Reeflux 12k bulbs users....

[UrbanSage]

I switched to 400w ReefLux's a few months back and coral growth is much better than what I saw with 10,000K XM's.
You can see pictures in my red house if wanting.

I am very happy with the bulbs although future plan is to replace the actinic VHO's with daylight bulbs to shift the visual away from the blue. (Personally I like the less blue look).

 

[hyperfocal]

I recently switched from 250W Reeflux 12K bulbs to Radiums. I think I like the color of the Reeflux bulbs better (the Radiums are really blue), but the Radiums are a lot more intense.

I'm running them on a SLS Galaxy, so the Radiums should last a good long time.

Here's a PAR comparison (using an Apogee Quantum Meter):

 

[GSMguy]

wow the reeflux is dim

 

[bubbletip2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13319398#post13319398 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hyperfocal
I recently switched from 250W Reeflux 12K bulbs to Radiums. I think I like the color of the Reeflux bulbs better (the Radiums are really blue), but the Radiums are a lot more intense.

I'm running them on a SLS Galaxy, so the Radiums should last a good long time.

Here's a PAR comparison (using an Apogee Quantum Meter):

12K Reeflux were probably not meant to be run on that ballast - the #'s should show the exact opposite in terms of PAR # ratios. i have tested Radiums and know what they put out. Is that a magnetic ballast? Never heard of SLX galaxy. 12K's need to run on electronic ballasts and they don't run well on all electronics. They do best on Coralvue ballasts of course but the icecaps run them well as well as the EVC electronics. I have tested several ARO ballasts and they run them at 50% the expected PAR. ARO's are no good for this bulb.

 

[hyperfocal]

Yeah, I was really surprised. Overall, in my tank the Radium outperforms the Reeflux by ~32%

 

[bubbletip2]

Good to know not to recommend SLX Galaxy ballasts to anyone wanting to run 12K's. I have steered people off of PFO magnetics(30-45% less output), the ARO's are about 30% less output also. People like ARO's because they are cheap but again are not meant for 12K's. 12K's need to be fired correctly to get the right output.

 

[hyperfocal]

Bubbletip2,

Sunlight Supply Galaxy. Sorry you haven't heard of them, but it's a common and widely respected electronic ballast. If you check Sanjay's site, you'll find that the Radium routinely outperforms the Reeflux 12K though not by as much as what I saw. For example, he saw a 23% advantage for the Radium on an Icecap ballast.

I'd be *really* surprised if running the Reeflux bulb on a CoralVue ballast gave enough of a PAR bump to bring the Reeflux bulb into competition with the Radium... it'd have to give greater than 35% improvement. And even if it did, I'm not interested in buying a specific company's ballast to match a specific bulb.

I do prefer the color of the Reeflux though. Can't have everything, I guess.

 

[bubbletip2]

After seeing the #'s Sanjay gave the 12 K Reeflux I don't take his tests too seriously. First of all they are tests done in the air not water. I tested 12K Reeflux, EVC 14K, and another bulb off the exact same ballast and the 12K Reeflux blew the EVC 14K away. Sanjay had the EVC 14k much higher than the 12K. So again if I don't see it on my meter I don't believe it.

And also when it comes to ballasts you never know what you get. If you don't have a meter you never know. For instance I had a store owner that believed in the ARO electronic ballast. I noticed his 12K's under these ballasts were way to dim. I measured each bulb and I was barely getting 350 1" above the surface. I have tested 12K reeflux 250's at 1000, 1050, 1100 one inch above the surface. So again even though You believe in the Sunlight Supply ballast does not necessarily mean it will work well wit every bulb that takes electronics. Also, it is pretty uncommon for 20K bulbs to test higher than 12K or 10K bulbs in general.

and this is a shot of 3 -250w 12K's under Coralvue ballasts just for your reference:

 

[GSMguy]

Bubbletip your changing the rules with each post..

12k bulbs have something special inside them that requires them to be run on different ballasts?

the Galaxy is a highly regarded ballast.


if you run the reeflux vs the radium on a CV (chinese) ballast you will end up with similar results a ballast cant change the potential of a bulb.

 

[GSMguy]

oops

 

[bubbletip2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13319893#post13319893 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
Bubbletip your changing the rules with each post..

12k bulbs have something special inside them that requires them to be run on different ballasts?

the Galaxy is a highly regarded ballast.


if you run the reeflux vs the radium on a CV (chinese) ballast you will end up with similar results a ballast cant change the potential of a bulb.

