Show me your 20k Radium tanks?
- Thread starter nu2reefva
- Start date
I have a PFO 250W ballast that I assumed was HQI because it came with a DE pendant (got it used). I am starting to wonder if it is a M80 ballast. I can not read the serial number, so no help there. I was thinking of replacing my Solaris with 250/ radium. If I open up the ballast, is there any was to tell by looking at the parts inside? (It has 250 PS written in magic marker on the outside by someone, so I am wondering just what I have).
Thanks,
Ken
Thanks,
Ken
doca
New member
hi Todd, this is a very useful talk...
i was running my 250 Radium /Icecap combo from march to november and some corals havent enougth color to me, and the light was not so bright as i expècted...
on the first week of nov i turn to a 400 w Radium/Lumantek and just 2 weeks ago, i put a pair of 96w PC 460 nm...my tank looks blue, but nice...the best part its that some corals began to shown a better coloration, even colors that i didnt know they were...(the only backup its a Seriatopora histrix that became palid rose from a intense one...im thinking in move that coral to a place with less ligth...)
this Stylo always was white/green...look at the tips now...and i hope the change includes the rest of the coral...
the way my tank looks...using only a spider reflector, i cover all the tank (40x20x18), and that let put some nice LPS in the sheded areas...
have some qs...
1.- is it a good choice of ballasts the Lumatek for the Radiums???
2.- when should i replace my bulb, about 6 to 8 months???
i was running my 250 Radium /Icecap combo from march to november and some corals havent enougth color to me, and the light was not so bright as i expècted...
on the first week of nov i turn to a 400 w Radium/Lumantek and just 2 weeks ago, i put a pair of 96w PC 460 nm...my tank looks blue, but nice...the best part its that some corals began to shown a better coloration, even colors that i didnt know they were...(the only backup its a Seriatopora histrix that became palid rose from a intense one...im thinking in move that coral to a place with less ligth...)
this Stylo always was white/green...look at the tips now...and i hope the change includes the rest of the coral...
the way my tank looks...using only a spider reflector, i cover all the tank (40x20x18), and that let put some nice LPS in the sheded areas...
have some qs...
1.- is it a good choice of ballasts the Lumatek for the Radiums???
2.- when should i replace my bulb, about 6 to 8 months???
Todd March
Premium Member
I think if I was running 400W halides, doca, I would use the Lumatek ballasts. I've heard some great things about this ballast. Leonardo here on RC raves about the Aqua Connects on the Lumatek (and the AC's are my favorite halide). I think 8 months or so for for Radiums on the Lumatek sounds good. Some have said the Lumatek runs bulbs as bright as HQI...
cashman95
New member
I am currently running a 400w Radium on a Lumatek ballast. I could not be happier!!! In the past 10 years, I have probably had over 100 different lighting setups, and not many compare to this setup!
I used to run the 250 watt Radium on an E-ballast(old Icecap) and bulb after bulb I was always let down by the look after 6-8 months. Very monochrome blue! My local fish store currently has 250 watt Radiums on Galaxy ballast. The setup is around a year old and its terrible looking.....very monochrome blue looking!
ALL the 250 watt Radiums I have ever had.....have shifted WAY before a years was up. Even with the old style Icecap.
In fact, in the past I was so unimpressed with the 250w Radiums performance past 6 months mark that I was very reluctant to do the 400 watt version.....but I took a chance and must say that I am very pleased with the performance so far!
I know that opinions are like a$$-holes and elbows(everyone has at least one) and I must say that I can not agree with Todd March when he says Radiums dont shift quick...I repeatedly experienced that they do shift around the 6 month mark!
I used to run the 250 watt Radium on an E-ballast(old Icecap) and bulb after bulb I was always let down by the look after 6-8 months. Very monochrome blue! My local fish store currently has 250 watt Radiums on Galaxy ballast. The setup is around a year old and its terrible looking.....very monochrome blue looking!
ALL the 250 watt Radiums I have ever had.....have shifted WAY before a years was up. Even with the old style Icecap.
In fact, in the past I was so unimpressed with the 250w Radiums performance past 6 months mark that I was very reluctant to do the 400 watt version.....but I took a chance and must say that I am very pleased with the performance so far!
I know that opinions are like a$$-holes and elbows(everyone has at least one) and I must say that I can not agree with Todd March when he says Radiums dont shift quick...I repeatedly experienced that they do shift around the 6 month mark!
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Todd March
Premium Member
Thanks for the input, cashman95, I really can't believe how many are raving over the Lumateks, particularly for 400W lamps... I have to agree with you that with almost all the halides I have seen on the bluer end, that the differences between the 250W and 400W versions is great... Some lamps, like the Aqua Connects, are VERY different between the different versions...
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Todd March
Premium Member
I don't like 460 nm blue lamps in PC much, but how do you like them? Do they work for you?
For true actinic supplementation the only bulbs I have seen that I thought were decent were the "true actinic" (420 nm) PC's from hellolights.com. In the PC world they are the only actinic bulb I have seen that comes close to the VHO version...
Radiums at 15" for 8 hours sounds good... Why the 15", did closer not work well for you and your corals?
Here is a recent thread where every shot was taken under radium 250K and 2x160 watt vho's
Picture thread
Todd, I just read your signature line and if you are into captive raised interuptus', we need to talk
Picture thread
Todd, I just read your signature line and if you are into captive raised interuptus', we need to talk
nu2reefva
New member
i was just reading this from the ice cap forum thought maybe you all would enjoy this
the IceCap 250W ballast will run at a total power of 265W multiplied by the .99 Power Factor = 262.35Watts on the lamp circuit.
the Advance 250W M80 ballast will run at a total power of 290W multiplied by the .90 Power Factor = 261 Watts on the lamp circuit.
the IceCap 250W ballast will run at a total power of 265W multiplied by the .99 Power Factor = 262.35Watts on the lamp circuit.
the Advance 250W M80 ballast will run at a total power of 290W multiplied by the .90 Power Factor = 261 Watts on the lamp circuit.
