A lower PAR bulb may get you closer but if you want to cut the PAR in half I would go with lower wattage. With those reflectors that close to the water any 250w will put out impressive numbers. Going to a sub-par reflector to essentially "waste" half the light you are paying to produce seems counter productive to me.
PAR for a SPS tank
- Thread starter 110galreef
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110galreef
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The bulb will run much bluer/cooler than it should. Also willvary on the bulb as some are speced at like 375w and others are speced at over 400.
MikeTR not sure exatly how tall the canopy is but looks like about 10-12". If you are willing to cut holes in the top and set a reflecter on top of the canopy then you might want to look into lumenmax elite they are 5" tall so you wouldn't see much of them. If you want to stay inside the canopy then look at lumenmax 2 or 3 whichever is the se version or call hamilton and see what they might sugest. if you can find lumenarc you could use them also.
110galreef
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Don't do lumenmax elites, those are very spotlighty and will have very high par just under the Venter and fall off very fast. I tested these on a tank 10" from water and I would see almost 900 par under bulb 10" under water and then if u went like 6" over it would fall to like 2. Was pretty much the same on the 2 different reflectors. This was 250 w on electronic ballast. Not hqi.
110galreef
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It will burn a tad whiter and brighter. Also will cut the life a bit shorter. But more PAR. Your eye really won't notice much. But i wouldn't do it right away especially if you just upgraded ballast. Don't want to cook the corals. May even want to cut back time on lights for a few hrs and get back to normal over next 2 weeks.
110galreef
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I have the hamy 14K bulbs and will probably be switching out my phoneix in a few months and con compare the par numbers. I too have the lumatek ballast.
110galreef
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yes and no. typically DE are run on HQI, but many DE bulbs are spec for electronic ballast and lower watts. Also some SE bulbs are speced at Higher watts like the radium 250w for example. Low par and color is off if ran on a 250w e balast as they are designed for a true M80 HQI balast. The lumatek HQI setting is less watts than a M80 HQI balast.
I tested M80 balast to run about 315w, while on same bulb the lumatek on HQI ran 295w and regular 250w ran 262w.
I tested M80 balast to run about 315w, while on same bulb the lumatek on HQI ran 295w and regular 250w ran 262w.
110galreef
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The phoenix 14k DE is actually speced to not run on HQI.....
Where did you find that? Everything I have seen shows M80 for 250's, M81 for 150's.
110galreef
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I may have mispoke and confused with a million other bulbs running thru my head.
Maybe I was thinking the Phoenix 250w SE is to be ran on the HQI? Its the same inners from both the SE and DE , just differnt outside??
Maybe I was thinking the Phoenix 250w SE is to be ran on the HQI? Its the same inners from both the SE and DE , just differnt outside??
This is what I have used for a long time to help match bulb and ballast. It is a little dated now but still correct for the bulbs listed. I have never seen a DE bulb not spec'd for HQI ballast, they may exist but I don't recall ever seeing one. This may change soon, I know the new 150 watt Radium is showing a nominal 146 watts which falls in line pretty close to a electronic ballast.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/sj/index.php
I don't remember which is correct on the Phoenix SE.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/sj/index.php
I don't remember which is correct on the Phoenix SE.
110galreef
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nice link!
110galreef
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I plan to test either ushio 14k 400w SE or Radium 20k or Nueco 14.5k(aquastar) bulbs next go.
I like the XM 20k, but had to even it out with a 10k T-5, ATI purple+ & coral+, & hamilton blue). So I think a whiter bulb and Higher par will help and allow me to run a blue+ instead of the 10k and still net me a nice white/blue color with even more par!
14K MH & 2 ATI blue+ &
2 coral+ or actinic??
I will see what I need when I cross that road!
I like the XM 20k, but had to even it out with a 10k T-5, ATI purple+ & coral+, & hamilton blue). So I think a whiter bulb and Higher par will help and allow me to run a blue+ instead of the 10k and still net me a nice white/blue color with even more par!
14K MH & 2 ATI blue+ &
2 coral+ or actinic??
I will see what I need when I cross that road!
110galreef
New member
No problem, but there is a lot more great knowledge gurus on here! :uzi:Thanks Steve u are my sps mentorlol and have giving me alot of help
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