Sorry man not to argue but I highly disagree. The ballast has everything to do with output and not every ballast is the same out of the factory. That is why the same manufactured ballasts test differently. I am not saying the Sunlight supply ballast is not good. I am sure it is fine and it looks like it runs radiums well. But trust me when I say something is wrong with those 12K #'s as you can see from my previous post. I have tested nearly 50 12K Reeflux bulbs and the #'s don't lie. I have also tested many other bulbs and have seen major controversy between Sanjay's air tests and what I and many others have seen.

I will find out what exactly is going on with regards to the 12K's not being fired correctly by that ballast. Does it come with a 30ft cord? that may have something to do with it. The current needed to fire the 12K bulb is different than the radium. Thi si true for other bulbs as well. This is why you will notice that some bulbs look pinkinsh under certain ballasts when you know they should look blue. Not every ballast no matter how good it is runs each bulb exactly as the manufacturer would have intended.

 

[GSMguy]

the numbers seem low i admit that, but i imagine its the bulb that is the problem not the ballast.

i remember some people with pink CV bulbs all they had to do was replace the bulb with newer CV bulbs and the pink went away...

i am not trying to argue but i just dont get it.



here this is from hong kong forum i think
]This is going to be more ruff then

red text 5 months old reeflux
blue text brand new reeflux
purple text brand new IC
all tested by 400W IC ballast

 

[hyperfocal]

Don't forget about reflectors. I did both my tests under el cheapo spider reflectors. I don't recall what reflectors Sanjay used for his tests, but I'll be they weren't top of the line. My numbers for PAR will be a lot lower than yours bubbletip since you seem to be using lumenbrights; however, relatively speaking the difference between the Reeflux bulbs and the Radiums will be almost identical no matter the reflector.

 

[bubbletip2]

I think you just answered your own question GSMguy. In the japanese photo you will see that the numbers are lower on the Icecap ballast which is exactly what I found when I tested the 12K's with icecaps. Still higher than ARO ballasts but not as high as the coralvue ballasts.

Your answer comes where the manufacturer of the ballast being icecap runs there bulb better than the 12K. Typically manufacturers mate their ballasts with their specific bulbs not bulbs of other manufacturers.

 

[cmm1970]

This is the gospel that needs to be preached with every post about what bulb a person should get...

from bubbletip2:
Your answer comes where the manufacturer of the ballast being icecap runs there bulb better than the 12K. Typically manufacturers mate their ballasts with their specific bulbs not bulbs of other manufacturers.

 

[Flatlander]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13319519#post13319519 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bubbletip2
Good to know not to recommend SLX Galaxy ballasts to anyone wanting to run 12K's. I have steered people off of PFO magnetics(30-45% less output), the ARO's are about 30% less output also. People like ARO's because they are cheap but again are not meant for 12K's. 12K's need to be fired correctly to get the right output.

Not sure where this info comes from? Did someone measure? I do own both a duel 250w Galaxy and single 250w CV ballasts. I see not difference in the bulb on either. If anything a bit brighter on the Galaxy but not a fair test, as I have two bulbs over a 90g, as where I ran a single 12K Reeflux on the CV ballast, over a 45 cube, exactly half the size of the 90 in all measures.

I must add, I,m currently running an old SA 14K bulb beside the 12K bulb. Pretty hard to tell the difference. I will however be adding another 12K Reeflux, as I,m pleased with it so far.

 

[bubbletip2]

My suggestion Doug would be to borrow a PAR meter and test out the same bulb on each ballast and that side of the tank without the other light on to see what kind of numbers you get. I just felt his 12K #'s were a bit low as I have measured many 12K's under different reflectors. Maybe they Galaxy ballasts are alright. It is hard to tell what those numbers represent without some information of how the testing was done and what the main elements were: the type of reflector, distance from bulb to water, how old the bulb is, etc.

 

[dew2loud1]

I'm running a 400w SE 20k radium and right beside it a 12k reeflux, both on coralvue ballasts, they are actually very very close in color, I have no additional actinic supplementation. Previously I ran two radiums, and I haven't seen any color lose after switching one side to the 12k, but I have noticed excellent growth more so than the radium, but again it wasn't overdriven before.

 

[hedgedrew]

same here slightly better with coralvue ballasts with reeflux than radium i also have another set up on hqi and radium is whiter for sure but reeflux 12 is nice

 

[RobynT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13319178#post13319178 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JRaquatics
First MH light comes on at 2:30 pm then other two in 15 min. increments after and the last one goes out at 9:30pm in the opposite direction in which the start. I add another hour in the fall/winter.

So you are basically running each light/bulb 7 hours? I have been increasing my time by 15 mins a week and wondered what I might target as the end goal? I have the same setup as you do.