Favorite sps 250 watt bulb

[Nanook]

Looking for your favorite 250 watt single-ended bulb for colors and growth.

 

[James404]

Radium 20k, great color and growth. Only mh bulb I've ever used though lol

 

[Btortorelli]

I just bought two phoenix 14k mogul bulbs and the color is awesome! I switched from xm 10k's

 

[jayk198030]

radium bulbs all the way . i have tried others and really like the radium.

 

[66deuce]

XM 15k bulbs.

 

[chadfarmer]

Ushio 14,000 Kelvin


that bulb is yellow

 

[Nanook]

Ushio 14,000 Kelvin


that bulb is yellow

That is the report from several people. I think I am going to have to stick with the 400 watt Ushio 14k on HQI ballast for now. Hard to beat the look and par on a 30" sps tank. I was just trying to save some money on electricity.

 

[kpc01]

I've been wanting to switch to Radiums but I have Ice cap Electronic ballasts and everything I read says they won't push them right. Now I got to find some magnetic ballasts to make the switch

 

[tkeracer619]

I've been wanting to switch to Radiums but I have Ice cap Electronic ballasts and everything I read says they won't push them right. Now I got to find some magnetic ballasts to make the switch

I have been running radiums on an older icecap ballast for a year and a half. Just because it isn't the best doesn't mean you cant grow some really nice coral under them.

I would run the 250 radiums on icecaps if I already had the ballasts.

My sps growth and color suggests the bulb runs just fine for my setup. I won't be purchasing a different bulb for a long time.

 

[schoolisbad1]

12k reeflux has been my favorite, radium wasnt bright enough, have a 10k reeflux now which is really white/bright natural + my vho's super crisp. But i will be trying the phoenix 14k next

 

[Nanook]

I just put four Phoenix 250 watt SE bulbs over my 8ft tank with M80 ballasts. Initial thoughts after just a couple days is they are not as "bright" as the Radiums and are very blue. But, they are not burnt in yet. I will see if I can give an update on them in a month or two. Corals are mainly softies and a couple SPS.