Will Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I have a 36" Oddysea fixture with 1 250w de halide and 2 36" pc actenics. I need help deciding on my new bulb choices I am currently using 14k Phoenix bulb. I am using tue stock electronic ballast from Oddysea. I would like a bulb that has equal or greater par than the bulb I am currently using. I also like the 14k color of my current bulb but I'm open to other suggestions. I know I'm limited in my choices with pc's, but I don't know if I'm up for retroi g the fixture for t5's or LEDs If all else fails I'll just stick with my current arrangement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 a couple of things: - note that every bulb burns a different color when plugged into different ballasts so matching colors/par readings from other people's fixtures/ballast/bulb combos won't be an exact science. that being said: - I'll assume you like the white light with touch of blue that the 14K Phoenix's produce. If so, I'd recommend a 14K DE Hamilton. Hamiltons are very popular, produce great color and still get you good growth for your corals. I ran them (the SE version of the Hamilton) for a long time with very good results. I know dapettit ran them and potentially still does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I really like the 14K Phoenix. I tried another 14K brand (I forget which one), and did not like the color it produced. So I ended right back at the Phoenix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 I like my current setup as it is (maybe i should just upgrade the ballast) as i feel like my bulb looks a lil dim. I have also heard 20k radiums are nice. Anyone else have any advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 How old are the bulbs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 bought them in may But i also noticed that my ballas is supposed to be pulling 2.3A and is only pulling 1.5A according to my RKL, would this cause this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I switched from 14K Hamiltons to 20K reefluxes and I'm happy with the new bulbs. A little bluer than the Hamiltons, but not too much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teg Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I think Oddysea stock ballasts are junk when you're using them for their rated wattage. I also got the Oddysea fixture 36" but with 2 DE 250w, and their stock "250w" ballast couldn't even light up the 250w Pheonix; but it fired up their junk 250w bulbs find. I got a watt-o-meter at lowes and turns out those Oddysea stock ballasts are only running at 175w when they are rated at 250w. I ended up switching over to dual galaxy ballast and it ran the 250w Pheonix nicely with just a tint of blue. I think Pheonix has one of the best PPFD for 14k range, you'll have to lower in K to get higher PPFD with the XM bulbs; check out Sanjay's data on all the bulbs he tested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Running 250W lamps...if I wanted better growth, I'd go 10K for certain. Otherwise any of the above recommendations are decent. Seriously though, a ballast retrofit might be your best bet. Sounds like you are not getting the bang for your buck out of the lamps you are running based on the wattage/amperage observations. That would be where your money would be best spent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Here's a pretty good deal on a 250W ballast: http://www.saltysupplyoutlet.com/250-Watt-Single-Pulse-Start-Blue-Wave-Ballast-p/ss35332344.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 is that a magnetic or electronic ballast? i also saw this, is it a good deal? http://hellolights.c...t-coralvue.aspx In all honesty i don't really understand the difference between pulse start, electronic, digital, dim-able (i understand what it means but not why its a good thing) ballast, and what type of bulbs require which ballast .... p.s. Mark, you should do a video on this (maybe a three part on the three- led, t5, MH - main types of reef lighting and do into specifies of each Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 If you're corals are happy I'd stick with the same bulb. I've got both Ushio and Phoenix 250W DE 14K and like them both but the Ushio is more correctly a 12K so it would make your tank more yellow compared to the Phoenix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teg Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I've seen a lot of people run coralvue brand ballast, they operate at the rating they claimed; but IMO coralvue is a value brand. I have used icecap, galaxy, lumatek and coralvue; I prefer to use icecap, galaxy or lumetak over coralvue. Those other brand run at slightly higher wattage than their rating, thus making the bulb output looks brighter than what you'd expect to get from a coralvue ballast. Thus, the reason why bulb color output depends on the ballast used. If you have multiple halides over your tank, you'd want to use ballast with similar actual output rating or you will end up with slightly different color over the tank. If you only have halide, it really doesn't matter which brand you choose. But from those stock oddysea ballast to even a coralvue ballast, I'd bet you'll see very noticeable change in brightness from your pheonix bulb (it will look less blue than it was before). That price seems to be average for the 250w coralvue ballast. Stick with the electronic ballast, it can light up most of the DE or SE bulbs on market (as for radium bulb, it will light up radium bulbs fine, but doesn't overdrive them as much as magnetic) . Also everyone says electronic runs cooler than magnetic; if that's true I wonder how hot magnetic ballast gets, because my 400w icecap is HOT! to the touch (hot like you can't leave your hand on it for more than 10 sec). Dimmable ballast is for switching between different intensity using the same bulb (not same as 400w and 250w setting on one of the galaxy ballast). