Lighting upgrade 250w to 400w worth it?

[110galreef]

I really like the look I had of my Phoenix 14k's on the Lumatek select a watt ballast. On the 250w or HQI setting to the it really was about the same look.

Based on tests from Sanjay site...

The 250w DE Phoenix 14k on and electronic balast was 73ppfd shielded and 88ppfd M80 HQI ballast So on HQI i'd probably be netting about 78ppfd as the HQI setting on the Lumatek only runs these bulbs at about 293w not the normal 315w of an M80 HQI ballast....

So I am wanting to get a higher PAR bulb as well as maybe a touch more blue or better flourencence.

400w SE XM 20k on electronic or HQI seems to have 99ppfd.....
400w SE Radium 20K on HQI shows around 123-147ppfd..

So going to the 400w XM20k, I go from 78ppfd to 99ppfd
and going to the Radium, I go from 78ppfd to ~130ppfd...

Am i going to really see better color, brighter tank, more growth and have better PAR?
Or just more heat electricity use? Is going from 78ppfd to 99ppfd a lot?

 

[JAustin]

IMO, worth it. What's your tank depth?

 

[mos90]

78 to 99 is quite a bit. the color would be a touch more blue. you should have better growth if you actually need it . i would definately go with radium 400 , personally.

i am planning on doing the same thing. right now i am running 3-250 se 14k hamiltons. i may, in the near future upgarde the center to a radium 400. the 14k hamiltons are a touch on the white side. i prefer a touch more blue so im running them with 80w ati blue pluses.

do you feel you need more light?

 

[110galreef]

Yeah I can use more light. Lighting a Big footprint with 2 bulbs and some T-5 for dusk to dawn.

I have the 250w SE hamiltons right now. Defintily a nice bright white bulb(no yellow), but I like Blue.

 

[110galreef]

Lumatek select a watt ballast....

Radium which setting? Life span?
XM 20k which setting? Life span??

 

[ridetheducati]

Do not waste your time with the XM 20k bulb, the Radium is superior.

 

[110galreef]

Do not waste your time with the XM 20k bulb, the Radium is superior.

So says the guy with XM in his Signature!:eek2:haha

Superior in how? Just PAR.Color?? Brighter??
How is the life and do they work fine on the lumatek ballast? What setting?

Thanks for the info.

 

[mos90]

ive never used xm bulbs but i have had good luck with radium.. you would use the 400 hqi setting.

im not sure about brighter but more par for sure with the radium. you should be able to get at least a year out of them

that is a large tank for only 2 mh's..

 

[110galreef]

ive never used xm bulbs but i have had good luck with radium.. you would use the 400 hqi setting.

im not sure about brighter but more par for sure with the radium. you should be able to get at least a year out of them

that is a large tank for only 2 mh's..

Thanks,

And this tank has ran great for 2 yrs w/ just 2 250w MH's!
The upgrade to 400w and T-5 for dusk to dawn should help alot.

Just want to be sure I am getting a decent amount of extra PAR as well as better color over the 250w DE phoenix 14k's with the 400w SE swaps

 

[110galreef]

Just happened to notice the current TOTM is running XM 20k 400w'rs

 

[t4zalews]

2 400w radiums with 2 large quality reflectors and you're golden. I had a 400w radium in a large lumenarc on my 65g and the color was amazing! too bad the reflector was wider than my tank.

 

[ridetheducati]

So says the guy with XM in his Signature!:eek2:haha

Superior in how? Just PAR.Color?? Brighter??
How is the life and do they work fine on the lumatek ballast? What setting?

Thanks for the info.

To clarify, I use XM10k and Radiums. Tried XM20k years ago and they do not hold a candle to the Radium. As you may already know, when talking bulb selection you have two choices, growth or color. Chose one, cant have both. I have a secret recipe to achieve both, but I am not willing to share here. The recipe is very simple, PM me and I will share.

The Radium has slightly better PAR and provides great color, arguably the best "color" bulb on the market.

I run the Radiums on the Lumatek ballast at the SuperLumen setting and change bulbs at 8-9 months.

 

[JAustin]

Ushio 20k bulbs have similar par and your eye can't tell the diff. They last 10 months.

 

[ridetheducati]

Additionally, two 400w MH with LumenArc3 large reflectors can light a 72"x24" sufficiently. Mount reflector 12" above water, par 200 on sand bed.

 

[ridetheducati]

Small sample of what Radiums can do.

 

[110galreef]

To clarify, I use XM10k and Radiums. Tried XM20k years ago and they do not hold a candle to the Radium. As you may already know, when talking bulb selection you have two choices, growth or color. Chose one, cant have both. I have a secret recipe to achieve both, but I am not willing to share here. The recipe is very simple, PM me and I will share.

The Radium has slightly better PAR and provides great color, arguably the best "color" bulb on the market.

I run the Radiums on the Lumatek ballast at the SuperLumen setting and change bulbs at 8-9 months.

Yeah I assumed the 10k XM's...was just messing with ya!
How do they 20K XM's color compare to Radium on a lumatek HQI setting? BAsically the same

 

[ridetheducati]

Just happened to notice the current TOTM is running XM 20k 400w'rs

I always get a chuckle when I hear people say that. Unless specified, you have no idea how long a bulb has been running on said system.

 

[ridetheducati]

Yeah I assumed the 10k XM's...was just messing with ya!
How do they 20K XM's color compare to Radium on a lumatek HQI setting? BAsically the same

Visually, the XM 20k looks similar to Radium on the HQI/Superlumen setting.

 

[110galreef]

Ducati, Thanks for the Pics....

Here are these three....all seem to have about the same spectral plot. XM does have a small peak in the violet spectrum more than the others and does peak more in the 450nm.. The Ushio an XM seem very similiar

Radium has quite a bit more ppfd and appears to have a little more overall balance of spectrum...

 

[110galreef]

double