Phoenix 250 watt DE - Pictures

[DarG]

A couple of members were asking for Phoenix pictures over the las couple of days. So, maybe this will help. These are the Phoenix 250 watt double ended on ARO electronic ballasts.
Keep in mind, these lamps have very little time on them. All of a couple of hours, that's it.

This is without supplemental T5 lighting. Just the Phoenix lamps.
The color is close to what it really looks like to my eye on my monitor but it looks better in the picture. It's definitely more of a washed out look in reality. I find the look to be bland, for lack of a better word. It's kinda a cold look ... pale looking. Not my preference. I doubt it will change near enough over break-in to make me like this lamp.

This is with the T5's. Two ATI Blue + and Two UVL Super actinics. 54 watts. That's alot of blue lamps. But IMO the Phoenix actually looks better with the Blue and Actinic T5's on. It's a richer blue color. I can clearly tell this with my monitor and too me this is closer to what it actually looks like than the picture of the Phoenix alone. The hue itself is pretty close to real life. Again, this is through my monitor so it could be quite different for somebody else. Personally, while I like this better, I think it's too blue for my taste.

I've been running a Reeflux 10000K which I definitely prefer.

 

[areze]

thats not what mine look like... wish they did though!

mine are not quite that blue. will take a few days to settle in, but even so, I JUST changed mine, and still they werent that blue, save for maybe the first 5min.

then again, thats the cleanest tank Ive ever seen lol. the sand is flawless, and the rock, not a spec of algea, just pristine corraline.

 

[DarG]

Could be monitor differences, that's all. The top pic is pretty close but it looks a little colder in real life. May be a little bit bluer in the picture, but not by much. But again, thats, on my monitor ... ARO ballasts and a 2 hour old bulbs.

On the tank, I just swapped into this tank a few months ago. That Live rock had HA all over it for a while. Most of it dies when I had no real light on my old (and incredibly neglected) tank and what was left I brushed off before I set it up in the new tank. Still a work in progress, Taking my time, getting everything the way I want it and making sure everything is stable before the coral. It will be a reef but I am in no hurry. That LR I have had for over 10 years. The old tank was so neglected for nearly 3 years and most of the coraline was gone. It's coming back now. Funny thing is that there is very little growing on the glass. Just a few specs here and there. Its been about 5 or 6 months and I figured the glass would have a bunch by now. But I have been diligent in cleaning all the glass every few days and I guess that's keeping the Coraline from starting up on the glass. It's coming back on the rocks so it must be the glass cleaning.

Thanks for the comments.