Why does a 250w on a 24" deep tank...

Lagger

New member
seem like it's inadequate? I did a tank swap a couple of days ago & my corals took a big hit on color. Understandable considering the stress, but they were kept at regular temp & w/ flow for the interm.

Beofre they were 12" under a 150w phoenix & had great color & OK growth. Now they're 20-24" under a 250 phoenix & they look horrible. Not even the LPS on the sand are responding well. Is it because it's being driven by a M58? It couldnt be that bad, could it.

How long before I swap it out for a 400w? I dont want all my corals to brown out :( Ive seen numerous 2' tanks with great color/growth under 250's, but they all semm to be under 10k's. I want my color back! Should I upgrade to a 250 lumenarc SE or a 400 and be done with it?
 
so what you are saying is the 250 looks less bright then the 150?

Lumenarcs are the best reflector made... but i would keep your bulb at 250w
 
What reflector are you using now? If it's a 250 watt DE bulb, they're really designed to be operated with HQI ballasts (M80) and may account for your poor performance. If it's only been a few days, it may just be adjustments to the new tank, new water, etc. I think it's more stress from all the changes, especially if your LPS are reacting poorly to this as well.

Spleen
 
Right now it's in a Reef optix III & it's OK, but I dont like it compared to my old PFO. I'm upgrading to a lumenarc no matter what.

Hopefully it is just stress related, but everything just looks drab. :( Im dosing heavy right now to get my cal/alk where it used to be hoping maybe this will help.

But you're all saying a 250 should be suffecient, correct? I have a blue wave & would like to keep it, but I was totally on the 400w bandwagon. Now it appears 250se on a standard mag ballast should be totally decent for a 24" tall tank?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10465910#post10465910 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Thats the problem right there. Your parameters are out of whack.

Eh, not really. Just not as high as I'd like them, but not out of whack ;)
 
errrr you are having this trouble because you cant run pheonix de bulbs on an m58 ballast
you must have an m80 hqi or Electronic.
 
whups

yea Single ended witht the m58


but i think its cheaper to buy a dual 250w e ballast than buying new bulbs and reflectors to work with that ballast...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10465989#post10465989 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
errrr you are having this trouble because you cant run pheonix de bulbs on an m58 ballast
you must have an m80 hqi or Electronic.

Thats what I thought! I was told it wouldn't fire, but it does. Good ole m58 probe start running the phoenix de....go figure. Even thou, it couldn't significantly underdrive it, could it?
 
it will fire but will not run at the correct wattage
i dont know how that will affect it
it will be much brighter on new ballasts...
 
i know that on the odessey "250w" lights they were shipping with 150w eballasts and still able to fire the pheonix
 
Hmmm,

Keep in mind this is going to be the only light on a 36x18x24 tank. Would you still keep one 250? Im still not convinced it's going to be enough light.....
 
I can verify that 250 watt is plenty. If you are truely running a DE bulb with an M58 ballasts, you need to consider upgrading to HQI or a high grade electronic before you damage the bulb by underdriving it. If you can get an HQI ballast, you should see a huge increase in output.
 
Thanks Greg.

I was actually thinking of keeping the m58 blue wave & getting a lumenarc mini SE & running a XM 20k or something similar. Puts me around 73 par & not having to run actinics.

What do you suggest?
 
Thanks Rich. I am not running actinics with the phoenix.

I plan on hanging a pendant hence no actinics. It's already too hot under a canopy with no chiller....
 
Some one help me out here.....

Is a 400w open pendant really going to creat that much more heat than a 250w open pendant?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10473541#post10473541 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lagger
Some one help me out here.....

Is a 400w open pendant really going to creat that much more heat than a 250w open pendant?


Its going to create about 60% more heat.


Because its 60% more wattage.
 
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