Show me your 20k Radium tanks?

[Bpb]

I know the true actinics are real popular with radium users. D2mini's old tank had really nice color with radiums supplemented with 1 coral+, 1kz super blue, and 2 giesemann actinics. If I were to supplement with 4 bulbs I would probably do something similar, or maybe just two coral plus two actinics since I tend to like a whiter tank

 

[tegee]

Been running 250w Radiums for 8-years and don't plan to change anytime soon. I've witness MANY iterations of LED's and still can't wrap my head around all the money that has been spent in that time. All while simply changing out bulbs every 9-12 months. Ballasts still running strong too. Not a SINGLE problem during that time as well.

 

[sahin]

There must be a lot more Radium users out there...post up your tank pics.

 

[Piper27]

I set up a new tank with radiums. I will have to post a pic. Its a Marineland 3' starfire cube. My first nice tank and i have cut two big reflectors and rivited them together to fit the 3 feet and keep two single ended 250w bulbs. I am suppliments with 36 3w blue leds (plan to double that) and 4 t5s, one coral plus, one next gen, and two kz superblues. I too like ta KS with a bolder white crispy blue look. The lights heat the water so much though.
Not much to look at though, just growing a ton of wild frags that are all on racks on top of the rock. Tons of fish though....

What is the best ballast for the most part besides pfo's? My lumatek selectable only get about 500 at the top right now with bulbs about 14 to 16" off the water. I keep seeing people getting 800+?

 

[Bpb]

Hamilton m80 will be what you're looking for. They're the last company that is making m80 ballast assemblies brand new in this hobby (that I'm aware of)

 

[sahin]

I set up a new tank with radiums. I will have to post a pic. Its a Marineland 3' starfire cube. My first nice tank and i have cut two big reflectors and rivited them together to fit the 3 feet and keep two single ended 250w bulbs. I am suppliments with 36 3w blue leds (plan to double that) and 4 t5s, one coral plus, one next gen, and two kz superblues. I too like ta KS with a bolder white crispy blue look. The lights heat the water so much though.
Not much to look at though, just growing a ton of wild frags that are all on racks on top of the rock. Tons of fish though....

What is the best ballast for the most part besides pfo's? My lumatek selectable only get about 500 at the top right now with bulbs about 14 to 16" off the water. I keep seeing people getting 800+?

As per Bpb's post below. The 250w Radiums need around 330watts to run at spec. The Lumatek E-ballast only pushes out 250w and around 275watts if you set it on SuperLumens - still not enough to run the the 250w Radium at spec. Dom (Wrangy) actually imported the Hamilton halide gear all the way to the land of Roos...I think he contacted Hamilton directly.

Hamilton m80 will be what you're looking for. They're the last company that is making m80 ballast assemblies brand new in this hobby (that I'm aware of)

Thats the ballast.

Now if one was running the "400"watt Radium, thats a different story. This bulb is actually rated at 360watts EU spec. So running that on the Lumatek is fine. Its being overdriven slightly though...and most people run the 400w Radium at closer to 470watts...thats why it appears bright white and lasts only 6 months.

I bought a Lumatek dimmable ballast with settings for 250/250SL/400/400SL. The SL setting increases power by around 10%.

My tank is only small and so I'll be running my 400w Radium off a Lumatek Ballast.

I set up a new tank with radiums. I will have to post a pic.

I would love to see pics. Can you start a tank thread even? I'd love to see your tanks progress. Thanks.

 

[biggles]

Dom uses a 250W HPS ballast to drive his Radium bulb, i wired it up for him :thumbsup:

 

[Wrangy]

Dom uses a 250W HPS ballast to drive his Radium bulb, i wired it up for him :thumbsup:

This is very true lol I'm loving it so far

 

[Piper27]

How did I not know Hamilton makes m80's? I guess being a 100 xm and reflux fan I don't hear all this info on radiums. Thanks for the info guys, I will be switching here shortly.

Sahin I will start a thread soon. Can't wait to see all the people tell me how I can't run a skimmer rated for 4000 gallons on a 400 gallon system

 

[alten78]

One of my OceanLight pendants took a plunge so i went with a Hamilton fixture and 250w Radium (left). The OceanLight on the right is a Phoenix DE, both on the older Aqua Medic HQI (290watt) ballasts. 2x54 (ati blue+ and coral+) on in this pic as well. Eventually coral will grow in...hopefully

 

[lsingh]

^^^^

 

[biecacka]

Picture of my cube, lit by a single 250 radium. I am thinking of switching to a 400 though. What sort of noticeable difference have those that have used both seen?
I'll post a current picture too, this one is old.

Corey

 

[wolfey6188]

My radion lit tank

 

[yellojello]

My radion lit tank

Radium not Radion

 

[Chad_P]

Just converted from Radions [emoji16]. Running the Giesemann 72" Spectra with 250w Radiums. Running them on the 250 setting, should I go up to the SL on the Lumatek ballasts? Seems to be the consensus.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[biggles]

2 x 400W Radiums up top driven by 400W HPS ballasts. 1 x 250W Radium over the sump driven at 290W by a HPS ballast i had custom built over 15 years ago. You can see how the 250W is almost as bright to the eye as the 400W's above.

The fish all freaked out when i put half the substrate in a few days ago so the bright lights were off for a day.

The majestic angel is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his hangout spot under the monti. The assassin anthias which has the temperament of a powder blue in full rage mode, top left, has always coveted this spot and he's just waiting for the angel to give it up eventually.