 W SE XM's interspersed with three 250 W DE 14K Phoenix bulbs. I'm having (IMO) very good growth rates and color.
There's a resent thread where I snapped a bunch of photos of this tank:
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=26804
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7457674#post7457674 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aquaduck
Here's my tank running 2 400W 20K XM's on plain jane M59's. I think they look almost identical to Radiums except the XM's are a tad more blue. My camera doesn't like to take pictures of these bulbs very well. It's much brighter than this in person.
I have 3 400 watt on m59 ballasts as well that I bought from hellolights. I am currently running 14k hamiltons with 2 antic vho's. I like the ice blue look with a hue of blue. I was looking for a richer color. If I run 20k xm's do you know what look it will give my tank?
snslarison
New member
mmotown,
I think so. If I'm not mistaken, the XM 20K outperformed the Hamilton 14K in PAR ratings.
I think so. If I'm not mistaken, the XM 20K outperformed the Hamilton 14K in PAR ratings.
Jamesurq
New member
I run a 400W 20k XM on an HQI ballast - used to run a Radium, but the short life and big cost was an issue.
I personally couldn't say that I noticed a huge difference other than when I did replace the Radium, it was at about 10 months and VERY yellowish....
I run a bunch of 10k as supplement. Even at an overdriven 430W ballast, I still can't see how you folks run them without some white supplement... It's like a smurf threw up in your tank.
I personally couldn't say that I noticed a huge difference other than when I did replace the Radium, it was at about 10 months and VERY yellowish....
I run a bunch of 10k as supplement. Even at an overdriven 430W ballast, I still can't see how you folks run them without some white supplement... It's like a smurf threw up in your tank.
salt-rookie
In Memoriam
On times between bulb changes....Mag Ballasts push the bulbs hard than do Electronic. Also what is the MH photosynthetic period each day? I would think a person using Magnetic ballast, burning MH 12 hours per day would get substaintially less calendar day than one using Electronic and doing a 6 hour MH Photo Period. Anyone care to address this? Seems that talking bulb life, and spectrum integrity...one needs to compare applea to apples.
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