New Bulbs

[Strack]

Give me some feedback here please...

I just got two 400 watt XM bulbs in. Threw them in and fired them up. At the beginning, the right one looked really yellow but as the next few minutes pasted, it turned really bright with a pure crisp white/blue color. Good deal!

Now the bulb on the left. It started out a lot more of a blue color from the start. But once it heats up, it isn't nearly as crisp white/blue like the right bulb. Really visably noticable.

I haven't switched the bulbs around yet but it shouldn't make any difference...

Should I let these bulbs burn in for a week or so and then check the color or what?

 

[dvmsn]

It should even out and will get worse again when they are old. Mine do that. Your eye gets used to it.

 

[Strack]

You know that is going to bug the s#@! out of me...

I wounder if the store will send me a new one if I call them?

 

[dvmsn]

It might be your ballast. Switch them and see what happens.

 

[Strack]

Yeah, I will try that tonight and hopefully everything will work out. I dont think it would be the ballast though. Same ballast running same bulbs. Nipples on the bulbs pointing to the side and not down.(Although I don't buy that makes a difference at all)

Weird thing is that the right bulb (Crisp blue /white bulb) seems to be making the corals close up a good bit more. O well, we will see tonight.

By the way Dave, how are the Blastos doing?

 

[dvmsn]

They are doing well. They stay open all day.

 

[Strack]

Sweet!

I hope they grow well for you.

 

[dvmsn]

I have three colonies. One is the common red with green centers. They dont have any problems whatsoever. I have yours that have that one bad spot but otherwise seem good and a red colony that never seems to do well. They died back like yours did in that one spot and will kind of generally retract and look crappy. When you said yours were doing that, that is what I expected to see, but yours look like the healthy colony (knock on wood)

 

[Rpierce]

Blake- On the bulb nipples, it makes a big difference. At least it did with mine. One was burning real yellow. So I turned it so it is pointing down. Now they look fine.

 

[Strack]

I tested last night. Swithed bulbs around. Moved nipples. Switched ballast.

It is the bulb. After running a while, I turned off the ballasts and popped the top and the two bulbs have a difference. The one that is burning yellow has a wire/cable inside the bulb that was glowing red hot. That other bulb had no problem.

What do you guys think?

 

[Rpierce]

send it back

 

[dvmsn]

ditto

 

[phishguyatstore]

yeahsxend the bulb back or call and complaine

 

[Strack]

OK, "EVERYTHING 4 SALTWATER" is crap!!! I have called 3 times, no reply. I have emailed 3 times, no reply.

I ended up have in order two new bulbs from Hello Lights. Lights are perfect. That is what I get for teying to save 3 dollars a bulb. I can hear the corals growing now.