Pics of SPS under 400W Helios 20K?

[Unarce]

Hi,

I've been hearing a lot about Helios bulbs.

I'm just wondering if anyone might have a picture that accurately represents how the 400W Helios 20K looks. Particularly, overdriven with a PFO HQI ballast.

TIA!

Karl

 

[izzypop]

here is mine although I had nothing but problems with them on PFO HQI. A few bad ones out of the box. I used photoshop auto adjust and seems to represent the color. This is when my tank was first setup so some corals are not that colored up but they are like radiums but lite deeper in the tank.

 

[Unarce]

Yikes, izzy! Those colors are amazing. The blue cast isn't particularly strong, which I like very much.

Are you still having issues with running them on PFO HQI ballasts? What ballast were you using when you took that pic?

Thanks again!

 

[izzypop]

PFO HQI, Lumenarcs with some VHO actinic. Not much blue more white light. I paired them against the radiums and they look very similar except the Helios were brighter to the eye anyway. I am now running radiums because I got fed up with them not firing everytime. I will probably give them a try again hopefully the bad ones will be gone by then. I did like them better.

 

[Unarce]

Originally posted by izzypop
Not much blue more white light. I paired them against the radiums and they look very similar except the Helios were brighter to the eye anyway.

I think it's at least worth a shot, then. Thanks!

 

[REEF-DADDY]

My Helios do have more blue cast than the Radiums did, here are some shots:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1069122

 

[Unarce]

Could you point out which is a Radium and a Helios, Steve? I really like the Radium on an HQI ballast, as it wasn't too blue. What ballast did you run for both?

 

[REEF-DADDY]

Sorry all those pics are Helios. They are all HQI's. I may be able to dig up a radium shot however it will be from a totally different camera. Heres my review:

The Radiums have less blue cast
The Helios make red pop more
The Helios are brighter, and growth has increased.
Each Helios bulb is a bit different in color temp.

If you really really want me to I can install a 6 month old radium on one side over the weekend and snap some pics.

 

[Unarce]

Thanks for the info, Steve. At $70, it wouldn't hurt to try it out.

I was a bit disappointed to see that my Ushio 14k bulb had a color shift at 6 months. I was hoping to get at least 8 or 9 out of it. So, I'm again, ready to try something else. Radium was my previous bulb, but Eric's (FragFarmers) corals are just amazing. I wasn't sure if it was a Zeo thing, but just heard that Upscales switched to them, too.

 

[REEF-DADDY]

I'll snap some shots tomorrow

I just pre-ordered a pair of aquaconnects, painful at $140 per. I'll post some pics when they come in too.

 

[Unarce]

Originally posted by REEF-DADDY
I just pre-ordered a pair of aquaconnects, painful at $140 per.

That's funny! I just placed an order yesterday, too

 

[KH971]

Oh, you will love those Aquaconnects!!!! I have had one pair, but paying the price is what hurts.

 

[kirstenk]

Unarce...........from reading previous posts of yours I came to the conclusion that you were a die hard 10K person or sunlight. Stressing "natural" most of the time. Do you now feel a 20K bulb can accomplish that?

 

[REEF-DADDY]

LOL

The views of reefkeepers do not conform to the views of the general public, or to any accepted standard of logic that reveals reefkeeping to be a true illness.

 

[Unarce]

Originally posted by kirstenk
Unarce...........from reading previous posts of yours I came to the conclusion that you were a die hard 10K person or sunlight. Stressing "natural" most of the time. Do you now feel a 20K bulb can accomplish that?

I've used 20k's many times before, and have nothing against them. I personally try to avoid having too blue a tank (i.e. 20k's plus actinics). So, I 've gone with bulbs that are a little closer to white than blue, like the Giesemann Blue, Ushio 14k, Radium (on HQI).

I prefer not to run actinics, and thought I had found the perfect standalone bulb for me in the Ushio 14k, but the color has shifted after 6 months, and was hoping to find something that lasted longer, but still gave me a little blue. So, I'm going to give the AC 14k a shot. I've never used this bulb before, despite all the raves about it. While it's available again, I figured I better jump on it

 

[kirstenk]

Let us know what cha think about the Aquaconnects.

 

[Unarce]

Have you tried or seen them before, Kirsten? I've never seen them in person.

 

[kirstenk]

I saw 250W'ers on a Zeo Tank. Colors were awesome. A lot of blue in the corals.

I have 400W with Magnetic ballasts. I just switched to Reeflux 10K and the blues have really popped. The reds have faded. I used to run 20K XM but the tank was dull. I like the white I see with the Reeflux.

I have come to the conclusion that on my 6 ft tank, I need 5 MH for a perfect blend. 3 175W XM 10K and 2 400W XM 20K and prolly some VHO Actinic. I won't do it but thats what I'm thinking.

 

[REEF-DADDY]

Unarce, You get your bulbs yet? They area lot less blue than the Helios, and ALOT brighter. After running the Helios, these seem like XM 10's to me. I need some time to adjust.....