Reeflux 20k feedback

[RokleM]

I can't find the old thread due to the search issues, so I'll create a new one.

It's been about 6 months since these came out and a few of us tried them. Anyone have final feedback yet? Swapped them out already? Still running? Initially I was decently impressed, but after breaking one over the weekend and comparing to an old 12k...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=15667715#post15667715

I need new bulbs soon... so not sure what to do.

 

[hollback]

Awesome topic. I was just thinking about ordering some of the 250w Reeflux 20ks. I had also thought about the Radium 250w but was concerned with running them on the Iecap electronic ballasts which wouldn't over drive them. I was able to test the Radiums and I do like them much more than the Hamilton 14ks I am currently running. I am mainly concerned with color and not par/intensity since my tank is mostly LPS. It would be nice to run one of the Reeflux 20k next to the Radium to see color difference. Do you think I should just go with the Radiums? I don't really want to purchase a bulb that will yellow or lose actinic on my over a few months even if they are cheaper than the Radiums.

 

[RokleM]

You're SE right Jason? We could schedule a time for me to run by with both bulbs. Granted, the 20k is old and the Radium is new... but you'd get an idea.

 

[hollback]

Yeah SE. I would love to see them both side by side but I think I might just try out the Radiums. The Reeflux losing intensity/actinic spectrum scares me a bit. The Icecap ballast I have won't over drive the Radiums so they will run more blue, which I'm ok with, and should last longer than ones being over driven.

 

[MarineFishGuy]

I bought 3 of the Reeflux 20K in total.
One turned Yellow in about 5 months.
One broke due to a splash of water, but looked good for the 4 months it ran.
One was about 2 months old and still had the original color when I replaced it.

Overall I found they were too white for my liking and did not get the actinic Pop I was getting from the Hamilton 14K, although they appeared brighter.

I recently replaced all of the bulbs on my 210 SPS Reef with the Hobby Lighting (Artemis) 14K 250W SE bulbs ($10 + shipping).

The PAR was within 10% of the Reeflux 20Ks, sometimes higher sometimes lower (depending on position under reflector).

The color of the Artemis is very similar to the Hamilton 14K and really gives good pop to corals.

I do not plan to use the Reeflux bulbs any longer, I have had 2 of the 12K go yellow (7-8 months old) and one of the 20K.

For the money I would rather use the less expensive bulbs and change them every 4 months.
They give me the color I was looking for and the PAR is enough to make me happy.

You can see my in depth comparison on the CORA site:
http://www.corareef.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7360

 

[jiriki]

I really like the Reeflux 20ks. It has the right amount of blue color. PAR seems to be pretty good. Better than Coralvue 20ks and XM 20ks (that's all I have to compare to).

If I wasn't about to try out some Artemis bulbs, I would definitely buy the Reeflux 20k's again.

It's definitely not a 20k look by any means. it's probably closer to a 14k to 16k look.

My luck may have been better, both bulbs of mine did not shift in any color so far. The are on for about 8 hours a day on the newer Icecap ballasts. They are about 5 or 6 months old now.

 

[Reefdiver72]

I have had mine running for about 4 months with no problem there still pretty blue I have a couple new 14k I was going to see the difference then forgot I will play tomorrow when they are cooled down both on icecap 400s mine are on for about 10 hrs a day.

 

[Mantis]

Mine are still good, both have no color shift at all on PFO HQI ballasts.

 

[porky]

I really like the look of my 20K Reeflux.
Better than any bulb I've run to date.
I run 'em on the new IceCap ballast, FYI.

 

[oldreefer76]

We run ours 5 -6 mos old 6 hrs a day on magnetic ballast and it had a nice blue at first and has now gone to a more white, no loss in par visually, but think we will go back to a 14k Hamilton for color have had good luck with them on mag ballast and keeping mostly softies par is not a huge deal

 

[aerius007]

Not to throw a monkey wrench in here but I have been considering the reeflux and the megachromes (14.5k and 22k). I have a current-usa fixture, DE. Any thoughts?

 

[RokleM]

I'm half tempted to buy another pair, but overdrive them this time. It ALMOST seems like (given the information I've seen here and other threads), that they do better overdriven even though it's not to spec. Very odd...

 

[hollback]

I don't think the new Icecap ballast like Reefdiver72, Porky and I are running overdrive them.

 

[RokleM]

Anybody have a Kill-a-watt? I'm running at about 395ish on my adjustable ballast now.