Giesemann Megachrome Crystal 17.5k

James77

James77

Team RC
This is a new bulb just put out by Giesemann. Any idea if and when you guys may carry the DE 250w bulb?
 
We just received our first shipment of Giesemann Crystal lamps today, both 150w DE and 250w DE. We do not have them online yet, however we can do orders over the phone immediately. Price is as follows:

17.5K 150w DE $89.99

17.5K 250w DE $109.99

Once we have them posted online I will put the link up.
 
This is a true 17.5k lamp, very crisp ice white coloration with a very slight blue tint to the naked eye. A Radium, especially on an electronic ballast, will be more blue.
 
Giesemann is only making these lamps in DE configuration at this time, there is no news on whether or not they'll be available in SE yet.
 
Thanks for the Info... What would you recommend for a SE Radium replacement. Similar look with mabey more par or less cost???
 
I'm interested. Anyone running these bulbs yet? I don't want to spend $220 to replace my

Giesemann Megachrome Coral 14.5k's to find that these are too blue. I don't care for that

underlit 20k look.
 
These are not a 20k blue look, but an actual true 17.5k. These are white lamps with a very slight hint of blue to them.
 
How would you compare them to a 14.5K on icecap ballasts? I found I had to supplement my 14.5K with actinics to get a crisp white.
 
i purchased this megachrome crystal bulb, its color doesn't do what a radium does for your tank. not the same sparkle,

IMG_0233mega.jpg

here is a picture of it on my tank, see the green algae on the rocks well thats now all over my sand to this happened after changing to this bulb.
the one great thing about this bulb if you do like the color is it will last 3 years. thats a great life span for a bulb. but it does grow algae really well, which is not good. and i feel it needs an actinic with it. i will most likely be replacing this new bulb.


user23054_pic9078_1316799813.jpg

above is after 2 weeks of this bulb being over my tank, before that my sand was always white. this is two days of not cleaning.

not happy at all with this bulb, get the radium, if your ballast will run it. if not save your money and buy a new ballast and a radium 20k bulb.
i have also ran the phoenix bulb on my tank, its a bit bluer than i like but doesn't cause theses algae issues either. between the 3 bulbs i prefer the look of the
radium. i don't use attics just the 150w halide is over my tank.
 
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It's not the lamp causing the algae issues, but rather the amount of dissolved organics in your tank, and it's being fueled by the lamp. For years we ran lamps that were extremely yellow in appearance, such as Iwasaki 6500k's, without this type of algae growth. However, if you had excess dissolved organics within the system, the algae is going to come out rather quickly.
 
i realize thats part of the issue but the other 2 bulbs do not create this algae issue as this bulb is doing. light spectrum also has a lot to do with algae growth.

my nitrates always run around 10 - 20 and are always there. I'm looking forward to what others who are running this bulb have to say about it
 
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this tank has been running a little over a year now. i never had this kind of algae out break even in the beginning. i run a uv sterilizer. last night i took that apart and cleaned the sleeve, bulb was recently replaced. but actually it didn't look like it needed to be cleaned yet. i changed all the filters in the ro/di before the last water change .
i have read of people having issues when changing from t5 to halide. and people with old bulbs having out breaks.
only reason i removed the radium was it was flickering not all day just once in a while during the day. a ballast compatibility problem i believe.
should have just bought a new ballast, and kept running the radium, but was confused by ballasts, so i just bought a different bulb to get by with. since i don't have actinic lights over my tank, the radium gives the perfect color on its own. and i didn't get this algae
i have been waiting and hoping this outbreak will end before i put the phoenix back in,and start research what ballast to buy again as far as the ballast i don't want to buy one and get stuck with one that doesn't run the radium after cutting and rewiring it. i want the ballast to be quiet. have been looking into the multi setting lumatec dimmable.
so as you can see, i was hoping i could just get another bulb that gave me the look of the radium. without the ballast issues.
i would have ran this bulb even though it really doesn't make the corals pop as i would like. but this algae out break is driving me nuts. i feel I'm a slave to cleaning the tank.
 
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