Show me your 20k Radium tanks?
- Thread starter nu2reefva
- Start date
arc eye
New member
I guess I will throw my experience out there as well.
My current lighting setup is MH only, one large lumenarc and a 400w coralvue dimmable electronic ballast. The ballast is supposed to underdrive by 30% on its lowest setting and overdrive 10% on its highest setting.
I have been running a reeflux 12k for the last two and half months, but it was a tad white/yellow as a stand alone bulb at full power. When I turn the power down it became a lot bluer............go figure.
Anyway, this weekend I picked up a 20K radium since I wanted a bulb that was a bit bluer when run at full power. So far the radium at full power looks pretty darn close the the 12k when I used to run it at the lower settings.
I'm sure the spectrum may change a bit as the bulb burns in, but if it becomes more white it really won't be much different from a 12k reeflux which is a much cheaper bulb.
IMO so far, if the bulb is going to be a stand alone go radium, if it is going to be supplemented go reeflux (but only on eballasts).
I'd post pictures................but I'm not good with the white balnce and they also turn out super blue
hope that helps at all
My current lighting setup is MH only, one large lumenarc and a 400w coralvue dimmable electronic ballast. The ballast is supposed to underdrive by 30% on its lowest setting and overdrive 10% on its highest setting.
I have been running a reeflux 12k for the last two and half months, but it was a tad white/yellow as a stand alone bulb at full power. When I turn the power down it became a lot bluer............go figure.
Anyway, this weekend I picked up a 20K radium since I wanted a bulb that was a bit bluer when run at full power. So far the radium at full power looks pretty darn close the the 12k when I used to run it at the lower settings.
I'm sure the spectrum may change a bit as the bulb burns in, but if it becomes more white it really won't be much different from a 12k reeflux which is a much cheaper bulb.
IMO so far, if the bulb is going to be a stand alone go radium, if it is going to be supplemented go reeflux (but only on eballasts).
I'd post pictures................but I'm not good with the white balnce and they also turn out super blue
hope that helps at all
Todd March
Premium Member
arc, glad to hear your experiences. They really jive with my own. My favorite reef lighting of all time is the Radium 400W running on overdriven HQI/HPS. I've seen two setups now with the Reeflux 12K, one on eballasts and one on PFO mag ballasts, and they both reminded me very much of the Radium. Great color with a nice actinic punch. I think Coralife very much designed the Reeflux 12K to emulate the classic Radium...
Todd March
Premium Member
Ha,ha, Nick, good point...!
Whoever designed the bulb anyway...
I have both 400w Radium on HQI and 400w 12k Reeflux on Coravu eballast. Reflux is tad bluer. Radium is little brighter and give more actinic. Corals look better under Radium in the first 3 months. From 3-6 months, coarls look about the same. After 6 months, need to change out the Radium. Reeflux last about 10-12 months before fading. So for me, I have 4 Reeflux and 2 Radium. This seem to work for me.
Todd March
Premium Member
GREAT info, Mikigo... Based on your experience, do you think with the new "super duper" full sized reflectors like the Lumenarc III or Lumenmax Elite, that a single 400W Radium could cover 36" x 24"...?
PnoyReefeR
New member
Im running this set up on my cube.. looks good..
arc eye
New member
Todd March,
The large lumenarc can easily do a 36"x 36" area especially with a 400w lamp. Right now I have mine over an oceanic 58g (36X18X21) with the bottom of the reflector about 9.5" above the water. It easily lights the tank end to end and I even have sps growing in the sand.
The light spill is fairly dramatic, but I bought with my next setup in mind.........100g cube (36" X 36" X 18").
here are some pictures just after my tank transfer...............ignore the excessive blue, its just the camera
The large lumenarc can easily do a 36"x 36" area especially with a 400w lamp. Right now I have mine over an oceanic 58g (36X18X21) with the bottom of the reflector about 9.5" above the water. It easily lights the tank end to end and I even have sps growing in the sand.
The light spill is fairly dramatic, but I bought with my next setup in mind.........100g cube (36" X 36" X 18").
here are some pictures just after my tank transfer...............ignore the excessive blue, its just the camera
Todd March
Premium Member
Grat, arc, thanks for the information, that is what I have heard, it just seems like a lot of tank to cover to me, but I am just getting used to these new "super duper" reflectors after using basic spider reflectors for so many years. Still seems amazing to me how much difference the reflector can make...!
And you're not kidding about the light spill, WOW-zaaaa... But seems to be only on the width area, huh? Not much spill on the ends of the 36" length at all, huh...?
And you're not kidding about the light spill, WOW-zaaaa... But seems to be only on the width area, huh? Not much spill on the ends of the 36" length at all, huh...?
Canarygirl
New member
Reefbum, that is one awesome tank you have there. Beautiful coral colors and aquascaping. 
GSMguy
New member
this thread has me sold, i know what im getting for christmas, 2 Single ended lumenarcs and 2 radium 250w bulbs.
after seeing 143Gadgets tank with the radium and lumenarc combo i am totally sold, my tank with 2x 250w DE pheonix in reef optix3 pendants looks very dim in comparison. i will have a par meter this weekend to confirm that.
i will keep my M-80 aquamedic ballasts, it seems that the 250w radium on this ballast should last 12 months?
after seeing 143Gadgets tank with the radium and lumenarc combo i am totally sold, my tank with 2x 250w DE pheonix in reef optix3 pendants looks very dim in comparison. i will have a par meter this weekend to confirm that.
i will keep my M-80 aquamedic ballasts, it seems that the 250w radium on this ballast should last 12 months?