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 I've seen a lot of people run coralvue brand ballast, they operate at the rating they claimed; but IMO coralvue is a value brand. I have used icecap, galaxy, lumatek and coralvue; I prefer to use icecap, galaxy or lumetak over coralvue. Those other brand run at slightly higher wattage than their rating, thus making the bulb output looks brighter than what you'd expect to get from a coralvue ballast. Thus, the reason why bulb color output depends on the ballast used. If you have multiple halides over your tank, you'd want to use ballast with similar actual output rating or you will end up with slightly different color over the tank. If you only have halide, it really doesn't matter which brand you choose. But from those stock oddysea ballast to even a coralvue ballast, I'd bet you'll see very noticeable change in brightness from your pheonix bulb (it will look less blue than it was before). That price seems to be average for the 250w coralvue ballast. Stick with the electronic ballast, it can light up most of the DE or SE bulbs on market (as for radium bulb, it will light up radium bulbs fine, but doesn't overdrive them as much as magnetic) . Also everyone says electronic runs cooler than magnetic; if that's true I wonder how hot magnetic ballast gets, because my 400w icecap is HOT! to the touch (hot like you can't leave your hand on it for more than 10 sec). Dimmable ballast is for switching between different intensity using the same bulb (not same as 400w and 250w setting on one of the galaxy ballast). I had looked at icecap, but due to the fact that they ran out of business i found them less appealing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 i ran 2-400w 14k SPS bulbs at 1st, then went to 20k Reeflux, and now i hv 15k XMs. i like the color of these bulbs, there being ran on coralvue ballasts. But i also have 8 T5s and 2 VHOs so IDK. Its all in what u like and what the corals like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I had looked at icecap, but due to the fact that they ran out of business i found them less appealing. Icecap got bought by coralvue. The support will still be there. I'm a lumatek fan myself. I went from PFO to the lumateks and my bulbs have more coral now as I think they are getting over driven less by the "Smart" lumatek ballast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 i found one of these for 80 shipped, is this a good deal? i think i may hop on it http://www.aquacave.com/coralvue-250w-dimmable-br-single-metal-halide-br-electronic-ballast-2428.html and im pretty sure my bulb is underdriven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medi Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I run the lumatek dimmable 400/250w ballast with 12k reflex bulbs. I love the combination. The light has a good hint of blue closer to the 14k Phoenix, but I get the growth of a 12k bulb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 If you are gonna buy new and don't need the "deal" buy LUMATEK! I love the new Lumatek's I put in in december and they don't have any restrictions on the length of cord running to the lamp. THis is a good thing. The coralvue 400W ballasts demands no cord to the lamp be longer than 6 or 8 feet. I found this to be a bit tough with my install. The Lumatek's are able to have a cord length up to 60'. In addition, the dimmable feature is completely clutch for acclimating new pieces. I just used it last week to acclimate new colonies and it made me realize that life without dimmable may not be worth living! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 If you are gonna buy new and don't need the "deal" buy LUMATEK! I love the new Lumatek's I put in in december and they don't have any restrictions on the length of cord running to the lamp. THis is a good thing. The coralvue 400W ballasts demands no cord to the lamp be longer than 6 or 8 feet. I found this to be a bit tough with my install. The Lumatek's are able to have a cord length up to 60'. In addition, the dimmable feature is completely clutch for acclimating new pieces. I just used it last week to acclimate new colonies and it made me realize that life without dimmable may not be worth living! 2X! My Lumatek dimmables are on the way as well. The 20' cords are already here and I can now envision so much more flexibility on where to put them rather than right next to the tank. Not to mention that being able to reuse them later if I want to go to a larger tank is awesome. They're 400w ballasts dimmable down to 250, and don't cost significantly more than the coralvues. I hadn't even considered the ramification for acclimating new pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 On the Coralvue side, I have just completed a customer service/warranty experience with them that was positive. I did have to persist with their rep, but in the end, the solution that was delivered exceeded my expectation. If you do go Coralvue, know they are reasonable on the support side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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