Is my MH electronic ballast functioning properly?

[cambo123]

Hello everyone

I purchased a hamilton cebu sun pendant/radium/adjustable electronic ballast combo from hamilton a little over a year ago and have been increasingly suspicious that my bulb/ballast combo is not performing properly after moving my tank in August.

My observations:
1) I rented a par meter about 2 months ago from a local shop and found strikingly low par numbers. With the light 10in above the surface, in the 275w setting, and a radium bulb 8 months old; I was barely getting 250 par at the water surface. Most SPS corals were well under 200 par 6in below. With a new hamilton 14k bulb I found near identical results!

2) Having stopped by a friends house with the same pendant and a 250w DE bulb, I was taken back by how hot it was. For comparison, I can hold my hand about 1in from the bulb on the highest setting comfortably. In other words, my bulb just isn't very hot.

3) I purchased a wall power meter today to measure the power draw. I am drawing 240-245w on the 275w setting and 230-235w on the 250w setting. This was only attempted on the radium bulb. This confirms my readings from the reef keeper of amp draw of roughly 1.8-1.9A when the halide is on.

4) I have struggled with relatively pale looking corals for a while now. In my frag system, with reef breeder LED's, I was getting MUCH deeper colors. When I put the par meter on this tank, I was getting roughly 400-500 par on all SPS.

I brushed these issues off as post tank move, bad par meter, and inaccurate reef keeper readings. I am wondering however if this is a normal performance from electronic ballasts or if the ballast is not functioning properly. I am thinking of ordering a new ballast from marine depot. I wanted to get some feedback before purchasing.

Thanks

Cameron

 

[chilli_reef]

Have you compared your findings to the specs listed for the balast ?
Par is about right for Hamilton mogul based bulbs BTW.
Hqi de bulbs do run hotter in general as well.

 

[shifty51008]

What are your water parameters? Numbers please. And what test kits you useing? Sounds more like a water quality issue than lighting to me

 

[ksc]

With that setup you should be getting about 800+ at 10". Check some other lights to see what the meter is reading. You should be drawing 275+ at the wall outlet too.

 

[kevin_e]

If light was low, I would expect brown coral. Pale usually leads me to believe that there is a lack of DOCs. Have a picture?

That fixture should have significantly higher PAR. The Hamilton 14K pumps out PAR ratings similarly to the radium. I would cross check your meter.

 

[cambo123]

What are your water parameters? Numbers please. And what test kits you useing? Sounds more like a water quality issue than lighting to me

I dose two part at about 40ml per day over 12 times per day. I have a pretty steady hold at
7.5-8 alk
410-420 alk
1350 mag
(These are all salifert)

0 phosphates Hanna
0 nitrate (I use API at twice the concentration and divide by 2)

Stopped running GFO and Carbon

I have .2 fish per gallon which is a pretty heavy stocking and feed constantly
RO 110 skimmer
2API primes on the edges (HUGE color improvement when added, still not there yet)

 

[cambo123]

Have you compared your findings to the specs listed for the balast ?
Par is about right for Hamilton mogul based bulbs BTW.
Hqi de bulbs do run hotter in general as well.

Not sure why I didn't think of this. Specs say 120/2.4 v which is roughly 290w.

Oh really!? I should only expect about 150-200 6in under with hamiltons. I was under the impression that 300+ is typical for most bulbs

 

[cambo123]

With that setup you should be getting about 800+ at 10". Check some other lights to see what the meter is reading. You should be drawing 275+ at the wall outlet too.

Running this meter at the shop showed 300-400 par at most depths. Likewise on my reefbreeders fixture, I was getting 440 at about 40/60% on the settings which seems in range...any thoughts?

 

[chilli_reef]

I failed to read it was only six inches into the water lol !
Sorry. How high off the water are they to start ?

 

[chilli_reef]

Sanjay did a very good comparison a while back comparing bulb types, brands , wattages, and even ballasts.
Do a search and see if you can find it. If you can it should be a lot more helpful for you.

 

[cambo123]

If light was low, I would expect brown coral. Pale usually leads me to believe that there is a lack of DOCs. Have a picture?

That fixture should have significantly higher PAR. The Hamilton 14K pumps out PAR ratings similarly to the radium. I would cross check your meter.

EXACTLY! Hence why I have been chasing my tail with color for months now with nutrition. The thing is, while some of my corals do have color (and particularly nice color under the LEDs at night), they are just dull wirh the daylighting on.
They aren't bleached really because the coralites have strong, sometimes beautiful color, but the skin on the structure lacks any depth away from growth tips. Hence I will get strong blue or green tips toward the top of the coral, and a very pale brown base, even in the areas where light has reached it.

Thanks for the help everyone

 

[cambo123]

Sanjay did a very good comparison a while back comparing bulb types, brands , wattages, and even ballasts.
Do a search and see if you can find it. If you can it should be a lot more helpful for you.

Unfortunately, hamiltons electronic ballast is not on the list

 

[cambo123]

I failed to read it was only six inches into the water lol !
Sorry. How high off the water are they to start ?

Haha, no the bulb is 10-12 in up. Corals are sand bed to 4-6 in from the surface. This isn't a big tank....just a 40 breeder

 

[cambo123]

Update, took my fixture to the discount aquarium store in town. Hooked up a lumatek ballast and was stunned at the difference. Looks like a do have a bad ballast. Thanks all

 

[kevin_e]

Good, glad you solved it. Make sure you acclimate you cor when you get a new ballast

 

[cambo123]

Thanks! I have cut the photo period, raised the light, and put the AI primes on acclimation mode.

For fellow reefers that view this post in the future, I took the light to a discount aquarium (used) shop here in town. I fired the bulb there and then switched to the lumatek ballast they had. Not only did the Lumatek warm up faster, but it was drawing over 300w from the wall. The light was a very noticeably brighter white light. Very pleased. And for only 40bucks!

Best

Cameron